SMGP Program: Reclaiming Ancestral Mapuche Lands in Argentina
Renee Bertini and Juliette Gache are graduate students pursuing Masters in Journalism and International Affairs at the Sciences Po Paris University in France. They received a Student Media Grant to conduct a program in Argentina in 2023. They will be documenting the on-going conflict between the Chilean state and Mapuche communities. In Patagonia, Mapuche communities are reclaiming their ancestral lands following decades of promises from post-dictatorship governments.
Article published as their SMGP main deliverable:
Betiana Colhuan in the middle of her “rewe” in Villa Mascardi and standing in front of her “rewe”, a sacred space in the land she was evicted from
Graffiti reading “freedom for Mapuche prisoners” in Bariloche city centre
Their Final Report will show the tensions at the heart of the Mapuche conflict in Argentina, specifically documenting the life of the lof Lafken Winkul Mapu in Villa Mascardi, their link to the land that they claim, the way the tourism industry impacts their daily life and the way their demands are considered in Bariloche. They plan to film and photograph their life conditions and profile the mail leaders and members of the lof.
Follow their Instagram profile for more program updates.