IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i9p5672-d1135035.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Implications of Extractivism and Environmental Pollution in Mapuche Territories of the Araucania Region

Author

Listed:
  • Juan Beltrán-Véliz

    (Núcleo Científico Tecnológico en Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4811230, Chile)

  • José Luis Gálvez-Nieto

    (Departamento de Trabajo Social, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile)

  • Julio Tereucán-Angulo

    (Departamento de Trabajo Social, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile)

  • Fabián Muñoz-Vidal

    (Departamento de Educación, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile)

  • Nathaly Vera-Gajardo

    (Facultad de Educación, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco 3480094, Chile)

  • Pablo Müller-Ferrés

    (Facultad de Administración y Negocios, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco 7500912, Chile)

Abstract

Chile is facing an environmental crisis and the territory of the Mapuche people is no exception. This is largely due to extractivism, which refers to the massive extraction and exploitation of natural resources in an indiscriminate manner. The objective of this study was to reveal the implications of extractivism and environmental pollution in Mapuche territories in the Araucanía region. The methodology used was qualitative, based on constructivist grounded theory. In-depth interviews and participant observation were used to collect data. The participants were 46 kimeltuchefes. The main results revealed extensive monocultures of non-native trees: pine and eucalyptus, which consume large amounts of water. They also revealed environmental pollution and indiscriminate forestry extractivism related to these trees, which generate soil degradation and water pollution. These consequences reduce biodiversity and disturb the ngenh (spiritual beings and protectors of nature). They also affect the Mapuche’s agricultural activities and, in turn, their health and subsistence. In addition, non-native tree monocultures, environmental pollution and forestry extractivism transgress the az mapu (Mapuche code of ethics and behaviour), which disturbs the ethical, moral and spiritual relationship between the Mapuche and nature. They also have negative implications for the küme mogen (good living of the Mapuche), since they violate the balance and harmony between the Mapuche and all living beings, elements and spiritual beings that are part of nature. This also violates the reciprocity between the Mapuche and nature. It was concluded that there have been violations of the human rights of the Mapuche people, given that they are exposed to harmful environmental conditions that put their health and subsistence at considerable risk. In this sense, the Mapuche are experiencing a spiritual, physical, cognitive, attitudinal, affective and material imbalance. Ultimately, the state of Chile must generate intercultural environmental public and educational policies aimed at generating environmental awareness and creating actions to solve environmental problems in order to protect Mapuche and non-Mapuche territories.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Beltrán-Véliz & José Luis Gálvez-Nieto & Julio Tereucán-Angulo & Fabián Muñoz-Vidal & Nathaly Vera-Gajardo & Pablo Müller-Ferrés, 2023. "Implications of Extractivism and Environmental Pollution in Mapuche Territories of the Araucania Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-17, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:9:p:5672-:d:1135035
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/9/5672/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/9/5672/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Caterina Rondoni, 2022. "Extractivism and Unjust Food Insecurity for Peru’s Loreto Indigenous Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Lorenzo Cotula, 2020. "(Dis)integration in Global Resource Governance: Extractivism, Human Rights, and Investment Treaties," Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(2), pages 431-454.
    3. Evdokia Burtseva & Anatolii Sleptsov & Anna Bysyina & Alla Fedorova & Gavril Dyachkovskii, 2020. "Mining and Indigenous Peoples of the North: Assessment and Development Prospects," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-20, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bourgoin, Jeremy & Diop, Djibril & Jahel, Camille & Interdonato, Roberto & Grislain, Quentin, 2023. "Beyond land grabbing narratives, acknowledging patterns and regimes of land control in Senegal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    2. Deyi Xu & Shiquan Dou & Yongguang Zhu & Jinhua Cheng, 2024. "Resource nationalism: the intersection of politics and economics," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Chao Wang & Jing Ning & Xiaohan Zhang, 2021. "International Investment and Indigenous Peoples’ Environment: A Survey of ISDS Cases from 2000 to 2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:9:p:5672-:d:1135035. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.