Indigenous Peoples’ Day went unnoticed

Another symptom of the state of things for indigenous peoples.

Santiago. 21/6/2024. Except for partial activities and some mentions on social media, the National Day of Indigenous Peoples went practically unnoticed, made invisible, as a symptom of the state of things for the native peoples. On the contrary, June 20 was more prominent because it was a holiday.

There was no relevant official activity, the political parties that claim to prioritize indigenous peoples did nothing, different sectors of society let the commemoration pass without mentioning or making any relevant activities. In addition, the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples continue to be postponed, the areas of Mapuche communities are militarized, the issue of recognition is off the political agenda, and indigenous peoples and their demands and agenda do not appear on the priorities of the Government, Congress, and other entities.

In any case, in statements to Radio Nuevo Mundo, the leader of the Communist Party, Juan Andrés Lagos, indicated that in recent years “identity feelings have grown strongly in Chile and in a very transversal way, close, even feeling part of the indigenous peoples, especially the Mapuche.”

However, he indicated that this expression does not have the institutional treatment that is required, thus generating a debt of the State with the ancestral peoples. He stated that “the Chilean national State is lacking a lot in working on a State policy that is up to the level of international law and the rights of the peoples.”

Meanwhile, quoted by Radio Universidad de Chile, Mapuche deputies Emilia Nuyado and Ericka Ñanco criticized what they defined as the State’s almost non-existent progress in terms of indigenous and territorial rights. They made their criticisms on the eve of We tripantu and the National Day of Indigenous Peoples.

Deputy Emilia Nuyado questioned the limited progress made in social rights for indigenous communities and stated that “although the Peace and Understanding Commission exists today, progress is still needed in the mechanisms, whether by expropriating or purchasing land.”

He also said that President Gabriel Boric “at the beginning of his mandate stated that the indigenous issue would be one of his priorities, however, in his public statement, once again we were at the bottom. Enough of symbolic tributes, families and communities are tired and very distrustful.”

Deputy Ericka Ñanco added that “we must move forward in constitutional matters for the recognition of indigenous peoples, especially in these times when we are in a process of change. Today we believe that a concrete way to enhance our culture is by revitalizing the language and advancing rights subscribed to by the State itself, such as ILO Convention 169.”