Mapuche Leader and UNPO Set to Collaborate

The Mapuche leader of the Council of All Lands (Consejo de Todas las Tierras), Mr. Aucan Huilcaman is visiting The Netherlands for 4 days from the 26th to the 30th of April.

On 28 April, the UNPO had a meeting with the leader, who was accompanied by Ms. Ramona Quiroga, a Mapuche woman working on the frontline for her people’s rights.During his visit at the UNPO office, the UNPO General Secretary, Marino Busdachin, and Mr. Huilcaman discussed the importance of self-government and autonomy for the Mapuche people. One of the recent great achievements is the foundation of the Mapuche School of Self Government, which began its first day of classes on the 14th of January 2009 in Temuco, Chile.

Mr. Huilcaman stressed the importance of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September 2007.

“Articles 3 and 4 clearly entitle the Mapuche to Self Determination, Self Government and rights to autonomy. Achieving this is now in our hands, I believe we have the instruments and the right to realize what we are looking for” the Mapuche leader firmly said.

“Before we were struggling to obtain international recognition of our rights. Now that we have those (our) rights clearly ratified, we have to demonstrate we believe in it and that the Mapuche people are ready to take action.”

The Self-Government School is making great steps forward, the monthly sessions have been attended by national and international personalities. Mr. Huilcaman attended the ceremony session as did faculty members including attorneys Rodrigo Calderon, Juan Sanhueza, indigenous leaders such as Lonko Aniceto Norin Catriman and former congressman Rosendo Huenuman. During the next session the School will receive the Bolivian Ambassador.

Following a conversation concerning the general contribution and aims of the Self-Government School, both the UNPO and Mr. Huilcaman expressed clear intentions to collaborate in the future. Agreements regarding different ways in which UNPO will support the objectives of the Self-Government School were established, laying the foundations for a UNPO field visit in Temuco and participation in the School’s monthly session.