“As President, I will continue working tirelessly to ensure that Chile’s indigenous people are, and truly feel that they are, citizens with equal rights”
The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet celebrated National Indigenous Peoples’ Day at La Moneda Palace this morning, accompanied by Education Minister Nicolás Eyzaguirre, Social Development Minister Marcos Barraza, National Women’s Service Director Claudia Pascual, National Assets Minister Víctor Osorio and Culture Minister Ernesto Ottone.
During the ceremony, President Bachelet said, “We recognize the many cultures that are part of Chile, with emotion, painful at times, but above all with pride and happiness. Because Chile is a nation that has been enriched by many peoples, including those who were deprived of their livelihoods and pushed to extinction and are no longer with us today. Their memory lives on among us.”
The traditional commemoration held at La Moneda Palace was based on the world vision of Chile’s indigenous peoples and featured rituals and ceremonies of spiritual renovation and purification to mark a new year, the beginning of a new cycle of life with the rebirth or renewal of nature.
“We are here today to recognize and take responsibility for our continuing debt to the indigenous peoples and to reiterate our commitment to a public policy that is fundamental in terms of fighting inequality and building a Chile for everyone,” President Bachelet said.
The theme of this year’s celebration was inclusion. The flags of three of Chile’s indigenous peoples were raised in Los Cañones patio at La Moneda: the Aymara flag (Wiphala), the Mapuche flag (Wenufoye) and the Rapa Nui flag (Reimiro). Afterwards, the President led Quechua and Mapuche ceremonies in which participants expressed gratitude to Mother Earth and asked for positive energy for the year ahead. The event ended with a traditional Mapuche dance (Purrun) in Los Canelos patio.
President Bachelet announced that “from July 16 to 25 we will host the Indigenous Peoples’ Copa America, organized by the Government of Chile, with teams from Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico and of course, Chile”.
The President also highlighted the recent launch of the Indigenous Land Information System, which provides an almost real-time snapshot of more than 2,600 communities throughout Chilean territory, with information relating to land management, historical records and land acquisition.
In her closing remarks, President Bachelet remarked, “We still have a lot to do to build a society in which we can all legitimately call ourselves brothers and sisters. But as President I will continue working tirelessly to ensure that Chile’s indigenous peoples are, and truly feel that they are, citizens with equal rights, members of this great Chilean family of mixed heritage.”