AMONGST THE Sirâucàniàn Indiànz PART ONE

CUSTOMS AND MORES OF THE ARAUCANIANS

HISTORY Where did the Araucanian Indians come from? Archealogists still haven't found a definite answer (o his question. The most widespread theory is that they were a nomadic people who came from the pampas into about the 14th century. Another theory is that the Araucanian is of Polynesian origen. They migrated to the island of Chiloe and then on to the mainland. This theory is based on the similarity of the languages of both races. The Araucanians call themselves (people of the land). The name Araucano was invented by the writer Ercilla in reference to the inhabitants of Arauco.

The ancient Mapuches were a warrior people. They resisted the Spanish forces for three centuries. One reason for such prolonged fighting was that the Indians were organized into many clans; each one with it's own «cacique» or chief. They were not organized as a nation under one ruler. Had this been the case, the Spaniards might easily have done away with the ruler and conquered his subordinates; as they did with the Incas and the Aztecs. Instead they had to continually fight small battles, first with one clan and then with another. The Araucanians finally decided to have a general insurrection and elected a «» (military chief). A contest was held to see who could hold a heavy trunk on his shoulder for the longest

— 1 time. The winner was , so he became Toqui. The Spaniards finally captured him. When his wife Fresia saw him as a prisoner she threw her baby at his feet; refusing to be recognized as the mother of a child whose father was such a coward for not having killed himself. The Spaniards cruelly killed him by impalment.

POPULATION Today there are some 200.000 Araucanian Indians in Chile. Many of them have strains of Spanish and other foreign nationalities.

PHYSIQUE The Mapuches are of medium stature, robust, olive-skinned with straight black hair, high cheek bones, flat noses and full lips. Many of the women have a tendency to be overweight. Although physically strong; tuberculosis, excessive alcohol and malnutrition are weaken- ing them as a race.

COSTUME The native costume of the women is very pictu- resque. A «chemal» which is a square black woven cloth is wrapped around the body and is held in place at the waist with a long woven belt. A corner is brought over the shoulder and pinned in front. A Black shawl with colored border is worn over the shoulders. This is fastened over the chest with a heavy silver ornament. The hair is arranged in two braids with many brightly colored ribbons. Around the head is worn a band of silver coins. The men formerly wore a «chiripa», a black woven diaper. But today they wear regu- lar pants with a «Poncho» or «Manta» (a blanket with a hole in the centre for the head to slip through).

LANGUAGE The Araucanians of today speak Spanish and Mapudungu which is their own pleasant sound- ing language. Many of the old women speak only Mapudungu. Common greetings are as follows:

Mari, mari How do yo do Chum leimi eimi? How are you? Kulmelkalen Fine Eimi kai? And you?

2 — HOME The Mapuches are a pastoral agricultural people scattered along the country side, each family tilling its own land. The land is divided into small reservations. From the sheeps' wool, the mother weaves most of the family's clothing. The family harvests such crops as wheat, beans, potatoes, red peppers, onions, etc.

The «ruca» is the Indian home. It is a thatched-roof window- less abode. Light comes in only through the door opening so it is rather dark inside. There is usually a fire in the middle of the dirt floor. Beds are made of wooden frames with straw or woolen mattresses. Home woven blankets are used for covers. Grain is stored in sacks or bins in the farthest corner of the ruca. Agricultural implements, saddle, in fact all of the family's possessions are stored in the house. Very often pigs and chickens are includend. Hanging within the ruca are onions, red peppers, garlic; also dried cows' udders or calves heads which make practical containers for salt or eggs.

Practically every ruca has a «copulhue» which is the baby's cradle rack. It resembles that used by the Navajos. The baby is wrapped in a sheepskin and tied in the copulhue with it's arms close to the body. The only part of the body that can move freely about is the head. The baby sleeps in this cradle and when it awakes the mother props it up against the wall of the ruca. When travelling, the mother straps the copulhue to her back. Babies are kept in the copulhue until they can walk. With so little excercise one can readily see why the baby starts walking later than the average baby.

Polygamy still exists, so it is not too uncommon to find a man living happily in one ruca with two wives and a dozen children. If the man can afford it, he builds separate rucas for his wives.

MARRIAGE Traditionally, the Araucanians marry by elop- ing. The couple agrees upon which night the man should come to «steal» her. During the night, the bride slips out of the ruca and rides away with the groom. He usually

— 3 takes the bride to the home of one of his relatives. The follow- ing morning a messenger is sent to tell the bride's family who has stolen her. The bride's father then sets the dowry price which is usually live stock. Then preparations are begun for the wedding feast. This may take a couple of weeks, but in the meantime the couple continue living as husband and wife.

The wedding takes place at the home of the bride. After all of the guests have arrived, the ceremony begins. The bride's oldest paternal uncle acts as master of ceremonies. Me begins by announcing that the price is to be paid. Then the groom's father turns over to the bride's father the dowry plus a gift for each one of the immediate family. After the feast, different men talk about the ancestors of the bride and groom. After the guests have given gifts to the bride, the couple is counselled on how to behave towards each other and to their in-laws. If there are any undesirable traits in either of them, they are brought to light before the whole assembly of wedding guests. After all of the members of both families have been properly introduced; the newlyweds in their gift laden ox-cart ride away to the groom's home.

MACHI The most important person in the Araucanian so- . ciety today is the «»; a combination witch- doctor and priestess. A «» (totem pole) stands in front of every machi's house. It is made out of a tree trunk and stands about seven feet tall. Steps are carved at one side and at the head of the steps is usually carved an imftge of the machi's face. Branches of the cinnamon tree (Drimys chilen- sis), considered sacred, are tied on top. The rehue"is the medium through which the machi communes with God. She climbs to the top and prays to God. Then she goes into a trance and «falls» to the ground. During the trance God is supposed to have spoken to her.

Girls, who have epileptic or other attacks or who continually dream weird dreams, are told to follow the career of being a Machi. They are sent as apprentices to machis who teach them

4 - Woman grinds wheat Ruca and family Sheep sacrificed at ngiltaturi the profession. Occasionally a man becomes a machi; but he must dress like a woman.

MACHITUN Since all sicknesses come from an evil spirit «wekufu»; the machi's job is to drive it away. The curing ceremony is called a machitun. All women pre- sent including the machi, remove their jewelry and place it on a small table in front of the rehue as an offering to God. The machi smokes, beats her drum and chants a song to the evil spirit pleading with it to go away. She may pretend to open the sick part with a knife and from a hidden part pull out a worm or splinter and say that it was the cause of the illness. Or she may give the patient a medicine which causes one to regurgitate and claims that it is the poison in the sto- mach coming out.

Each machi varies in her method of curing; but most of them have a wide knowledge of herbs which are good for colds, rheumatism, constipation, etc. Vapor baths are also efficacious in treating certain ailments.

CEREMONIES A Ngillatun is a special ceremony which is held for various purposes including rain making, good harvest, thanksgiving, etc. The machi sets the day for the ceremony. The procedure varies in different com- munities. Hundreds of indians come and light fires on which to cook their food. A section of land is marked off as holy, and all those stepping on it must go barefooted. A sheep is often sacrificed. As the blood oozes out of the slashed throat, the machi clips a leafy branch into it and sprinkles it on the holy ground. The machi then beats her drum and begins to dance. Soon all those who wish to participate, join in the dance. All those dancing must hold a twig of the cinnamon tree. At rain ceremonies, a person with a pail of water stands near the machi and throws cups of water into the air. While the ceremony is going on, scores of men on horseback gallop pell mell around the entire assem- bly of people, shouting in order to keep away evil spirits FUNERAL As soon as a person dies, the women relatives begin a characteristic wail which is typical of Araucanian women in times of distress of bereavement. This wailing continues until the burial, about three days later. The older a person, the larger the burial feast. Children don't rate a ceremony.

On the burial day the coffin is placed outdoors on a crude table. The women relatives sit on the ground in a semi-circle around the casket. As relatives and friends arrive, each family makes it's own fire and begins to prepare luch. Mostly horse- meat is consumed and large quantities of wine and muday (wheat liquor). In mid afternoon four male relatives of the deceased one stand around the coffin and relate the life history of the departed one. Then the coffin is opened and different relatives file past it and put in various things such as food and eating utensils to be used in the other world. Then only the men go to the cemetery to bury the dead.

RELIGION The Araucanian today knows very little about his own religion. Before the coming of the Spa- niards, the Araucanians recognized no deity, but held special ceremonies in honor of the founder of each clan. After contact with the christians, the new word «Guenechen» (owner or lord of the people) was formed. Some say that he dwells in the volcano, others say on the other side of the ocean. Guenechen is never looked upon as a moral being or one to whom the indians ask for virtue, pardon or grace. He is one to whom they ask material things of, a good harvest, etc.

SPORT One of the most popular Indian games is Chueca. It is very similar to English hockey. Each team has it's own cheering squad. The machi acts as cheer leader. She beats her drum, sings and dances while the rest of the squad dances and shouts. Gambling is very common at these games. Various superstitious acts are performed to insure victory. The night before the game, pregnant women lie down on the chueca field so that the opposite team will loose. The players

6 take the herb «parqui» and arrange it in the form of a cross. It is hung from a string around the neck in order to win.

MUSIC The Araucanians are not a musical people. Their chief musical instruments are the «pifilca, trutruca and cultrún». The pifilca is a reed whistle. The trutruca is made from a hollowed-out bamboo about two meters long. The intestine of a horse is stretched over the ouside and a cow's horn is attached to one end. This instrument produces a lugubrious monotonous sound. The cultrún is a drum made by stretching a goat skin over a hard wood bowl. The cultrún is used only by the machi.

SUPERSTITIONS The Araucanians have many supersti- tious beliefs. Some of them are as fol- lows :

—Colo-colo is supposed to be a lizard which drinks one's blood while sleeping. The victim begins to get thin until he dies.

—Chonchón is the head of a person which comes off in his sleep. The ears become enlarged and turn into wings. When one hears the tweet-tweet of this strange bird, someone is going to die.

—Thrauca is supposed to be a spirit which dwells in tree trunks. It deflowers girls who go along the country side alone.

— Quetronamún is supposed to be a dwarf of human form with only one foot. It is rarely seen; but one can tell that he has gone by, by the foot prints. This means that good news will soon reach the home.

—When the pequén (bird) sings at night, a person will be- come sick.

—When the perdiz (bird) comes near the door, someone in the house will die.

7 —The moon is a spirit which has within itself the beginn- ings of fecundity and germination. Most seeds are sown dur- ing the new moon and it is believed that they germinate dur- ing its growth. The new moon is thought of as a young girl; full moon as a pregnant woman and last quarter as an old woman.

8 Francisca Cariqueo; Dr. Ri- Florence Prouty R. N.-—Explains T. B chard l.iepins

Dolls made at the Escuela Granja Boys brings pig for vaccination Metodista Mr. & Mrs. Randall Crawford. Children Penny, Randy,Joane

Rev. & Mrs. Russell Sargent. Children John, Jeanette, Luther

Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Miller PART TWO

METHODIST MISSION TO THE ARAUCANIANS

The Anglicans have done magnificent missionary work for the past fifty years amongst the Araucanian Indians. Since their work did not extend to the Nueva Imperial area. A Chilean Methodist pastor began preaching to the indians in the early twenties. A Methodist teacher Olga Marillan soon came to devote her services in an indian community.

It was not until 1942 that the first missionaries Mr. & Mrs. Randall Crawford arrived to establish a mission. Several country schools were founded. These served as churches on Sunday. Because of the tremendous need for improving farm- ing methods, demonstration plots were begun in different com- munities. A Farmer's Cooperative was also formed.

Since most of the country schools in Chile only cover one half of the grade school course, many children never get to finish primary school. In lieu of this fact, the Escuela Granja Metodista (Methodist Farm School) was formed. It covers the upper half of the grade school course. The children work three hours per day to help defray part of their expenses. Boys work in agriculture, basketry, carpentry, etc. The girls help with the cooking, weave, knit, sew, make dolls and other souvenirs to sell. The students take back to their home com- munities Christian inspiration and a new way of life. Most of

— 9 the graduates continue education in our other Methodist Ins- titutions such as the Agricultural School and Methodist Girl's School in El Vergel; also Sweet Institution in .

In 1948 the Rev. & Mrs. Russell Sargent came as missiona- ries to the work. Mrs. Sargent has been the director of the Escuela Granja Metodista. Rev. Sargent is in charge of the circuit which now has twenty preaching places. There are five assistant pastors who help preach in the circuit. Eight of the rural school teachers are local pastors and hold their own services when the circuit preachers can not attend.

In 1948 a refugee doctor Richard Liepins, and his family came to attend to the medical needs of the people. Soon under the auspices of Miss Florence Prouty (Methodist missionary nurse) a clinic was built. The indians are slowly beginning to see that the cures of the doctor work better than those of the machi. Several machi's relatives and even a machi has come for treatment to the clinic. Unfortunately many come to the clinic only as a last resort; after trying other cures first. A child who had been bitten by a dog had on the wound some burnt hair of the same dog which had bitten it. A woman with second degree burns on her legs had them covered with burned herbs. Most of these types of home remedies actually infect the wounds all the more. Francisca Cariqueo, an Araucanian indian nurse and local preacher, assists the doctor. She has been a great influence in helping the indians to have confiden- ce in the clinic because she is of the same race and speaks their language. While patients await their turns in the waiting room, Francisca passes out new testaments and explains the scriptures.

In 1952 a new missionary couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Miller arrived. Mr. Miller preaches and does agricultural work while Mrs. Miller teaches and does Religious Education work.

In summary we see that the Methodist Rural Work in Chile is organized into four departments: Religious, Educa- tional, Medical and Agricultural.

10 — The religious, educational and agricultural work has extend- ed into two other circuits, Loncoche and Carahue. The Three circuits combined have twenty eight schools with almost one thousand students. The aim of the schools is to educate and prepare the more capable students for entering our higher Methodist Institutions for training Christian workers.

The purpose of the rural churches is to lead people to an experience of Jesus Christ as their personal Savior; organize new churches, develop lay leaders and call youth to the mi- nistry.

The clinic attends to almost 2.000 patients annually. Besides this, the doctor and nurse have periodic check-ups for most of the rural school children. A Preventive Health Program is operating in various communities.

The Agricultural Extension Program stresses crop rotation, use of fertilizers, forestation program, animal vaccinating and weed killing campaigns. It works in connection with govern- ment and international agricultural programs. A pure-bred bull and two bucks are loaned to indian farmers to improve native strains.

— 11 For further information write to any of the missionaries mentioned at:

Casilla 87 Nueva Imperial Chile.