Persistence and changes in state dependence in a Mapuche indigenous territory,Chile

Abstract

This article examines forms of state dependence in a Mapuche indigenous territory on the coast of the Araucanía Region, Chile. Public and private programmes have been implemented in this area to assist the development of a territory which is considered ‘poor’ and contains a large percentage of Mapuche people. We analyse three moments of state action from the 1990s down to the present, identifying forms of state dependence which persist and evolve; relations with local counterpart organisations and the role of state employees become crucial in these new forms of dependence. On this basis, we conclude that today there is less expressed demand for autonomy and self-determination processes among indigenous communities and their leaders in the studied territory, replaced by a demand for more public programmes and resources in pursuit of an ‘improvement’ in their quality of life. This is occurring despite the current context in Chile of greater political visibility of the indigenous problem and indigenous claims, leading in turn to more repressive police action.