Video

Hermanxs Pewen Artist Statement

Hermanes Pewen is a video-performance intervention carried out in Pewen Mapu (land of the Pewen), Wallmapu, now the South of Chile. The video begins with a prayer in Mapudungun, expressing our spiritual position and acknowledging the presence of other forces in the place. It also provides context about the dispossession that colonisation has represented, mentioning the intention behind the creation of this work, which is precisely to repair and symbolically reconnect the Pewen trees that were extracted and taken far from their territory. The action of collectively dragging a long white fabric, wrapping the trunks of the Pewen trees, and merging our bodies with their enormous figures seeks to symbolise the awareness of cohabitation, as well as the importance of preserving the connection with the territory that shapes our identity. The work is complemented by a voiceover that is a reflection from the perspective of the Pewen trees, emphasising their ancestral heritage.

Consuelo Sánchez and Shakin Huaiquil Cariqueo

Transcription

Hermanxs Pewen

Prayer / Guillatu

Mari mari Ngenechen
Hola fuerza que nos protege
Hello force that protects us

Mari mari kom pu ngen
Hola a todas las fuerzas
Hello to all forces,

Mari mari taiñ Kuifike pillan che,
Hola espíritus de nuestros ancestros
Hello spirits of our ancestors.

Mari mari ngen kuze, ngen kuchaw,
Hola fuerza madre, fuerza padre.
Hello mother force, father force.

Consuelo ka Shakin inchiw,
Somos Consuelo y Shakin
We are Consuelo and Shakin,

Fachantu mulepaiñ pewen lofple
Hoy estamos en territorio del pewen
Today we are in the territory of the pewen,

Fentren aliwen anumka mulelu peñenñewelay chem ad no rume
Entre sus altos troncos desaparece cualquier figura
Between its tall trunk, any figure disappears.

Yamuwun mew llellypuin tañi kiñewal chaf pu pewen reymawen,
Con respeto pedimos permiso para con nuestros cuerpos conectar a los hermanos pewen
With respect, we ask permission to connect with our bodies to the pewen siblings,

yeñelu ka lofple.
que fueron llevados a otros territorios
Who were taken to other territories.

Tamün folil doy warranka xipantu nielu petu negun
Tus raíces milenarias conservan
Your ancient roots preserve

Ka amulniegun feitichy newen mogen
y transmiten la fuerza de la vida
And trasmitt the force of life.

Fentren mañum tamun mulepamun,
Agradecemos que nos acompañen
We appreciate your presence,

kom kume xipape may
y que todo salga bien
and may everything go well.

Voice Over

Chumñelu femñechy uytumeken,
¿Por qué me llamas así?
Why do you call me like that?

Fey pi ñelay inche tañi uy
Ese no es mi nombre
That’s not my name.

About the artists

Consuelo Sánchez is a researcher and visual artist from South of Chile. Her work questions hegemonic ways of thinking, feeling, and expressing the world, through the understanding of the relationship between bodies, emotions, space and place.

Shakin Huaiquil Cariqueo is a Mapuche trans-female artist working in Chile. Shakin makes multidisciplinary artworks that make visible the importance between body and territory for the Mapuche people, as well as questioning the historical violence towards indigenous people, emphasising the role of non-Mapuche societies in conflict resolution.

Contributors

Robert Petipas is a Chilean researcher at UCL whose research focuses on the political ecology of Pewen conservation.

Térèsa Armijos Burneo is a lecturer in Natural Resources & International Development at the University of East Anglia. Her research explores the relationship between humans and the environment, from a citizenship, human rights and environmental justice perspective.