Chile's indigenous groups decry discrimination on 

"Columbus Day"

Thousands bring Santiago to standstill on Columbus Day, denouncing discrimination and persecution of indigenous people.

Thousands of protesters brought Santiago's city centre to a standstill [Amandla Thomas-Johnson/ Al Jazeera]

Santiago, Chile - Thousands of protesters have marched in Chile's capital, Santiago, denouncing discrimination against the country's indigenous peoples amid the annual Columbus Day commemorations. 

Protesters brought Santiago's city centre to a standstill on Saturday as they rallied for the release of detained activists facing prosecution for campaigning against extractive industries, including logging and copper mining, on indigenous lands. 

The crowds also called for greater rights for indigenous people and the return of ancestral lands seized by the Chilean government and sold off to farmers and forestry companies in the past.

The demonstration came on Columbus Day, a national holiday that commemorates Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas in 1492. Indigenous people, however, mark it as the beginning of their resistance against European colonialism.

It is officially known as the Day of the Meeting of Two Worlds in Chile. 

 Chile's indigenous groups mark Columbus day with celebration and protest [Amandla Thomas-Johnson/Al Jazeera]

Saturday's march began with a small ceremony on a grassy patch of the central Plaza Italia, with a female shaman scattering dried corn as she prayed for protection. Onlookers blew animal horns, stamped sticks of bamboo on the ground and waved sprigs of the sacred Canelo tree.

Then, Belen Curamil, daughter of an indigenous leader detained for his activism against the construction of a dam in the Araucania region read out a letter from her father.

"Today we reaffirm that there is nothing to celebrate on these dates, but that we must make visible all the resistance that the community has made to the attacks of destruction that are being carried out by large national and international companies in our territory," the letter from Alberto Curamil said.   

A range of political and indigenous groups came together for the march.

Black-clad anarchists from the capital walked beside twirling indigenous dancers from Chile's north, as members of a Palestinian-Chilean football team lit flares and raised a banner featuring both Palestinian and indigenous political motifs. 

"We're not here to celebrate the discovery of Columbus but actually the moment when we were invaded. We want to make ourselves visible and to show that we're still alive," said 41-year-old Jenifer Farias. 

Palestinian-Chileans joined in the march waving symbols of Mapuche and Palestinian culture [Amandla Thomas-Johnson/Al Jazeera]

Manuel Rojas, dressed in a costume depicting a giant child, said he was marching in solidarity with his wife and children who are indigenous.

"I'm wearing this for the repression that is happening to children in Mapuche communities, because they suffer the most," he said, referring to police raids that some communities say have traumatised their children.

Minor clashes broke out later in the day on the margins of the rally, with police firing tear gas and water cannon after some protesters threw stones and set fire to a bank. 

Some two million Chileans, or 10 percent of the population, identify as indigenous. The Mapuche are the largest indigenous group. 

In recent years, relations between the Chilean government and the Mapuche has become increasingly fraught because of mining and logging on land which the group claim as its own. Activists have increasingly turned to radical action, including arson, to reclaim the land. 

The Chilean government has cast branded as "terrorists", prosecuting them through a Pinochet-era anti-terror law, even though United Nations experts have urged Chile to "refrain" from using the legislation against Mapuche people seeking to claim their rights.

"Our way is to let the land rest and not to exploit it, to fight against farming monoculture and mineral extraction and to protest the building of hydroelectric dams," said Mapuche historian Claudio Alvarado Lincopi. 

"Our philosophy means that we do not believe that individual or governments can own the land."

Daniela Millaleo, a 34-year-old Mapuche singer, said she was marching to celebrate "the simple fact of being alive". 

"We are the descendants of those that they couldn't kill," she added. 

by Amandla Thomas-Johnson

References:

https://www.aljazeera.com/topics/issues/indigenous-rights.html

Mapu: a native nation destroyed by the criollo states of Argentina and Chile

The Confederation of Salinas Grandes was a true state, from its capital toldería, Kalfukurá directed the affairs of the great puelche multi-ethnic nation. In the vast plains and in the mountains several tens of thousands of people lived, grazing their cattle,

land or hunting guanacos and ñandúes, trading, and leading a peaceful and prosperous existence. There were Mapuche, Pehuenche, Ranquelche, Tehuelche, Vorogano and even some Winka communities who had preferred the world of toldería to the false and false society of the Creole cities.

It was the case of Manuel Baigorria, former colonel of the army of José María Paz, who had gone to live among the ranqueles. Baigorria, who was an ally of Kalfukurá, became an important rancho lonco, who, outraged by the aggressions of the Christians, attacked the city of Córdoba and the west of Buenos Aires.

Twenty years after the fall of Rosas, in 1872, already constituted the Argentine Republic, and in full Sarmientino period, there was the feared wink of the winkas that in the official story is known as the Battle of San Carlos, and that soon time, it would end with the death of the old toqui from the pampas.

His son, Namunkura, would continue the resistance for several more years.

The central authorities, represented by the new president Nicolás Avellaneda and his Ministers of War Adolfo Alsina and Julio Argentino Roca, and the English pressure for the colonization and extension of the railroads, led to plan a strategy of destruction and occupation of the confederate country.

In 1876, Alsina ordered the advance of five divisions on the "Tierra Adentro" establishing a line of towns and forts (Carhué, Guaminí, Puán, Trenque-Lauquen and Ita-ló), and a 374 km-long ditch between Carhué and Laguna del Monte.

In 1877 and 1878 the indigenous communities were weakened by hunger and continued aggression by the armed forces of the Winkas.

It was at that moment that the final thrust occurred. The army headed by Julio Argentino Roca, more and more numerous, and now armed with the powerful Remington rifle, unleashed all its strength against the nations of the south. The campaign, which lasted just over a year, allowed to completely defeat the Confederate peoples and to occupy your land permanently.

According to the Report of the Department of War and Navy of 1879, the results of the campaign were as follows: "5 chief caciques prisoners, 1 dead chief cacique (Baigorrita), 1,271 Indians with spear prisoners, 1,313 Indians with spear dead, 10,513 women and children, 1,049 Indians reduced".

In 1882 a new campaign managed to expand the border to all Neuquén, 364 indigenous people had been killed and more than 1700 taken prisoner.

On May 5, 1883, General Villegas reported: "In the territory between the Neuquén, Limay, Cordillera de los Andes and Lago Nahuel Huapi rivers; There has not been a single Indian, all have been thrown to the West ... South of the Limay River, remains of the savage remains of the tribe of Cacique Sayhueque, fleeing, poor, miserable and without prestige.

In 1884 General Wintter decided to annihilate Sayhueque and Inacayal.

Hungry and exhausted, Namuncurá had already been forced to surrender with 330 warriors.

The last Loncos of the Puelmapu, gathered in assembly, tried to organize a desperate defense with the commitment to fight until death.

In an unsustainable situation of cornecution, Sayhueque surrendered on January 1, 1885 with more than 3000 men.

Some loncos continued the fight. A large number of warriors died in combat and the others faced the invaders in a last battle on October 18, 1884.

There were more dead and the two loncos survivors, Inacayal and Foyel were taken prisoner.

In 1886, both leaders were taken, along with the remains of their families to live at the Museo de la Plata where they were exposed to the curious public as captive pieces of the triumphant "civilization".

"When Calfucurá died in 1873, his friends together, full of fear, opened his body. They found two hearts that kept beating happily, that could not die and that surely beat under the earth, full of life and eternal forces and that, maybe for that reason, the earth trembles sometimes ... the hearts keep beating under the earth to return to the aid of the Araucanians, to lead us to the final victory "(Tradiciones araucanas, Institute of Philology, Faculty of Humanities, UNLP, 1962, p 239)

The elimination of the native nations in the south of América

The Confederation of Salinas Grandes was a true state, from its "toldería" capital, Kalfukurá directed the affairs of the great puelche multi-ethnic nation. 
In the vast plains and in the mountains there were several tens of thousands of people lived, grazing their cattle, tilling the land or hunting guanacos and rheas, trading, and leading a peaceful and prosperous existence. 
There were Mapuche, Pehuenche, Ranquelche, Tehuelche, Vorogano and even some Winka communities who had preferred the world of tolderías to the false and false society of the Creole cities.

It was the case of Manuel Baigorria, former colonel of the army of José María Paz, who had gone to live among the ranqueles. Baigorria, who was an ally of Kalfukurá, became an important  lonco winka, who, outraged by the aggressions of the Christians, attacked the city of Córdoba and the west of Buenos Aires.

Twenty years after the fall of Rosas, in 1872, already constituted the Argentine Republic, and in full Sarmientino period, there was the feared wink of the winkas that in the official story is known as the Battle of San Carlos, and that soon time, it would end with the death of the old toqui from the pampas.

Kalfukura's son, Namunkura, would continue the resistance for several more years. 
The central authorities, represented by the new president Nicolás Avellaneda and his Ministers of War Adolfo Alsina and Julio Argentino Roca, and the English pressure for the colonization and extension of the railroads, led to plan a strategy of destruction and occupation of the confederate country.

In 1876, Alsina ordered the advance of five divisions on the "Tierra Adentro" establishing a line of towns and forts (Carhué, Guaminí, Puán, Trenque-Lauquen and Ita-ló), and a 374 km-long ditch between Carhué and Laguna del Monte.

In 1877 and 1878 the indigenous communities were weakened by hunger and continued aggression by the armed forces of the Winkas.

It was at that moment that the final thrust occurred. The army headed by Julio Argentino Roca, more and more numerous, and now armed with the powerful Remington rifle, unleashed all its strength against the nations of the south. The campaign, which lasted just over a year, allowed to completely defeat the Confederate peoples and occupy their land permanently.

According to the Report of the Department of War and Navy of 1879, the results of the campaign were as follows:

"caciques 5 main prisoners, 1 dead chief cacique (Baigorrita), 1,271 ffighter Indians prisoners, 1,313 fighterIndians dead, 10,513 tribe Indians prisoners, 1,049 Indians reduced."

In 1882 a new campaign managed to expand the border to all of Neuquén,

364 indigenous people were killed and more than 1700 were taken prisoner. On May 5, 1883, General Villegas reported: "In the territory between the Neuquén, Limay, Cordillera de los Andes and Lago Nahuel Huapi rivers; There has not been a single Indian, all have been thrown to the West ... South of the River Limay, remains of the savage remains of the tribe of Cacique Sayhueque, fleeing, poor, miserable and without prestige "

In 1884 General Wintter decided to annihilate Sayhueque and Inacayal.

Hungry and exhausted, Namuncurá had already been forced to surrender with 330 warriors.

The last Loncos of the Puelmapu, gathered in assembly, tried to organize a desperate defense with the commitment to fight until death.

In an unsustainable situation of cornecution, Sayhueque surrendered on January 1, 1885 with more than 3000 men.

Some loncos continued the fight.

A large number of warriors died in combat and the remaining ones faced the invaders in a last battle on October 18, 1884.

In that wary,  the consolidation of the Republic of Argentina in the south of the continent was achieved.
From "Chronicles of Human Peripecie", D.Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones.

Declaration of the Mapuche people who do not surrender against colonization (now Chilean, Spanish and Inca before) who still don't allow their freedom and sovereignty

"Our people have been around for hundreds of years ... the first foreign incursion was from the Incas who could not extend their control beyond the river Copiapo ... the Mapuches did not pay taxes to them as they pretended .. .Then came the Spaniards who razed the main civilizaciones of America but could not do it with our people ... after 100 years of struggle they had to "agree" with the Mapuches (only example seen in the process of conquest) parliaments were broken by the Spaniards themselves, but the Spanish crown respected our territory, and recognized the Mapuche people as an independent nation ... then came the war of the sons of the invaders (Chileans), in their desire to have greater autonomy ... and 30 years later they tried to conquer our territory. On both sides of the Andes our people again raised their spears but we were defeated ... the invaders took away more than 10 million hectares that were given to German settlers, Italian, the troops taking part in the carnage and who made an incredible fortune and who today has the largest fortunes in this country. ., we were forced to change our names, not to speak our language, to sing their hymns, we were imposed their language, nationality ... they pushed us to poverty, overcrowding, discrimination, ridicule, humiliation, hunger .. .but our mapu encouraged us to continue and follow up ... when we began to get up, then the military dictatorship came ... 300 dead and missing ... thjey again seized our lands ...  in democracy ... our people remained discriminated and poor ... they say we are terrorists, they imprison and keep humiliating us ... BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER... WE HAVE OUR STRENGTH, WE WILL CONTINUE FIGHTING!!!!!! AMULEPE TAIN WEICHAN !!!!! "

Argentinian founding father recast as genocidal murderer

It was NOT the War of the Desert (La Guerra del Desierto)

The so-called "War of the Desert" was not a war in the "desert". At that time (around 1880) in Northern Patagonia and Southern Pampas, there were many organized communities and a population of several hundred thousands from coast to coast (Atlantic to Pacific oceans). and even a sovereign mapuche state recognized by several governments in the world: "la Confederación de Salinas Grande" (Confederation of Large Salt Plains). The "Confederación" was invaded, the Argentinean army (and the Chilean army on the other side of the Andes range also) took the land and thousands of mapuches were killed or made prisoners. In that way, using indiscriminated violence, the Argentinean government extended its domain to the "Patagonia" region. 

Follows an interesting article from The Guardian.

D.Anton

"Julio Argentino Roca being removed from banknotes and street names for alleged role in exterminating indigenous culture 

Reproduced from The Guardian

For a century it was a name to inspire schoolchildren: Julio Argentino Roca, the military hero and statesman who tamed Patagonia's wilderness and madeArgentina a modern nation.

He was George Washington and Abraham Lincoln rolled into one, a founding father who gazed from banknotes, adorned plinths and

gave his name to avenues from Buenos Aires to Santa Cruz.

But maybe not for much longer. Avenues are being renamed and there is a campaign to topple the former president's statues, erase him from banknotes and teach children a new version: that Roca was a genocidal murderer who brought shame to Argentina.

The man portrayed for generations as a talented visionary has been recast, according to revisionist history, as a villain who exterminated indigenous communities and their culture from much of South America.

Critics say his "conquest of the desert", once hailed for uniting Argentina and rebuffing Chile in 1878-79, was a barbaric campaign which bathed the nascent state in innocent blood.

Writers, academics and indigenous groups are lobbying for Roca, an army general who served as president from 1880-86 and 1898-1904, to be branded a criminal who slaughtered Indians and shared out their land with cronies.

In recent weeks, two cities – Santa Cruz and Tucumán – have renamed Julio Argentino Roca avenues after Néstor Kirchner, a former president who died in October aged 60. His wife and successor, Cristina, has supported the prosecution of more recent human rights abusers from the 1970s dictatorship.

The renamings followed other initiatives to remove Roca from the 100 peso note and to swap a statue in Buenos Aires with a towering 10-metre bronze figure of an indigenous woman. A leading writer and historian, Osvaldo Bayer, said he felt ashamed every time he passed Roca's statue.

Leftwing blogs have taken up the cause. "A big sector of Argentinian society denies there was a genocide. Modern Argentina is built on that negation, the mother of all repressions."

The row echoes debates across Latin America over whether to celebrate or lament the arrival of Christopher Columbus and European settlers. Several countries have renamed 12 October as indigenous day rather than Columbus day and rehabilitated indigenous rebels as patriots.

Roca, born in 1843 to a prominent family in northern Argentina, rose up the army ranks and was tasked with quelling indigenous resistance in the pampas and Patagonia, a vast wilderness which the government wanted to settle with immigrant European farmers lest Chile gobble it up.

Roca's 6,000-strong cavalry force crushed Mapuche and other Indian groups, killing more than 1,000 and capturing thousands more who became servants or prisoners and were prevented from having children. Campaign dispatches depicted them as barely human.

White settlers turned the conquered lands into a breadbasket which made Argentina an agricultural superpower and a confident, thrusting nation in the early 20th century.

Some academics have defended Roca's treatment of indigenous people. Juan José Cresto, a director of the national history museum, said the Indians were violent parasites who attacked farms and kidnapped women. The historian was branded a racist and lost his post.

In a separate incident, a history teacher was removed from her post in Pampa province for telling a radio station that Roca deserved praise for putting Indians to flight and opening Argentina's frontier to European settlers.

Néstor Torres, the province's education minister, said such views should not be transmitted to children. "The thought worries us."

 The Guardian, Rory  Carroll, January 13, 2011

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/13/argentinian-founding-father-genocide-row
It is recommended to read the book "Amerrique, the Orphans of Paradise", Danilo Anton, Piriguazu ediciones.