Mapuche Indians in Chile Struggle to Take Back Forests

Chile’s native Mapuche people have struggled against the government since the arrival of the Spaniards. In those colonial days, the Mapuches were pushed south of Chile’s Bío-Bío river, where they retained formally recognized autonomy. After Chilean independence, however, they were forcibly incorporated into the state and, decades later, pushed onto reservations so as to make room for European immigrants. The Chilean government has since improved its record with indigenous peoples through its Commission for Historical Truth and New Treatment, but the continued presence of logging companies on traditional Mapuche lands has led some indigenous activists to destroy forestry equipment and farmhouses. In response, Chile’s socialist government has resurrected a modified version of an antiterrorist law that dates back to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990) to condemn the activists’ crimes. Given the stigma and connotation attached to terrorism, however, the term’s applicability in this has become a point of contention. Nonetheless, 18 Mapuche leaders will be tried in court soon. - YaleGlobal