In spring 2014, IAFS senior Elizabeth Vickstrom studied abroad in Valparaiso, Chile, helped by a Global Grant scholarship, funded by the International Affairs Advisory Board and donors like you. As part of the SIT Chile: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development program, Vickstrom lived with the indigenous Mapuche community in the Chilean countryside village of Chapod. During those two weeks, she was exposed to the culture of the Mapuche people in the thriving South American country.
Staying with a family was a central part of her experience during her two week stay in Chapod--her host family shyly said that she was the first foreign person they had ever met. “The village harvested all their own food and ate together as a community every night a large hut, also known as a ruka,” Vickstrom explains. She adds, “This [Mapuche] style was different from what I observed with urban Chileans, who typically eat in their own homes or at restaurants, with food bought from stores.” Vickstrom embraced the differences of her Mapuche host family and lifestyle compared to her urban Chilean host family and daily life. There was daily work on the farms; potable water was delivered to the community every three weeks; and the people came together most nights to drink tea in the ruka.
Vickstrom connected with her host family in Chapod and valued learning their perspective on the Mapuche culture. She paid attention to their cooking techniques, played with the children and the farm animals, and used the chance to develop her Spanish language skills. She started to understand that for the Mapuche, it was important to uphold their historic heritage and preserve their cultural identity within a growing country. Chapod is different from Valparaiso, but Vickstrom found that Mapuche people in both regions have a strong sense of community. “My Valparaiso friend, Paulina, is of Mapuche decent,” explains Vickstrom, “She lives in the city, proud to be Chilean and of Mapuche decent.”
Vickstrom says that being in Chile for a semester, and living in the Mapuche community for two weeks, gave her a clearer insight on cultural identity. She would like to further develop her understanding by learning more about Mapuche culture in other regions of the country. Before Chile, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do upon graduating in spring 2015. “After living and learning with urban Chileans and the rural Mapuche people,” Vickstorm says, “I plan to someday return to South America and work in international affairs.”