Indigenous urban geography: A case study of the Mapuche in La Pintana, Santiago, Chile

Abstract

For many indigenous peoples, the city was historically constructed as a space of exclusion and domination that relegated them to the confines of the very idea of modernity. However, the current construction of collective spaces enables them to renegotiate their position within the urban fabric. This article aims at understanding the territorial reconfigurations that have arisen in this context, using data collected through a fieldwork (interviews, participatory observation and archival research) conducted between 2013 and 2014 with indigenous groups in La Pintana, located within the metropolitan area of Santiago. In addition to describing the processes of Mapuche migration in Chile and the modalities by which an urban territoriality is being formed, we also analyze the emergence of rukas over the last fifteen years in La Pintana. We conclude that urban areas clearly form a portion of the contemporary Mapuche territorial dynamics.