¿New? ¿Mapuche? ¿Object? Historical-anthropological notes on a contemporary design of indigenous materialities

Abstract

This article presents a historical, political, and cultural analysis of the processes that have shaped the conditions under which certain objects have been associated with the Mapuche world during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. A review of multiple bibliographic, audiovisual, and ethnographic archives allows us to develop a reading that emphasizes the material culture sphere. This enables us to outline a trajectory of accommodations and disputes around the definitions of "Mapuche object". The trajectory 's components originate from Mapuche and non-Mapuche agencies and their respective interdigitation. I state the persistence of certain colonial demands that operate in a particularly tenacious way within the material realm. This is particularly evident in the context of the concepts of "ancestrality" and "authenticity ". In order to facilitate the transition to the present century, it is possible to identify at least four distinct modes of production of Mapuche materialities that engage in a differential manner with the aforementioned concepts. This exercise is not primarily concerned with classification; rather, it serves as a catalyst for reflection on the diverse possibilities and consequences of design exercises pertaining to indigenous worlds, with a particular focus on the Mapuche. This study will evaluate specific epistemologies and methodologies currently employed by the design discipline, with illustrative examples drawn from plausible designs situated within the Mapuche world.