Introduction

The Mapuche, or "people of the earth", are an Amerindian people of almost one million individuals living in a large area covering southern Chile and Argentina. Originally (14,000 years ago), they were made up of semi-nomadic groups of hunter-gatherers who came from the north and began to occupy the Pampa and Patagonia. When the states of Chile and Argentina were formed, the Mapuche were divided into two main communities. The most numerous group is found in the ninth region of the Chilean sector and is the one that has best preserved their language and customs.

Living under the name Mapuche today we find several families with historical and dialectal differences: the Picunche (people of the north), Huilliche (of the south), Lafkenche (of the coast) and Pewentxe (of the hills). Their communities, with houses of wood and cane, are connected by kinship or blood ties, and the head, or lonko (who coordinates rather than rule), is usually the oldest man in the extensive family nucleus. He is the community's exterior representative, takes charge of the different affairs of community life and, in particular, organises the communal jobs

The process of religious uniformity encouraged by Christianity has not done away with the woman shamans or machi, or the fertility rites (such as the ngüillatum) and the belief in several gods and spirits. Nowadays, the Mapuche still maintain close ties with the earth and engage in farming (maize and potatoes) and herding. They especially excel for their hand weaving and work with silver.

One of the most striking features of the Mapuche is their rich cosmovision and their mythical-symbolic universe, as well as the juridical system or self-regulation that they have derived from them. In some communities these have been preserved until today and are still used for certain cases, which can therefore be settled immediately in the communities. Along with the Mapuche language, or Mapudungun, the figure of the machi is another characteristic feature of this culture. The machi cures diseases and mediates with different spirits and gods. By means of the rehue, a log cut in steps, she has the power to approach the world beyond.