The hydroelectric company Statkraft from Norway not only affect the Mapuche culture in Chile by their energy projects, it also interferes with the relations between neighbors and monitors, identifies people who fight and resist the destruction of the sacred space Ngen Mapu Kintuante
PRESS RELEASE MAY 2017 – PILMAIKEN RESISTS
A visual record is used to visualize the current problems that the pu lof and Pilmaiken are going through. On top of this, the different adversities that must have been suffered during the process of claiming territory for the defense of the ceremonial centre of Ngen Mapu Kintuante are added.
“For about 10 years we have carried a conflict created by the energy companies, currently Norwegian capitals through Statkraft, that have the intention to install a hydroelectric centre in sacred Mapuche territory (such as the Ngen Mapu Kintuante). It is for this reason that we are standing here today exercising territorial control. By doing this, we are looking to stop the construction of the dam that would eventually flood the Ngen Mapu.
There are currently more than 40 communities that have a spiritual presence in this ceremonial site. This process of reclaiming the territory has in no way stopped the entrance of the communities of this sector, as we understand that this “fight” is against the company and capital. It is a fight that searches to reconstruct the spiritual, cultural, and territorial aspects, and looks to stop the construction of the dam. We have tried to maintain a peaceful coexistence with our communities, but not with the company; that wishes to continue with this project.
Currently, Statkraft wishes to organize a meeting in the following days with a group of communities (only the ones closest to the ceremonial centre and paid by the company), using our cemetery as the gathering point. We disagree with this completely, seeing as this is where our grandfathers, great grandfathers, the fathers and brothers of the majority of the people that form the Lof and resistance of the Pilmaiken are buried; and whom were not even considered for this meeting. In spite of this, it should be noted that no case will be approved if the company comes to intervene or have an impact on the sacred ceremonial site. We reject any proposal similar to this and any proposal where they try to decide on something as delicate as the eltuwe, which is where we perform part of our ceremony. We see in this that there is no need to involve people outside the territory to enlarge the cemetery because we consider that this can be done by the community, and that is what we are going to do, regardless of what Statkraft proposes, because we insist that they are a foreign entity to the Mapuche community. The pu Lof and the families from this sector agree to the expansion of the cemetery. This is another way that the company uses to divide the communities, by generating unnecessary internal strife.
Another form of harassment that has been suffered in recent days is the persecution using technological devices in the rewe. For example, last week I was monitored with my wentru, my little girl and another child from the community, by a drone from above. We want to say that we have had enough of being persecuted! At some point this type of thing started to become less common, but it is starting up again; followed by the vehicles and the telephone intersections… we do not want them here.
“Before a major conflict arises, like the one the hydroelectric centre is trying to generate with our neighbors, we would like to make it clear that this fight isn’t against our lamien, our brothers that we see on the streets and with whom we share all the days here in Maihue, El Roble or in Mantilhue. This is not the meaning of the struggle in Pilmaiken. It is an anti-capitalist struggle that tries to directly benefit the Rio Pilmaiken, for the benefit of the spirituality and nation of the Mapuche; in order to avoid misunderstandings of the actions of other communities that come to the Ngen Mapu Kintuante ceremonial centre.” (Millary Huichalaf, Machi, El roble Carimallin)
“ We denounce the desecration that we are suffering at the hands of the Norwegian state company ‘Statkraft’, who has persecuted us repeatedly. The drone keeps flying over this place and we are constantly being monitored. We want to denounce the method that this company has used to continue causing division between the communities, among them the puLof, like with the cemetery. Which is something transcendental, where the company can not come and decide for the territory because they are not from here. They are separate from this place, we leave the message to the communities that we have never been in disagreement with the expansion of the cemetery, that we support this expansion because it is something necessary and that we can do it amongst ourselves. Regarding the other issue, there were comments about how the fight is being carried out in Kintuante, the struggle is still independent, ensuring that this place is ever desecrated and that it is not profaned for profit and that it will always remain so.” (Alberto Gallegos, Werken pu Lof in resistance Pilmaiken)
Nacion Mapuche 