Mapuche Writings on Self-Determination and Nation: Looking for the Antecedents of a Debate in the Writings of the Movement (1990-2010)

Abstract

This paper investigates the individual and collective Mapuche writings between 1990 and 2010 from two concepts –self-determination and nation– while emphasizing the main authors that participated in this debate. The analysis aims to understand the tenets and relevance of the concept of self-determination in contemporary Mapuche political thought, as well as to study the conceptual uses of the idea of nation. Methodologically, the essay reviews a corpus of Mapuche media, particularly bulletins, magazines, and newspapers found in different archives. At a theoretical level, it is based on the discussion between the principle of self-determination and its relevance for indigenous rights and on the question of the nation.