MAPUCHE COVID-19 RELIEF
ALL MASKS WERE MADE BY 8 MAPUCHE WOMEN AND ALL OF THEM WERE PAID A FAIR WAGE FOR EACH MASK THEY MADE, WHICH HELPED THEM HAVE A SOURCE OF INCOME.
Images For Inclusion (IFI) started combating the Covid-19 at the start of April, 2020 when we had the first confirmed cases in Temuco. With the generous support of “Indigenous kinship Collective” (IKC) NYC we developed a program aimed at protecting those who suffer greater economic poverty, social inequality and lack of opportunities, such as indigenous people and afro descendants. The initiatives sought to join efforts to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 among the individuals, their families and communities.
We heard the strong call that United Nations Human Rights Protection bodies had made to serve Indigenous Peoples. Health is in fact, a fundamental human right of all people without distinction of race, religion, political ideology or economic or social condition. IFI believes all people must have access to Covid-19 prevention products, when and where they are needed, without their condition limiting access to them, especially the most vulnerable.
We noticed the Covid-19 prevention methods are a privilege of the few and not a right for all. Adding the high prices and persistent shortages of emergency sanitary products, in addition to the misinformation and lack of tests to determine if the people had been infected, there was an urgent need for immediate action. A case in point was the deep concern shown by women in Santiago during a demonstration at the San Miguel women's penitentiary on March 19, 2020, followed by other prisons in the country that had been affected by the virus. IFI heard them.
We were also inspired by Indigenous Kinship Collective who were providing mutual aid in Lenape Hoking (New York City), and with their support we created a Gofundme fundraiser and quickly started our initiatives to combat the Covid-19 in Mapuche territory (Temuco). Therefore it was a collaborative effort which also sought to inspire collective action to protect those who need it most.
HYGIENE AND SANITARY PRODUCTS FOR WOMEN IN PRISON AT THE FEMALE PENITENTIARY CENTER (CPF) TEMUCO — MAY 04, 2020
It is important to protect indigenous people in prison during this pandemic. As the American of Puerto Rican descent, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representative of the 14th district of New York, said in the Daily News on March 25, 2020 "the state prisons could become a breeding ground for this deadly disease." To this end, the World Health Organization (WHO) has made recommendations to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and protect the most vulnerable sectors of society, who are at greater risk due to having a "reduced" immunity by living in crowded conditions such as the incarcerated people.
Among the products we delivered were handmade reusable cloth masks with 3 layers of protection, liquid soap, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, shampoo and hygiene pads among other needs.
We were warned there are times products sent to the inmates are not delivered to them, so we made sure they actually received them. To that end we arranged a time to have a brief video call. They not only said they got them but showed very much appreciation for our gesture and for thinking about them. We must not forget them.
Originally, the initiative was meant to benefit indigenous women only (there were 9 self-identified Mapuche women and one Rapa Nui), but to better prevent the spread of the Covid-19 inside the prison we decided to benefit all of them. So, we provided mutual aids kits to all incarcerated women and staff who were in close contact with them.
We were assisted by their social workers who made recommendations on what was most needed at the moment. It was during the first mandatory quarantine, a time when no one could be visited and due to the lack of resources basic products for women were very much needed and appreciated by them.
FREE MASKS AND HAND SANITIZER FOR “HORTALICERAS”/ MAPUCHE STREET VEGETABLE SELLERS WORKING IN DOWNTOWN TEMUCO— MAY 11, 2020
Indigenous women are the most discriminated against and victims of economic violence in Chile, especially in la Araucania where indigenous women suffer multiple form of discrimination based on their race, culture, nationality, gender, and social status. Therefore, it was most important to protect them from the pandemic, especially the Mapuche Hotalicerxs who needed to sell their vegetables on the street in order to support their families when the enemy was not only the virus but also the hunger created by the pandemic.
IFI also helped them make signs to raise their voices as they had recently been brutally attacked by local police officers on orders by the mayor who established they were violating the law selling their vegetables. Many lost their only source of income and afraid to be beaten up again, some expressed continued body pain from the cruel beatings, and they lamented the loss of their vegetables— which they grow at home themselves— when the police threw everything to the ground and destroyed them. One Mapuche Hortalicero said that the police had taken away his cart, the only means of transporting his vegetables which allowed him to sell something to buy food and basic necessities for his family. We made a statement saying “let’s beat the pandemic, not the Hortalizeras.
The signs read “I support the Mapuche hortalizeras”, “I sell vegetables to sustain my family. Give them better education.”, “We work to give our children a decent future.”
FREE MASKS AND HAND SANITIZER FOR MAPUCHE PEOPLE AT TEMUCO’S RURAL BUS TERMINAL — MAY 19 - 22, 2020
During the first few months of the Pandemic, a great number of Mapuche people did not believe the Covid-19 was real, some thought being Mapuche made them immune to the virus, or that they could heal themselves easily with their ancestral medicine, so many walked around without a mask or hand sanitizer, especially elders. This means they were at a greater risk of contracting the disease and more likely to get severely ill from Covid-19.
With this initiative we benefited many Mapuche men who took a mask with them for their wives, and Mapuche elders and women who lack the resources and have little access to information and the emergency sanitary supplies necessary to protect them from the virus. We used the opportunity to make a call to other organizations and individuals to take action and help the most vulnerable in their communities.
We also explained how many mapuche people who are evangelicals were getting misinformed by the evangelical pastors about the risks of contracting the Covid-19 and the need to address that issue as well. This was due to the fact that many evangelical people had contracted the disease and died from Covid-19 including evangelical pastors in Chile.
Many Mapuche people living in rural areas were traveling to Temuco by bus to collect their pension, buy food and basic necessities, among other needs. At the same time an increasing number of supermarkets and pension workers were becoming infected with the Covid-19.
This is why we decided to benefit Mapuche people at the rural bus station providing free masks and hand sanitizer. Our initiative was covered by two local television channels where we made a call to other people and organizations to find it in their heart to help combat the Covid-19 as it was not just the government’s responsibility to deal with the pandemic.
FREE HYGIENE PRODUCTS TO INCARCERATED MAPUCHE MEN AT TEMUCO MEN PRISON — JUNE 10, 2020
Months after the start of the first confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Temuco, there were by then 1,883 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the region, with 811 confirmed cases in Temuco, and 45 deceased people, so we decided to deliver hygiene and sanitary products for Mapuche political prisoners who were unable to receive visits due to the pandemic.
After that we received a call from Machi Celestino, their spiritual leader, who spoke from the prison on behalf of all incarcerated men who benefited and expressed his humble appreciation.
FREE MASKS & HAND SANITIZER FOR THE AFRO-DESCENDANTS IN WALMAPU AT JANEQUEO PLAZA — AUGUST 04, 2020
We also provided masks and hand sanitizer to Afro descendants and their family members. The initiative took place in the middle of Temuco’s main public square to both, provide the protection products and to create awareness about the lack of support for afro descendants, particularly immigrants who struggle to find employment and housing regularly but especially during the pandemic and in a city like Temuco, which has high rates of racism.
Many afro descendants who come from Haiti have jobs that put them at a high risk of contracting the Covid-19 such as garbage collectors and street sellers. Some expressed that their family member could not leave home to come get a mask and hand sanitizer so we sent them both.
FREE MASKS FOR AFRO-CHILEANS IN ARICA Y PARINACOTA —SEPTEMBER 26, 2020
These masks were also sent to Arica y Parinacota (north of Chile, bordering Peru and Bolivia) to the NGO "ORO NEGRO", which is the first organization of Chilean Afro-descendants located in the north of Chile. They kindly distributed the masks to the members of their community. Some of the masks were made with afro colors to honor their original heritage.
MARTA SALGADO, PRESIDENT OF THE AFRO CHILEAN NGO “ORO NEGRO”
* CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VIEW THE THANK YOU MESSAGE POSTED ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE
MUTUAL AID KITS FOR “HORTALIZERAS”: MAPUCHE STREET VEGETABLE SELLERS WORKING IN DOWNTOWN TEMUCO — OCTOBER 09, 2020
The Hortaliceras we benefited at this time had spent months dealing with the pandemic and the constant racist police harassment. We wanted to do a last initiative before departing to New York.
Originally we thought about providing little food boxes, but then we decided protection products were more appropriate as they were going to continue to be exposed to the Covid-19 while selling their vegetables on the street.
Therefore, we gave them a little box with Covid-19 protection such as new handmade masks for them and their family members, hand sanitizer, Mapuche medicine and we also included vitamins and acetaminophen (we had been unable to provide those items to the women in prison due to security measures) to boost their immune system and fight Covid-19. Everything was greatly appreciated by all.
FREE MASKS FOR THE LGBTQI-2S MAPUCHE COMMUNITY IN WALLMAPU — OCTOBER 15, 2020
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, intersex and two spirits)
The LGBTQI2-S Mapuche community often deals with different levels of social isolation, economic poverty and lack of access to health care. With our initiative we sought to serve as an inspiration for individuals, organizations and other entities so they can help improve the well-being of the LGBTQI2-S Mapuche community, their families and their communities. We also distributed a 10 page document with information about their rights and ideas how to eradicate sexual orientation and gender based discrimination.
On October 15, 2020, during one of the worse time of uncertainty and in the midst of the global health crisis due to the pandemic, at this point a total of 9,410 confirmed cases have been reported, of which 2,555 confirmed cases were in Temuco, with 128 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in the Araucanía region.
Unfortunately, like most if not all indigenous peoples, Mapuche people are not exempt from being infected, much less those who are more vulnerable and susceptible to getting the virus. That is why with the generous support of the collective of the Indigenous Kinship Collective from Lenape-Hoking (New York City), we were able to deliver Covid-19 protection masks to the LGBTQI2-S Mapuche community in Wallmapu, Mapuche territory.
Sadly, there is not desegregated data about the indigenous peoples who were confirmed positive and those who died due to the Covid-19 in Chile. This situation makes it difficult to better understand the disproportionate impact and to inform the indigenous people about their risks of contracting the disease and to effectively address the various aspects that increase the spread of the virus inside their communities.
The pandemic exacerbated the pre existing social and economic inequalities indigenous people suffer, and exposed the raising numbers of violence against women. We witnessed lack of understanding, respect and true consideration for the indigenous peoples culture as individuals and as a collective. Their historical marginalization in Chile and lack of respect for their rights to consultation was evident when they were forced to stay at home, a confinement enacted by the State, without providing food and basic necessities for their families, aware they are the population who suffer greater socio economic disadvantages.
There is a serious need for a legitimate intercultural framework to monitor the implementation of indigenous peoples’ rights, ILO Convention, SDG’s and other UN treaties such as CEDAW AND CRC.