Bio:
Rodolfo Andaur is a visual arts curator and cultural manager. He studied journalism and holds an MA in Art History. He has worked as directing, promoting and diffusing transdisciplinary projects. Furthermore, Andaur has taken part in curatorial teams that focus on critical analysis and reflection about the Anthropocene, climate change and eco-geopolitics in Latin America. Not only those proposals produce knowledge through the visual arts, but they have also contributed to the dissemination of renewed thoughts to research into unknown territories. With this background his work has been prized both by Tarapacá Regional Government for his contribution to cultural management (2011), and for his participation in the international project called “examples to follow, expedition in aesthetics and sustainability” (2017). Also he has been involved in curatorial residencies in Brazil, Denmark, Germany, México, Morocco, New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, South Korea and the United States. Rodolfo is currently a columnist in several online art magazines and visiting lecturer in a couple of universities and art institutions.
References and concepts:
#indigenous_history; #indigenous_philosophical_uprising; #water_privatisation
Rodolfo Andaur in conversation with Galit Eilat, 18.8.2023
Part 1: The history of indigenous communities in Patagonia
Rodolfo starts the conversation by discussing the history of geographical areas in Patagonia and the relationship between the conquerors, indigenous and Chile Government in Patagonia and the consequences of that history: When the Spanish arrived in America, particularly in the Indian branch, they assigned grand and catastrophic names to certain areas and places in order to persuade people to believe in the Spanish conquerors in Patagonia. The indigenous communities are attempting to rename these places to remove the Spanish impulsive names.
Near the mountains in Karukinka Park, there is a path to the border of the coastline via Jackson Bay. It is a significant place for indigenous communities. When Chile established a military and army base in El Fuego, they persuaded some Germans, Swiss, and Spanish to concur in establishing Inner El Fuego in order to acquire more territory for the Chilean government. The big massacre of indigenous occurred at the end of the 19th century when the Chilean government allowed colonies to kill all indigenous individuals, to create an empty place for local industries. In the moment of danger and in order to survive this massacre, the indigenous families moved up the mountains to a very chilly area – Alberto and Gini Park. By the beginning of the 20th century, there was no trace of the indigenous community in this area. Most of the indigenous community was killed by the new European neighbours. The families that moved up the mountains are returning to Tierra del Fuego with the assistance of foundations and corporations that are rebuilding the indigenous heritage in this area [part 1, 04:49-07:03].
Nowadays, there are inhabitants in this area whose roots trace back to indigenous families. Most of them moved to Punta Arenas and the site. When the massacre finished in the middle of the 20th century, the Catholic church thought that all these demonstrations against colonists had stopped forever. But now we know that these feelings emerge from the earth like a magical tale on the side of the indigenous. These insulated places have been maintained for many years, providing chronicles that help us, as foreigners and outsiders of those contexts, to analyse how we can create a field trip [07:03-10:51].
Part 2: Oil industries and market
This place is well known in CH and worldwide for its extensive global oil industries and oil market. These industries, among others, have convinced the local communities that the involvement of the CH government and climate change are causing problems in this area. As a result, the locals have moved to the big cities [10:51-18:32].
Part 3: The centralisation approach of the CH government, the indigenous philosophical uprising and the indigenous law
Rodolfo: Chile is a highly centralised country, attempting to convince the population that the history of Chile has been constructed solely in one region: San Valley Chile. However, due to the centralisation of the country and the analysis of territories from a single location (where the government is situated), it becomes challenging for the government to relocate to a more isolated area within the context of Chile. Especially in the Mariani area, the indigenous people were in charge of preserving their heritage for many years. They made efforts to educate families about their past struggles. When they succeeded, it was not a harmful uprising, but a philosophical way of asserting their presence and reminding the government that they exist and speak a language other than Spanish. Nowdays, the indigenous are asking the Chilean Congress to be part of the indigenous law. The only place that is not under the indigenous law is Patagonia because if the Chilean government or Congress recognize the indigenous people in Patagonia in the indigenous law, the indigenous in Patagonia will surely ask the chi government to recover the territories.
Nowadays, the indigenous people are asking the Chilean Congress to include them in the indigenous law. The only place that is not currently governed by the indigenous law is Patagonia. This is because if the Chilean government recognizes the indigenous in Patagonia under the indigenous law, the indigenous will surely request the Chilean government to reclaim their territories. The government supports the belief that indigenous heritage was never eradicated, and that the land was empty, perpetuating the Spanish narrative and language. Consequently, the indigenous people do not accept the state, and the state fails to acknowledge the diversity of indigenous communities within its territory. The CH government views Patagonia merely as a location for natural resource extraction and tourism generation [18:32-23:58].
Part 4: Modernity and technology in indigenous communities
Rodolfo: In the global context, indigenous communities need to reinforce modernity within their communities. Unlike the US and Europe, Chile exoticizes these communities, believing that they do not require technology. In the Andes region, there are approximately seven indigenous communities, most of which are no longer nomadic. They have established settlements in the old towns left behind by their ancestors during battles for border control, particularly between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. Galit (01:25-2:07): similarly to the Bedouins nomad community in the south of Israel [part 2, 00:00-00:02]
Part 5: Endless present: lithium and tourism- The future of indigenous communities in Patagonia (02:16-14:12)
The indigenous community uses metaphors to explain their future, as it is not concrete and may not even exist. The global enterprise mining companies are using their communication and merchandising systems to spread the message that the world’s future will revolve around lithium. On one hand, the indigenous are highly connected to the global infrastructure, but on the other hand, they want to preserve and protect the local context [02:16-07:41].
The tourism industry in Patagonia avoids explaining the context of the indigenous communities in the region, as many of them are descendants of families who were involved in the killing of indigenous people. Patagonia is closely connected to the global phenomena of violence, colonialism, and the establishment of territories, as it was the first place the Spanish arrived after colonisation in America. Additionally, there is a racist attitude towards indigenous. In the past, the Catholic Church attempted to educate indigenous children, but they were all killed, except for a group who were forced to work as servants for the important families in Enos [09:43-14:12].
Part 6: Privatised Water
Rodolfo says that the water in Chile is private (not provided by the state) and still following the constitution of Pinochet, which means that water control belongs to several families in Chile, along with some tap water from the Spanish industry. The indigenous people need to reclaim the water for agriculture, especially in the desert, due to the mining and tourist industries. Galit notes in reply that it seems easier to enable access to water for the indigenous because of the local industry. If there were none, it would probably be expensive to build a private system for an infrastructure would probably be very expensive [16:56-18:07].