Mapuche women making Maqui Chicha.
Photo by Christina Vest
Novelle’s Green Story
Mapuche Indians are the Indigenous inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile. They have successfully resisted many attempts by the Inca Empire to subjugate them. They fought against the Spaniards for over 300 years since the 16th century, so effectively that there were areas to which Europeans did not return until late in the 19th century. The Mapuche Indians have traditionally used Maqui berries for various ailments. According to a document written by the Spaniards, they described the Mapuche warriors as short. Their diet is low in solid food but the warriors drink a fermented beverage made from Maqui, several times daily. The Spaniards believe that the fermented drink may have contributed to the stamina and strength of the mapuche warriors.
There are currently 1.5 million Mapuche Indians living in Chile (about 10% of Chile’s total population), with most of them concentrated in Region IX. During the rule of Pinochet, many pieces of land, which the Mapuche claims were theirs, were sold to local and foreign logging companies. These logging activities have displaced many Mapuche Indians and forced most of them to move to cities, because their precious native forest was destroyed and was replaced with pine and Eucalyptus trees. The Eucalyptus tree is a very acidic tree which consumes a lot of water and fertilizer.
Eucalyptus forest
In 1910 Eucalyptus was introduced to Brazil for timber substitution and the vegetal coal industry. Regrettably the ecological effects weren't studied and today Eucalyptus is causing soil problems due to its high consumption of water and consequent exhaustion of some water tables. This has turned rich soil into desert-like soil and destroyed the native flora, causing food chain imbalance and encouraging vast growth in the populations of some insects (such as ants and termites). According to an old document, a scientist introduced Eucalyptus tree to dry the wetlands that were infested with insects in Southern Italy. He vowed to eradicate the insect problem within 50 years. The Eucalyptus tree consumed so much water that within 9 years, the insects were gone, so were the wild life and other trees.
The Mapuche Indians love their land the most compared to any other people on this planet. It is heartbreaking for them to see their native forests that were once full of everything they needed, from food to medicine, being destroyed by the logging industry and replaced with pine and the dreadful eucalyptus. The mountains that were once full of wild life and singing birds have now become silenced. The mountains are quietly mourning for the loss of the native forest. Death is now what’s left…...
Sustain the Earth.
Mapuche women and Annie Eng harvesting
Maqui. - Photo by Christina Vest
Organic Certification
Novelle is helping the Mapuche Indians to preserve their precious land by Organic Certifying the many native forests that have abundant maqui, elderberry, blackberry, and raspberry trees. In order to qualify, the area needs to be far from any industrial areas, main roads, air and water pollution. Once an area is Certified Organic, no logging or industrial company will be allowed in close proximity.
Sustainability
Novelle is also teaching the Mapuche Indians to employ sustainable harvest practices while harvesting the maqui berry. In the old days, maqui trees were cut down to get the fruits. Today, we are teaching the Mapuche Indians to use a pruning technique by breaking only the soft part of the tree branch. This pruning technique will increase oxygen absorption and enhance the growth of the branches so that the tree will be fuller and bear more fruits the following year. They will then beat the branch so that only the berries drop and the leaves remained on the stems. The leaves and stems are then placed under the tree so it will decompose to be a natural fertilizer for the tree. In this way, no trees are being cut down.
Sustain the Indigenous People.
Employing only the Mapuche Indians
Novelle is helping the Mapuche Indians by only employing the Mapuche Indians in the berry collection process. Mapuche economy is mainly agriculturally related. With the destruction of their native forest and introduction of commercial farms, the Mapuche’s livelihood has been significantly reduced in the last few decades. Novelle’s effort in collecting wild berries from areas that are certified organic is giving the community an additional means of income.
Helping with Mapuche Healthcare
Mapuche Community Hospital.
- Photo by Christina Vest
Most Mapuche and other Chileans still prefer to seek the treatment from Machis (medicine woman) before going to convention doctor. In the Mapuche community, the Machi will determine whether an illness is a spiritual disease or need conventional medicine. Since the majority of Mapuche Indians still live in rural areas, the machis refuse to work in a sterilized hospitals. Their chants, prayers, and medicine can only be performed in a natural environments where they are close to the 4 elements (earth, sun, wind, wood). With this reason, the Chilean government is unable to fund the Mapuche system and has cut funding and medical supplies to many of these rural areas. Most of the Mapuche Healthcare system is currently self-funded. A portion of the proceeds from Maqui will be donated to help the Mapuche Healthcare system. Our first project is to help a rural Mapuche hospital---Maquehue, to purchase the necessary medical supplies that have been reduced by the government.
Helping with Mapuche Bilingual Education System
Mapuche Community School.Novelle will be
will be building a new school in the fall of
2008. - Photo by Christina Vest
Most Mapuche Indians are home schooled because of the lack of public transportation. This is especially difficult during the cold winter months. Mapuche Indians in the rural area do not own a car or a bicycle. They also prefer their children to keep the Mapuche tradition by learning Mupudungun (Mapuche Language). A portion of the proceeds from Maqui will be donated to help build these Bilingual schools in the rural areas. Our first project is to build a kindergarten for 30 mapuche children in the community of Antelhue that has been cut by the Chilean government.
