Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Tom Hanks Net Worth 2023: A Glimpse into the Hollywood Icon’s Wealth

    October 2, 2023

    Blake Lively Net Worth 2023

    October 2, 2023

    How to Avoid Microplastics: A Comprehensive Guide

    September 30, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Los Angeles ReformerLos Angeles Reformer
    • Home
    • Business
    • Entertaiment
    • Entrepreneur
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    Los Angeles ReformerLos Angeles Reformer
    Home»Lifestyle»Mapuche Solstice Ceremonies Highlight Sacred Rivers
    Lifestyle

    Mapuche Solstice Ceremonies Highlight Sacred Rivers

    JustinBy JustinSeptember 14, 2023No Comments3 Mins Read
    Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit Telegram Email
    Mapuche Solstice Ceremonies Highlight Sacred Rivers
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO and RODRIGO ABD, Associated Press

    ALONG THE PILMAIQUEN RIVER, Chile (AP) — A ceremonial dip in the frigid waters of the fast-flowing Pilmaiquen River in southern Chile was the culmination of the multiday celebration of We Tripantü, one of the most sacred holidays for the Mapuche, the country’s largest Indigenous group.

    Coinciding with the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the late June “new year” festivities mark the “new rising of the sun” and signify “the change and renovation of life, in all senses,” said Amanda Huichalaf. She took part with her family in the ceremonies led by her sister, the machi or healer and spiritual guide of a Mapuche community alongside the river.

    Mapuche Solstice Ceremonies Highlight Sacred Rivers

    Wading into the Pilmaiquen is a “symbolic way to renew energy,” Huichalaf added. Most participants washed their face, feet and ceremonial jewels as frost covered the lush riverbanks.

    In the Mapuche worldview, rivers and other natural elements are home to spirits they revere — like Kintuantü, a protector spirit connected to the Pilmaiquen. The river is also believed to help carry the souls of those buried in a clifftop cemetery on to their next incarnation.

    “Water is a pure element. Only with water, the ancestral spirits can travel. The Pilmaiquen River carries in it all our information, carries all our spirituality,” said Millaray Huichalaf, the machi.

    But the Pilmaiquen, and the ceremonial compound by the cemetery on a cliff over one of its broad bends, is also where the Huichalafs have been leading a battle against energy companies and others in a decadelong effort to reclaim their ancestral lands. It has included protests, occupations and clashes with police.

    “This is where we began the reconstruction of the territory,” Millaray Huichalaf said of the wide meadow where she holds a sacred ceremony in the morning during the solstice. She gives thanks to nature’s spirits and asks for strength for all living beings.

    “In addition to being a healer, I’m also a militant in Mapuche resistance. Every day that I wake up, I think about how I can keep defending the river,” she added, voicing hope that her daughters will continue the fight.

    One of them goes to school in the nearby village of Carimallin, where Millaray led another We Tripantü ceremony. Some 85% of the 125 kids in the school’s pre-K through 8th grade classes are Mapuche, said Gerson López, a teacher there for a decade. Only half of them are involved in the different Indigenous communities, but they all love the June ceremony, he added.

    Mapuche Solstice Ceremonies Highlight Sacred Rivers
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleUnlocking the Power of Meta Cognition: A Comprehensive Guide
    Next Article Justin Long Net Worth 2023: Unveiling the Finances of a Versatile Actor
    Justin
    • Website

    Related Posts

    Lifestyle

    The Future of Hijab Fashion: Embracing Diversity and Modernity

    August 4, 2023
    Lifestyle

    Lets talk mommy a lifestyle parenting blog: A Comprehensive Guide to Balancing Parenthood and Life

    August 4, 2023
    Lifestyle

    Multifaceted Brilliance: The Many Uses of a Dab Torch

    June 23, 2023
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Top Posts

    Arshi Jamil, a business influencer & feminist activist, has started new programs to promote women’s healthcare and higher education

    July 15, 202327,007 Views

    Trey Chapman- From family restaurants to a name of his own in the food and beverage industry

    January 3, 2023231 Views

    MIKEY WILLIAMS BEAUTIFUL HILLTOP MANSION UP FOR SALE

    May 9, 2023114 Views
    Most Popular

    Research suggests espresso drinker could also be at decrease danger of early dying

    December 14, 20223 Views

    With Gail Simmons’ cocoa cup recipe you possibly can have your espresso martini and eat it too

    December 14, 20220 Views

    Nick Laureano New Company Is Revamping The Industry

    July 20, 20236 Views
    Our Picks

    Tom Hanks Net Worth 2023: A Glimpse into the Hollywood Icon’s Wealth

    October 2, 2023

    Blake Lively Net Worth 2023

    October 2, 2023

    How to Avoid Microplastics: A Comprehensive Guide

    September 30, 2023
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    ©2022 | LAReformer. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.