In January 2011 UNPO together with the Escuela de Filosofia, Espiritualidad y
Sabiduria Ancestral Mapuche implemented this year's first Mapuche summer school
in the community of Andrés Huanqui, Limahue, in the IX Region. The three-day
event helped Mapuche children and youth re-connect with their culture in a natural
surrounding and is part of the first phase of a three-year project aimed at fostering
a process of revitalization of the Mapuche culture in Chile. Nearly 60 participants
had the opportunity to share and meet other children from neighbouring Mapuche
communities, some of whom are already living in urban centres and who contributed
with different views and experiences on what it means to be Mapuche elsewhere.
Participants talked and learned about the origin of their culture, covering topics such
as health, philosophy, science, spirituality, ancient wisdom, Mapuche language and
the meaning of their social practices, customs and spiritual ceremonies.

Strong emphasis was given to Mapuche values and principles, especially those that
constitute the base for the relations between Mapuche and nature, their respect for
the environment and the importance of strengthening collective bonds to foster a
larger sense of community. The children's families also joined evening sessions that
brought together the youth and the elders aiming to increase their sense of belonging
through a better understanding of their ancient traditions and beliefs. During this
visit UNPO witnessed the youth's thirst for revitalizing their culture. Young Mapuche
leaders also shared their experiences in spreading this knowledge and reaching out
to their own communities highlighting the need and importance of further training new
generations of young Mapuche leaders.

The recognition of indigenous peoples' rights to learn and use their own language
as well as to receive cultural education is far from achieved in Chile. Studies show
that more than 60 per cent of the Mapuches have no or very little knowledge of
the Mapudungun. There is an urgent need to revert this process of cultural erosion
and establish social conditions to foster the participation of the indigenous peoples
themselves in the construction of a legal framework that fully satisfies their historic
demands. The ILO convention 169, adopted by Chile in 1989 and ratified in 2009,
establishes that in preserving indigenous cultures education plays a part as important
as other elements constitutive of indigenous identity such as systems of values and
all other social, cultural and economic aspirations.