Mapuche: Community Granted Land After Eight Year Claim
Eighteen Families will benefit from land grants given to the Chavol Mapuche by the Chilean Government. Some of the land can be used for agricultural purposes and makes the community eligible for development assistance.
Below is an article published by Indigenous News:
On Friday, July 22nd [2011] the Mapuche Community of Chavol No.2 officially received more than 200 hectares (approximately 500 acres) of land near the city of Victoria, Chile. The community had filed a claim for the lands in 2003. And after eight years, in a ceremony presided over by Patricio Sáenz Cofré, the Deputy Director of CONADI (the Chilean Government’s Indigenous development corporation), land titles were given to the community, which included deeds to farmland and a dairy.
The land purchases will benefit 18 families in total. Lorenzo Chavol Purran, the president of the community, stated at the proceedings, “We, the 18 families that make up this community, are very happy because we found productive farmland that is in a good location near the city of Victoria.” In addition, the president expressed his happiness that, after eight years, the community’s land claims had been granted.
According to Deputy Director Sáenz, the land was purchased by CONADI for approximately US$ 1.6 million, and in accordance with President Piñera’s commitment to provide assistance with any land given to Indigenous communities, Chavol No.2 is now eligible for a number of development and technical assistance programs.
