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About the Project
The Biobío Legacy: Mapuche-Pehuenche Organizing and Resistance
Project Grant
The Biobio Legacy: Mapuche-Pehuenche Organizing and Resistance in Chile
The Archivo de la Resistencia Mapuche-Pehuenche (ARMP) contains material gathered between 1992 and 2010, related to the legendary struggle in the Upper Biobío region between Mapuche-Pehuenche indians and the builders of a series of hydroelectric dams that displaced thousands of them and destroyed parts of their traditional territory next to the Biobio river in Southern Chile, the historical frontier of Chile´s indigenous Mapuche population. Solidarity from Chileans and others was very significant, making the struggle a key political milestone in the budding democracy of post-Pinochet in Chile. The ARMP material includes black and white and color photographs, audio of a bilingual radio program and original documents of Mapuche-Pehuenche organizations and supporting NGOs. An important part was gathered and/or produced by Cristian Opaso who for years served as Vice-President of the Grupo de Acción por el Biobío (GABB). Other abundant documentation is to be found in several journalistic archives, and in academic and government of Chile repositories.
El Legado del Biobío: Organización y Resistencia del Pueblo Mapuche-Pehuenche
El Archivo de la Resistencia Mapuche-Pehuenche (ARMP) contiene material recolectado entre 1992 y 2010, relacionado con la legendaria lucha que tuvo lugar en el Alto Biobío entre los Mapuche-Pehuenche y los constructores de una serie de proyectos hidroeléctricos que desplazaron a miles de ellos/as y destruyeron parte de su territorio ancestral en la cuenca del río Biobío, frontera histórica del pueblo Mapuche de Chile. La solidaridad de parte de Chilenos/as y del extranjero fue muy significativa, transformando ese proceso en un hito político clave de la naciente democracia post-Pinochet. El material del ARMP incluye fotografías en blanco y negro y color, grabaciones de un programa radial bilingue (español/mapudungún) y documentos de organizaciones Mapuche-Pehuenche y ONGs aliadas. Parte importante fue recogida y/o producida por Cristián Opaso quién fuera Vice-Presidente del Grupo de Acción por el Biobío (GABB). Existe otra abundante información en archivos periodísticos y en repositorios académicos y del gobierno de Chile.
Project Lead
Cristian Opaso, ONG Camino de Tierra
Host Institution
ONG Camino de Tierra
More Information
Explore the Collection Inventory
Throughout the 1990’s to the early 2000’s, the indigenous Mapuche-Pehuenche community of Chile organized against plans to build hydroelectric dams in the historical BioBio River. Photographs, audio recordings, and organization documents capture the local efforts against the construction to preserve a treasured landmark. This MEAP funded Planning Grant documented a range of materials, including audio recordings of meetings, a bilingual radio program (Spanish-Mapudungun), black & white and color photographs, and original documents of Mapuche-Pehuenche organizations. The photographs, in particular, offer unique perspectives on this history, capturing the landscape before and after interventions as well as meetings, protests and portraits.
Additional material was produced by the Grupo de Acción por el Biobío (GABB), an environmental NGO that worked hand in hand with the Pehuenche organizations.
> Explore the inventory of the Biobío collection(opens in a new tab)