From: sangu@igc.apc.org (David Sangurima)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Subject: IPS:Chile:Amerindians Take Back Lan
Date: 10 Oct 92 02:45:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1473800341:000:4477
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!sangu    Oct  9 19:45:00 1992


From: David Sangurima <sangu>
Subject: IPS:Chile:Amerindians Take Back Lands

/* Written 12:24 am  Oct  3, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "CHILE: AMERINDIANS PLAN TO RESUME R" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Asia, southern; Agriculture
Title: CHILE: AMERINDIANS PLAN TO RESUME REOCCUPATION OF ANCESTRAL LANDS


an inter press service feature

by gustavo gonzalez

santiago, sep 29 (ips) -- representatives of chile's mapuche
indian have announced that they will occupy lands ''usurped'' by
european settlers as part of plans for the anniversary of the
quincentenary of the arrival of europeans in the americas.

their plans also include the adoption of a new emblem or flag
for the mapuche people.

the group wants the chilean government to recognize the
existence of the mapuche nation in the territory south of the
bio-bio river, located 500 km from the capital, santiage, acucan
huilcaman, spokesperson of the 'aukin wallmapu ngulam' (council
of all lands) said.

the council is the most militant of chilean mapuche
organizations.

the mapuches once occupied a vast area in southern chile,
where they resisted the spanish conquistadores and later the
chilean army for three centuries, before they were defeated in
1872.

they now number an estimated one milllion out of a total
population of 13.2 million.

huilcaman, who faces trial along with 17 other mapuche leaders
on charges of illegally occupying land and unlawful association,
said tuesday that the council's intention is not to create a
state within a state and that its struggle ''was not against the
chilean people.''

the activities the mapuches' plan for the quincentenary of
christopher columbus' arrival in the americas will coincide with
the visit to chile of prince phillip of asturias, heir to the
spanish throne.

huilcaman said that a meeting of ''lonkos'' (chiefs) of
mapuche and peluche amerindian communities from argentina and
chile will be held in temuco, the former capital of the fronteir
region, 670 km south of santiago.

at the meeting they will adopt a sole emblem or flag, based on
the emblems of the five mapuche groups which live today in chile,
the pehuenches, lafquenches, nagches, huenteches and huilliches.

the new flag will be ''handed over to the chilean people'' in
a special ceremony to be attended by student associations,
humanitarian organizations and neighbourhood and political groups
in santiago and other towns on oct.8. (more)
----


on the following day, the council of all lands will go to the
presidential palace, where it hopes the flag ''will be received
and hoisted'' by president patricio aylwin and his ministers.

also on oct. 9, the mapuche flag will be presented to
education minister jorge arrate, whom the group will ask to
promote it in a new educational programme that recognizes mapuche
culture in the country.

alywin and other top government officials ''as well as those
chileans willing to do so'' will have the ''historic
opportunity'' of demonstrating a political will in favour of the
mapuches, the amerindian leader said.

huilcaman accused aylwin's government of following an
''integrationist'' strategy applied throughout latin america, and
aimed at the ''absorption and disappearance'' of aboriginal
ethnic groups.

he also reiterated his group's demands for the recognition of
the mapuche identity in national and cultural terms, and the
group's right to a certain political, economic and administrative
autonomy in its ancestral territories.

''i am chilean only by circumstance. i did not choose to be
one,'' the amerindian leader told journalists, stressing that the
council of all lands wants national autonomy for the mapuches,
but not a separate state.

the council has said that it will resume the process of
''recuperating usurped lands,'' on oct. 12. it began this process
on the same date last year, suspended it and then resumed it in a
first phase in april because of ''the lack of response from the
government.''

over 100 amerindians face trial in temuco for ''usurpation of
land and illegal association.'' charges have already been laid
against huilcaman and 17 others.

the spokesman, who had been imprisoned in temuco, but was
released on bail, rejected government claims that his council
does not represent the mapuches. (end/ips/trd/so/ggr-cs/kb/92)
----