Who Am I? Navigating
Identity Through the Mapuche Struggle
PGS: People of the Land– Indigeneity and Politics in Argentina and Chile
Hillary, one of the Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Spring 2025 PGS. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.
Dinner before leaving for Argentina! As I am in the airport writing this, the idea of traveling to Argentina feels unreal. Growing up, traveling internationally wasn’t an option for me. Living in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican neighborhood, as the daughter of Ecuadorian parents, my identity has always been a puzzle to me. I wasn’t Dominican enough for my peers, I wasn’t Ecuadorian enough for my parents, and I was certainly not American enough for society. What was I then? For years, I have always been interested in how identity is defined. I wanted to know more about diversity beyond my neighborhood, beyond New York, and beyond the U.S. borders. Luckily for me, Penn Global Seminars has allowed me to do just that! Through People of the Land: Indigenous Politics in Argentina and Chile, I have been able to explore the diversity of the Mapuche people. With each and every class session, Professor Tulia gave us a taste of Argentina (literally)! From tasting palmeras to triangulos dulces while simultaneously watching a film produced by Indigenous members Luciana Quispe and Kuntur Vargas, we heard and witnessed the cries of Indigenous communities and their reclamation for their land.
Before taking this course, I had a preconceived notion of Argentina as a modern country– one with European influences, cosmopolitan cities, and a thriving economy. However, as I delved deeper into the readings and class discussions, I realized that modernity in Argentina doesn’t necessarily translate to inclusivity or progress in terms of Indigenous identity and rights. While Buenos Aires may appear progressive and developed, the systematic marginalization of Indigenous peoples, particularly the Mapuche, reveals a different reality.
Upon researching the community of Kaxipayiñ, I learned that Yacimiento Petrolíferos Fiscales, Argentina’s main oil and gas property, planned to build a gas pipeline traversing their land. However, the government failed to uphold legal obligations regarding environmental remediation and health monitoring. What the government doesn’t realize is that this plan is more than just taking land. It’s about taking away their history, their culture, their most authentic selves. Through this class, I have been able to discover that identity is not limited to a single aspect. It’s shaped by history, culture, and resistance. The Mapuche’s struggle for self-determination and land reclamation reflects a broader theme that transcends Argentina and resonates with Indigenous movements worldwide. Their relationship to land challenges the Western idea of ownership and highlights how colonial systems continue to define land as a commodity rather than a living entity intertwined with identity.
One of the reasons I love Penn Global Seminars is because it isn’t just a chance to learn within the classroom. It’s an opportunity to truly be immersed in these issues. During spring break, I get to travel with my classmates to Neuquén and visit these Indigenous communities in person! One of the things that I’m most excited about is being able to interview members of the community, particularly about their sense of identity. My own identity conflict growing up has made me especially interested in exploring how they define their identity, how they came to that realization, and what challenges they face in reconnecting with it. I want to understand what aspects of their identity they value the most and how they navigate the complexities of cultural preservation in a country that often marginalizes them. Through these conversations, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of identity as both a personal and collective experience, shaped by history, land, and resistance.
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