Mapuche community begins territorial recovery of seven thousand hectares in the Nahuelbuta mountain range: “Our main enemy is the forestry companies and not the non-Mapuche neighbours”.
First published in Spanish on resumen.cl in May 2022, this text contains a short summary of the situation of Mapuche communities in occupied Mapuche territories in so-called (left-wing) Chile and a communiqué from Mapuches occupying forests (their territory) against forest exploitation by forestry companies.
[resumen.cl] On the border of the communes of Contulmo and Purén, the Mapuche community Antonia Viluñir Melín initiated a process of territorial recovery involving around 7,000 hectares occupied by the Arauco, Mininco, Volterra and Cautín forestry companies.
On Wednesday, the organisation, together with representatives of other communities, held a Trawun (meeting), where they reaffirmed, among other things, “that our main enemy is the forestry companies and not the non-Mapuche neighbours or peasants with whom we live in the sector. We reaffirm respect and solidarity, principles of our organisation”.
The territorial recovery comes to consolidate a process that has been going on for nearly a decade, after realising that the Mapuche reduction [the reduction of the Mapuche to small and delimited territorial spaces, linked to so-called “radiación”, the split and spread of Mapuche communities] was cornered by forestry companies through the intensive exploitation of pine and eucalyptus monoculture.
In a communiqué sent to Resumen, the community expressed that, “in this new step we are taking, we want to recognise the contribution that the Mapuche organisation Weichan Auka Mapu has been making, through the work it has done in the territory, expelling the forestry companies and police guards and also the delinquency that could be seen here”.
The action comes just days before the enactment of a new state of emergency in Mapuche territories in conflict, which means that the guarding of the roads will be in the hands of the military.
Read the press release:
As the Antonia Viluñir Melin community, from the Huide sector, Nahuelbuta Territory, we salute our Mapuche Nation People, the Lov [community] and Communities in Resistance, our traditional authorities, pu Lonko [community chiefs], pu Machi [healers], pu Werken [leaders] ka pu Weichave [warriors]; to the Chilean people in resistance and to the public opinion, we declare the following:
Kiñe [One]. That on the 18th of May our community held a nguillanmawun [ritual dance ceremony] led by lonkos of the territory and with the participation of communities in resistance, non-Mapuche neighbours of the sector and a Mapuche organisation in resistance.
Epu [Two]. Our process of struggle, which has been going on for nearly a decade, was born from seeing our reality as a Mapuche reduction cornered by the forestry companies and seeing how they exploited our itrovil mongen [roughly biodiversity], while at the same time humiliating us as Mapuche. This slow process began with the demand for a farm from the Arauco and Volterra forestry companies through small resistance actions, which over the years has generated a small territorial control within these companies.
In this journey we recognise the contribution of some communities in resistance and above all that of some Mapuche organisations in the expulsion of the forestry companies.
Kula [Three]. Today we make public our territorial demand that covers approximately 7 thousand hectares usurped by the forestry companies: Arauco, Mininco, Cautin and Volterra; those that some time ago were guarded by the State through its militarized police as the gope in our territory, which is located in the heart of the Nahuelbuta mountain range, between the communes of Puren and Contulmo, regional border between the eighth and ninth.
Meli [Four]. As the Antonia Viluñir Melin community, understanding that the Chilean state and its governments have not responded to the demands of our people, we reaffirm our commitment to territorial control and to resist any attempt by the forestry companies to relocate, even if they come with their police guards.
In this trawun [council/meeting] we made it clear that our main enemy is the forestry companies and not the non-Mapuche neighbours or peasants with whom we live in the sector, and we reaffirmed respect and solidarity, principles that are part of our culture.
Kechu [Five]. In this new step that we are taking as a community, we want to recognise the contribution that the Mapuche organisation Weichan Auka Mapu has been making through the work it has done in the territory, expelling the forestry companies and police guards, and also the delinquency that could be seen here.
As a community we want to make it clear that we will try to conduct this process under the principles of kume mongen [buen vivir/good life], inherited from our kuivikecheyem [ancestors] and that we will not allow the interference of opportunistic and profiteering characters as we have seen in other processes and that they only harm the dignified struggle of our Mapuche Nation People.
Forestry companies, latifundistas [landowners], mining and capitalist companies out of Wallmapu
Freedom for Mapuche Political Prisoners
Antonia Viluñir Melin Community, Huide sector, Nahuelbuta Territory.
18 May 2022
