Mapuche spirituality is closely linked to the land and nature. All life is thought to emanate from the earth. The word Mapuche can be split into two morphemes mapu: meaning 'land' and che: meaning people. Similarly the word mapudungun is constructed from mapu: 'land' again and dungun: meaning 'speech'. (native-languages.org) The spiritual lives of the Mapuche are guided by leaders called Machi who are the mediums for communtication with the celestial family. Mapudungun is an oral language passed from generation to generation. Acording to Mapuche ancestral beliefs the language was derived from "listening to the land and all earthly elements, sounds and movements, including the animals, birds, trees, wind, rain, and even the mountain springs". Like many native languages of the Americas Mapudungun is in danger of dying out. There are organizations dedicated to the creation of an alphabet in order to preserve the language. (mapuche-nation.org)
Today the language is spoken on a daily basis in Chile. There is a resurgence of youth learning the language. The Chilean government has begun to cooperate with the Mapuche Nation in regard to education and there are schools that incorporate Mapudungun into their curriculum. The language is being recorded in the arts, poets write in the language, and there is Mapudungun dialogue in the movies. (Internet Movie Database)
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