The Mapuche flags serve as a distinctive emblem and symbol for both the Mapuche Nation and various Mapuche communities and organizations in Chile and Argentina.
There are several different flags, each unique, that represent the diverse Mapuche communities and their respective territories.
Flag of Mapuche Territories
Mapuche
In March 1991, Aukiñ Wallmapu Ngulam, the Mapuche organization in Chile, commonly known as the Council of All Lands, issued a call for the creation of the Mapuche nation’s flag.
Approximately 500 designs were submitted, and from these submissions, one design was chosen to represent the Mapuche nation.
This selected flag is known as Wenufoye, meaning “The Heaven’s Winter’s Bark” in Mapudungun.
The colours and patterns of the Mapuche flag symbolise:
Colours
- Yellow (chod or choz): This represents renewal and serves as a symbol of the sun.
- Blue (kallfü): Signifies life, order, wealth, and the universe. In Mapudungun, it also functions as an adjective that conveys notions of “sacred” or “spiritual.”
- White (lüq): Symbolises cleansing, healing, and longevity, representing wisdom and prosperity.
- Red (kelü): Represents strength and power, serving as a symbol of historical significance.
- Green (karü): Signifies the earth or nature, embodying wisdom, fertility, and the healing power of the land. It is also associated with the symbol of the machi, a Mapuche shaman.
Patterns & Equipment
- Cultrun (kultrung or kultrug), a “Mapuche drum,” serves as a percussion instrument with both ceremonial and social significance. Its flat surface intricately depicts the Earth’s landscape, featuring a circular design that represents the Mapuche cosmovision known as Meli Witran Mapu. Within this design, the four cardinal points, the sun, the moon, and the stars are depicted, symbolizing a profound understanding of the world.
- Gemil (ngümin), a stepped cross or star reminiscent of the Chakana or Inca Cross, exhibits a rhombus with an ornate twisting border. This symbol is a representation of the artistry inherent in handcrafting, embodying the realms of science and knowledge. It further serves as a symbolic representation of the Mapuche writing system.
The flag of Chilean Mapuches
The Mapuche flag is fundamentally composed of a horizontal tricolour featuring light blue, green, and red, accentuated by two additional black stripes above and below.
Each black stripe bears a series of “Andean crosses” or “Incaic crosses,” also known as chakanas.
At the centre, overlapping the three primary stripes rests a yellow disc adorned with symbols typically found on traditional Mapuche drums, known as kultrun.
These symbols are arranged in quarters, divided by four cardinal radial segments that fork at the tip, with each quarter featuring an astronomical symbol.
