A Collaborative Exploration of Mapuche Medicine as a Form of Resistance against Chilean-Imposed Westernization

The Mapuche are an Indigenous nation who have historically lived in southern Chile and Argentina, where their ancestral territory, Wallmapu, is located. Although the Mapuche largely succeeded in resisting Spanish conquest, the establishment of the Chilean Republic in 1810 and the subsequent military campaigns to incorporate Wallmapu into national territory marked the beginning of a new era of oppression. The resulting state and economic structures have continually threatened the Mapuche’s cultural, political, economic, and social survivability. The survival of certain Mapuche practices, including their medicinal ones, has been questioned. This raises another question: instead of viewing Mapuche medicine as something at risk of being destroyed, can it be seen as a tool for resisting the Westernization imposed by the Chilean state? This thesis will address this question through a collaborative approach, utilizing Mapuche literary sources and engaging with Mapuche contacts. Mapuche medicine stands in stark contrast to biomedical approaches, and its practice emphasizes nonconformity to Western Chilean standards. Mapuche participation in state medical programs such as the Intercultural Health Program represents a method that has institutionalized and legitimized Mapuche presence. Deforestation and militarization pose significant threats to the practice of Mapuche medicine by destroying natural resources and surveilling the people. Nevertheless, the continued practice of Mapuche medicine under such circumstances stands as a defiant resistance against efforts to erase their identity and presence. This thesis challenges the superficial ways in which "self-determination" is often applied to Indigenous movements by Westerners without addressing the deeper nuances. It argues that true self-determination must move beyond Western-imposed notions of property rights and be defined on the terms of the communities themselves.