Traditional culture still preserved among the Pehuenches from Alto Biobío

Abstract

This article shares aspects of the mapuche-pehuenche culture that have been conserved until the present day. Although the autochthonous population of the area has been Christianised, belief in Ngünechen (“he who governs the people”) remains fully present, including his influence in individuals’ life and destiny, even after death. In this respect, it is very important to conserve the traditional language, which should not be forgotten by the young generations of today, since it is through language that the important values of the culture, inherited from the ancestors, will persist, and not be lost. The information comes from two members of the Cauñicu community, profoundly knowledgeable in their culture, the brothers Lorenzo and Ramón Naupa Epuñán.