Mapuche, Seeds of the Chilean Soul: The Art and Culture of a Native Chilean People

Mapuche: Seeds of the Chilean Soul, the Art and Culture of a Native Chilean People presented a vivid picture of these “people of the land,” as they call themselves, through displays of elaborate and highly striking silver jewelry (considered by many to be among the finest silverwork ever created in the Americas), exceptionally fine weavings, ceramics, tools, and musical instruments. In addition, large scale reproduction of historic photographs, explanatory text panels, and maps were included in order to better trace the development of this group, which originated in southern Chile ca. 500 A.D.

The Mapuche have been among the largest surviving ethnic groups in the Americas. Never conquered by the powerful Incas, the Mapuche resisted the assimilation of European values and modes of life introduced in Chile by the Spaniards after the Conquest. The some half million surviving members have been known for the profoundly spiritual relationship they have maintained with the land and the natural environment, as well as for their fierce sense of independence.

Audio-visual components of the exhibit provided traditional music, singing, and poetry in the Mapuche language. A selection of color photographs by Liliana Oyeneder documented the vitality of the Mapuche in the present day.

The exibition was organized by the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, Santiago, Chile and curated by Carlos Aldunate del Solar.

An illustrated English-language publication that had been issued in 1992 by the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino and the City of Philadelphia, when a version of the exhibition was seen in that city, served as the catalogue for the Americas Society’s presentation of the exhibition.

^{The show was made possible through the generous support of the Chilean Export Promotion Bureau, Compañía San José Ltda., Empremar-MSC Line, ITT Corporation, ITT Fluid Technology (Chile), ITT Sheraton (Chile), Lac Minerals, Ltd., LADECO Airlines, and the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations.}