Sábado 27 Out 2007, 17h:25
THE LANGUAGE: MAPUDUNGUN
Mapudungun (mapu means 'earth' and dungun means 'to speak') is a language isolate spoken in central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche (mapu is 'earth' and che means 'people') people. Its speakers number 440,000, with 400,000 in the Central Valley of Chile and 40,000 in the Argentinian region of Patagonia.
Mapudungun lacks substantive protection or promotion, despite the Chilean government's commitment to improve the situation and provide full access to education in Mapuche areas in southern Chile.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Mapuche.jpg/250px-Mapuche.jpg
The Mapuche successfully resisted many attempts by the Inca Empire to subjugate them, despite the lack of nationwide organization.
They fought against the Spaniards for over 300 years. Initial conquests of land by the Spanish in the late 16th century were thoroughly repulsed by the Mapuche, such that there were areas where Europeans did not return to until late in the 19th century.
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When Chile split from the Spanish crown, some Mapuche chiefs sided with the colonists; most, however, regarded the matter, if they regarded it at all, with relative indifference. The Mapuche coexisted and traded with their neighbours, who prudently remained north of the Bío-Bío River, although clashes occurred frequently.
http://www.liberacion.cl/fotos/Aucan.jpg
Finally, partially on the pretext of crushing a French filibusterer, Orelie-Antoine de Tounens, who had declared himself King of Araucania, the Chilean state overwhelmed the Mapuche lands in the mid- to late-1880s during the so called "pacification of the Araucanía".
In recent years, there has been an attempt by the Chilean government to redress some of the inequities of the past, by, for example, validating the Mapudungun language and culture by including them in the curriculum of elementary schools around Temuco. Nevertheless, land disputes and violent interactions do continue in some Mapuche areas.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Mapuche_map.jpg/200px-Mapuche_map.jpg
Representatives from Mapuche organisations joined the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) seeking recognition and protection for their cultural and land rights.
In an effort to defuse tensions, a special government body, the Commission for Historical Truth and New Treatment, issued a report in 2003 calling for drastic changes in Chile's treatment of its indigenous people, more than 80 percent of whom are Mapuche. The recommendations included the formal recognition of political and "territorial" rights for aboriginal peoples, as well as efforts to promote their cultural identity.
In recent years Mapuche activists have been prosecuted under counter-terrorism legislation originally introduced by Pinochet.
http://www.escaner.cl/escaner61/origen61lc.jpg
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapudungun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapuche
THE ARTIST: BEATRIZ PICHI MALEN
Heiress of a long history, Beatriz Pichi Malen has dedicated her life to searching for and transmitting Ancient Mapuche Songs. Born in Los Toldos, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, she is the great-great granddaughter – on her mother’s side – of Cacique Coliqueo, the famous 19th-century Mapuche chief.
http://www.barcelona2004.org/addon/img/104a694pichi5g.jpg
Beatriz has given talks, seminars, workshops and concerts throughout Argentina and abroad. She has also recounted her knowledge of the Mapuche culture for cinema and video.
In 1990 Beatriz Pichi Malen was invited by the Rockefeller Foundation to participate in the Fourth International Congress of Women in Manhattan. In 1994 she was awarded top prize in the category of Vocal Soloist at the Festival of Cosquín, and this year was also the beginning of a series of annual presentations she gives on the Mapuche culture.
In 1995 she received the Cóndor de Plata – Argentina’s equivalent of the Academy Awards. In 1996 she received special mention at the Malambo Festival of Córdoba, and in 1997 at the Festival of Varadero. In July of the same year she received the TRIMARG ’97 (Tribunal Musical Argentina) award in the category of ethnic music. This institution also chose one of her songs to be included in a CD that was released internationally.
In March 2000 she released Plata, a CD containing ancient Mapuche songs. In November 2000 the government department of the province of Buenos Aires declared Plata , her CD featuring ancient Mapuche songs, of EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL INTEREST. In 2001 she participated in her first European tour, which was organized by Anacrusa Producciones.
http://www.barcelona2004.org/addon/img/104a694pichi2g.jpg
In 2002 she offered a series of concerts throughout Argentina, renewing her commitment to work not only by performing, but also by participating in workshops and projects related to the different arts of the Mapuche culture. In May of the same year she was commissioned by the Department of Culture in the province of Buenos Aires to offer a series of exclusive concerts. The Argentinian Department of Tourism hired her as an Ambassador of Mapuche Art to offer a series of concerts throughout Argentina.
She returned and travelled to the province of Neuquén to offer a series of concerts at the Huellas International Festival.
She made the most of her stay there by visiting Mapuche communities and associations and strengthening her ties with her ethnic group.
It was at this time that she completed her second CD Añil.
Source:
http://www.barcelona2004.org/eng/eventos/espectaculos/ficha.cfm?IdEvento=1216