14th Anniversary of the Mapuzugun March: Activists Demand Official Language Status in Araucanía

Original article: 14 años de la Marcha por el Mapuzungun: En Temuco exigen oficialización  como idioma oficial de la Araucanía

14th Anniversary of the Mapuzugun March: «The State has Perpetuated Colonial Trauma»

Family-oriented march took place through the streets of Temuco

Images provided by: Luz Marina Huenchucoy Millao

On Friday, February 20th, the City of Temuco hosted the March for the Official Recognition and Revitalization of Mapuzugun, organized by various Mapuche groups and leaders from the region.

This family-friendly event gathered dozens of participants in the morning at the hospital square, where they marched through different streets of the regional capital. A significant moment of the protest was the stop in front of the Regional Government office, where a letter was delivered to Governor René Saffirio, who personally received the document.

Furthermore, on Saturday, February 21st, Temuco will host the «Fair and Festival for Mapuzugun and Mapuche Resistance,» organized by TXAWÜN – Temuko Communities, with details shared at the end of this article.

Public Statement: 14 Years of Struggle and Four Governments Without Response

On the 14th version of the mobilization, the calling organizations released a public statement, noting that «Mapuzugun is the ancestral and original language of Wallmapu,» and warning that it is «in danger of extinction due to the racism and colonial violence of the State, along with the ongoing monolingual Spanish policies being enforced in Wallmapu.» The statement recalls that this demand has deep historical roots, as «91 years have passed since the proposal originating from the third congress of the Araucanian Federation in 1935, which aimed for Mapuzugun to be recognized as an official language. After 14 years of mobilizations for its revitalization, the path has been paved for the Chilean State to create the necessary legal instruments.»

The Mapuzugun Movement (MPM), initiated during Sebastián Piñera’s first government, has crossed four administrations without tangible responses. «Four governments have passed during these 14 years of mobilization, and none, regardless of political sector, has had the will to respond to a long-standing demand from the Mapuche people,» the statement asserts, noting that this is the fourth mobilization during Gabriel Boric’s term, «without any answer from the government despite it being a campaign promise.»

In the context of International Mother Language Day, established by UNESCO in 1999 and celebrated every February 21, the organizations stress that «recognition of the Mapuche language is a human right and a first step towards addressing the historical debt in various areas, such as education, health, justice, and territory.» They denounce that these demands «have faced obstacles due to a hegemonic culture that does not promote respect or diversity,» while the State has perpetuated a «colonial trauma» by failing to recognize indigenous peoples.

Despite the context of denial, the statement highlights efforts on the ground like «Language Nests,» «Koneltun» or linguistic boarding schools, workshops, and teaching materials, which «have shown good results, such as the creation of new Mapuzugun speakers in early childhood.» However, they warn that these initiatives «lack a legal framework to support their functionality,» as «current regulations from the Ministry of Education do not permit the creation of an education system in Mapuzugun, which is entirely contradictory to current international regulations on the matter.»

The organizations directly challenge the State of Chile regarding international commitments, citing ILO Convention No. 169, Article 13, which establishes the right of indigenous peoples to «revitalize, use, promote, and pass on their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems, and literatures to future generations.» The movement emphasizes that the demand for Mapuzugun is cross-cutting, and speakers should be able to «exercise their rights in various institutions of the State of Chile,» viewing the use of their language as a basic human right that allows for «the reproduction of culture.»

Finally, the statement concludes with a critique of the current government: «It should be emphasized that regarding electoral campaign commitments, the current government has not fulfilled its obligations to indigenous peoples, specifically making the recognition of linguistic rights at the level of public policies in Chile effective. Our duty is to continue fighting for our rights and advocating for our Mapuzugun.»

LETTER TO RENÉ SAFFIRIO: Request for a Working Group on the Official Recognition of Mapuzugun

In a letter dated Friday, February 20th, 2026, and addressed to Governor René Saffirio, the organizations denounce that «Mapuzugun is in a marginalized situation and at risk of disappearing, violating international law.» The document formally requests «the establishment of a working group to advance the declaration of Mapuzugun as an official language in La Araucanía, an initiative that has been proposed by communities and organizations between 2012-2026.»

The letter outlines the background that paves the way for this declaration, mentioning that «there has been an active social movement demanding measures in this area since 2012, and the proposal to declare Mapuzugun as official has a 91-year history stemming from the third congress of the Araucanian Federation in 1935.» It highlights the existence of «two municipal decrees (Galvarino 2013 and Temuko 2021) handling the matter, in addition to a Regional Regulation for the Officialization of Mapuzugun from 2015, which has been acknowledged by the National Comptroller, as well as a motion from the CORE from March 2015.»

The organizations conclude with a call for political will, stating that «only political will is needed today to move forward on this heartfelt matter that represents a fundamental right for the Mapuche and hopes for better intercultural coexistence in our region.» The letter, which was personally received by Governor Saffirio, symbolizes the hope to «resume dialogue in a working group that can advance on this issue.»

Fair and Festival for Mapuzugun / Temuko

On Saturday, February 21st, the grand Festival and Fair for Mapuzugun and Resistance will be held in the Juan Currin community, located at the intersection of Avenida Luis Durand and El Bosque in Temuco. This all-day event will feature a family-friendly atmosphere including inflatable games for children, sale of handicrafts, food, local products, and Peñiwen craft beer. Organizers will also provide bilingual entertainment featuring lamgen Margarita Catrileo, promoting a Mapuche and family-friendly environment under the motto «support our people, aflyaya taiñ mogen» (let’s defend our life).

The artistic and cultural schedule will begin at 4:00 PM with a Mapuzugun workshop for children led by Jasna Caniumil. Music will take center stage starting at 5:00 PM with a performance by Nawelwenu, followed by Meli Newen and Epew Jam at 6:00 PM, Janoweichafe and band at 7:00 PM, the cumbia villera of Cumbiamba at 8:00 PM, and a grand finale starting at 9:30 PM with Colelo Identidad Mapuche, wrapping up with the essence of newen. Between each music act, various organizations and leaders will take the podium. Access will be available via collectives 17 towards Fundo El Carmen and micros 7 that drop off at the access point, with limited parking available on site.