Mapuche first, then Chilean.'THANK YOU Ngunechen (God) for what we have, for who we are. We are proud of being Mapuche, people of the Earth,' says Maria Romero Cheuquepil before the first meeting of the university year. She is President of the Association of Students and Young Pehuenches in the heart of Temuco, Chile. She is also the Dorm Mother for the Pehuenche Students' House. Romero was born in Lonquimay in far eastern Chile, a community of 8,000 people nestled nes·tle v. nes·tled, nes·tling, nes·tles v.intr. 1. To settle snugly and comfortably: The cat nestled among the pillows. 2. in the Andes. Her first language is Mapudugun; however due to laws stemming from the 'Pacification of the Araucania' (which the Mapuche see as the military takeover of their territory), she was forced to attend boarding school and speak only Spanish Spanish, river, c.150 mi (240 km) long, issuing from Spanish Lake, S Ont., Canada, NW of Sudbury, and flowing generally S through Biskotasi and Agnew lakes to Lake Huron opposite Manitoulin island. There are several hydroelectric stations on the river. . Teased tease v. teased, teas·ing, teas·es v.tr. 1. To annoy or pester; vex. 2. To make fun of; mock playfully. 3. by the Chileans of European European emanating from or pertaining to Europe. European bat lyssavirus see lyssavirus. European beech tree fagussylvaticus. European blastomycosis see cryptococcosis. origin, she found it a challenge to understand 'why me' and 'what it meant to be Mapuche'. When Romero moved from her rural home in Lonquimay to Temuco, the change was drastic: 'People would tease tease (tez) to pull apart gently with fine needles to permit microscopic examination. tease v. me for being Mapuche, for being from a small town, for speaking differently'. At university, her studies were challenging, as was being far away from home for the first time. She set out to find others in the same position as her. Today her organization provides housing and services to Mapuche students, and helps them adapt to city life. 'It's what I wish there had been when I arrived, a group of Mapuche brothers and sisters who would understand me without judging me,' she says. While her organization's primary focus is on students from the Pehuenche region (one of the four regions of the Mapuche territory), admittance Admittance The ratio of the current to the voltage in an alternating-current circuit. In terms of complex current I and voltage V, the admittance of a circuit is given by Eq. (1), and is related to the impedance of the circuit Z by Eq. (2). is open to Mapuches from other regions. Some students speak very little Mapudugun, as they grew up in Spanish-speaking communities unaware of the beauty and strength of their own people; but now they are learning from Romero, house-mates or visitors. After struggles with high-ranking government officials, Romero managed to get the government to stock their dorm kitchen. In addition, due partly to her persistence (1) In a CRT, the time a phosphor dot remains illuminated after being energized. Long-persistence phosphors reduce flicker, but generate ghost-like images that linger on screen for a fraction of a second. and dedication, Mapuche students can get scholarships for their university studies, often receiving application assistance from other Mapuches in the association. Romero dreams of travelling with a group to share the Mapuche culture outside Chile. 'I am Mapuche first, then Chilean,' she says. Why is it important to preserve her culture? 'Because it's who we are, and without our traditions, we would be lost as a people,' she replies without hesitation. |
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