Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-04
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
LEAGuE or INDIANS

LEAGUE OF INDIANS
With the newly-revealed wonders
of Chaco Canyon replacing our boy
hood thrills at Chingachcook's
ploits. and the Pueblos plunged into
politics, we frequently. ignore the re-
markable Indian tribes of South
America.
Today in Chile, lives the most
numerous of all Indian tribes sur
viving in the Americas, the Arauca-
mans. who retained their independ-
ence longer than any other natives
of tho Western Hemisphere. Writ
ing to the National Geographic So
ciety from Chile concerning his
people a full-bIooded Araucanian
Indian says:
"For more than three hundred
years we waged war with the Span
ish. The A~raucanians, A~raucanos,
Nguluches or Mapuches. or what
ever you may desire to call this vir-
lie race from which I sprang, is
formed by four big groups of tribes:
trees; Williche, the people of the
south who occupy the mainland;
Puelche, the people of the East; and
Picunches the people of the West.
Formed Teague Of Clans
when in 1886 Don Diego de
Almazio discovered Chile or South
ern Land, unknown until then, and
later in 1541 when Pedro de VAL
diva conquered Chile, the Arauca-
mans took their first step toward
forming a league of clans cornpr.s-
ing some two or three hundred
| people.
TN case Of imminent danger. a
war cI .ef, Toki. was chosen by a
| general council. The election of a
| Toki was based upon the good
| health or strength of the man. The
| individual who could hold a heavy
stump over his shoulder the longest
was chosen as the Great Caupoiocan.
"Zuniga, the great Spanish writer
| of the Golden Century OF Spanish
literature, commentaries the early
heroism of my people IN his famous
epic known as ia Araucana.' He
men lions the great chief KeupuIi-
| kan o Caupolican, ana his wife
| Guacolda. who, when later irspris.
| oned by the Spaniards, denied her
| marriage to him. Here we see thDt
Arauco did not only have men lead
ers. but also Kcupiikan,
whose name q by divine con-
ception.' has been remembered by
all the Chilean citizens as n national
hero who fought for the defense OF
his life.
independent in t84f
sIn 1871 the King of Span con-
| ceded to the Araucanians their in0e-
nendence. which was confirmed in
1865.
IA treaty was signed IN 1878 with
the Chilean government when had
been formed in 1910, Tsnuco or
Temu (Tenfu 'tree') is where the
great Colipi and General Urrutia.
the general of the Chilean army and
the Lonko of Arauco shook hands
and agreed to build a city and to
develop the natural r~esoirces OF the
A~raucanian domain.
"My people call themselves Ma
| puches, which mean peooie OF tie
| land. or that they are native there.
All the Indians have their own res
ervations, but the fact that they I've
there in no way restricts their right
to vote when election IN Tn
this thew may be contrasted with the
North american Indian who must
give up his reservation TO be a citi-
zen. Every Indian rs registered.
What These Indians Drink
tsThe Araucanian has his own
home made drinks, such as the mu-
thay or muddy and nyuzca. III
muthay is made from wheat which
Is called kako. Kako is also served
at table as dessert. Kako is ground
(challa) and boiled three or four
hours in a lot of water, and KEEP. in
a meseng for the next twenty hours
before it is fit to drink. This Is not
strong, 1t tastes fine; is healthy and
indeed is somewhat like the Amer
lean milk shake. MuEca is made
from corn and a similar process like
Muthay, but It Is stronger and more
like mild wine. The Araucantans
also drink the Chilean chicha which
Is made out of pure grapes. The
chicha is fresh wine and when Il
gets stronger 1t is called vino
(wine.)
"Among the Araucanians there
full equipment of tractors, English.
French, italian, German and North
American types.
1.-THE Araucanians not only have
their prayer day for rain, but also
one for dry weather which Is used
yearly. This is a great ceremonial
feast lasting two weeks. Everybody
Is welcome with the advice that
there will be no smoking ror drink
ing allowed and no guest (outsfderl
should participate in the sacred per-
Torrance by natives OF the groups
Of clans who called the ceremony.
1.-THE national flower of Chile, the
'Copiwes.' a1briles the Araucenian
woods and also symbolizes the bio I'd
that the Araucanian Indian poured
forth in defense OF his own land"