The Araucanian in Chilean thought and culture, 1810-1997

Abstract

The object of this thesis is to determine the nature of perceptions of the Araucanian (Mapuche) Indians in Chilean literature, historiography, education politics, and New Song, a form of social protest music that emerged in the 1960s in Chile. These indigenous inhabitants of central and southern Chile effectively resisted the Incas and Spaniards for over three centuries, and they were not fully pacified by the Chileans until the 1880s. They are a permanent fixture in Chilean culture and national identity. Beginning in the colonial period, two distinct schools of thought concerning the Araucanians arose: Indianism and Hispanism. Indianists often praise the Araucanian in exaggerated terms, while Hispanists emphasize the superiority of the European. Seeking balance, a third mestizaje group has recently arisen that advocates racial and cultural mixing and does not view one race as being superior or inferior to another in any way. All three schools of thought can be delineated in Chilean historiography. In the relatively few Chilean literary works that focus on the Araucanian, they are portrayed in a mostly idealized, romantic light, although realistic portrayals are not uncommon. The Araucanian has also appeared in Chilean political rhetoric and educational thought, usually in an effort to bolster nationalistic feelings. Chilean New Song, being socially conscious, typically idealizes the Mapuche. The differing views of the Araucanian in Chilean thought and culture reflect the continuing search for and refinement of a national culture and identity, a search common to all Latin American countries. They also reflect the continuing debate in Chile increasingly acknowledging and embracing their country's cultural diversity. The Araucanians are a key element of Chilean identity, and indigenism is still a viable force in Latin America.