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 Argentina pampas into Chile 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 Mapuches (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 «Toqui» (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 Caupolican, 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 Mapuche 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 «Machi»; a combination witch- doctor and priestess. A «rehue» (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.