Casamiquela: Araucanians are Chilean and Cannot Claim Lands in Argentina

Rodolfo Casamiquela: The historian who assured that “The Mapuches do not have rights to Argentine lands”

10/22/2017
Informa de Patrulla

Rodolfo Casamiquela was a paleontologist, archaeologist, Doctor of Science, researcher, teacher, historian and writer. He left around twenty books and 400 research papers. He dedicated his life to the study of the origins of Patagonia. He was born in Ingeniero Jacobacci (province of Río Negro) in 1932  and died in Cipolletti in 2008. He was the author of numerous publications on the origins of human settlement in Patagonia and promoted the recognition of the Tehuelche ethnic group as a native people of the northern part of the Patagonia region.

The historian Rodolfo Casamiquela was harsh with the Mapuches, who "scratched" him several times. He says that "they have no real interest in safeguarding indigenous culture, but are rather 'piqueteros'." He spoke of fighting to rescue the language of the Tehuelche people from oblivion. And that worried him much more than the insults he receives when he wants to talk about the story. "If they define themselves as Mapuches, they are Chileans and if they are Chileans they have no right to the land of Argentina," said Casamiquela.

He graduated as a National Mining Expert, while continuing his training in Patagonian topics in the library of the Ethnographic Museum. A scholarship took him to Belgium and, upon his return, he decided to pursue a career in Paleontology at the University of La Plata. He worked for Conicet until the military coup of 1966. He decided to settle in Chile, where he graduated with a doctorate in Biology at the end of the 60s. He returned to Río Negro, where he created the Río Negro Scientific Research Center, based in Viedma.

In 1978, Casamiquela created the Ameghino Foundation in Viedma to promote regional research and the study of agriculture, geology, mining, fishing and biology. His research works include iconological and ethnological studies of Patagonia, rock art and Tehuelche grammar,

In 1965 he received the first National Prize for Anthropology and the third for Biology from the Undersecretary of Culture of the Nation. He served as a professor at different universities and academic institutions in Chile and Argentina. He was an emeritus professor at the National University of Southern Patagonia and nominated for an honorary doctorate.

“Casamiquela had different episodes where he was harshly criticized for investigations in which he maintained that the Tehuelches were the true original settlers of Chubut and northern Patagonia. His studies led him to affirm that the Mapuches crossed the border and invaded the Tehuelches in the 17th century, a people whom he considered practically extinct.

“This position earned him severe criticism from aboriginalists from Argentina and Chile, who on several occasions prevented the researcher from completing his dissertations in universities and institutions. The root of the discussion is that Casamiquela considered the Mapuches, Chileans, when it comes to “pre-existing” peoples that inhabited the mountain range before the political geographical delimitations that we currently know. However, it was a basis that served judicially to evict several indigenous communities. Beyond the controversies over this extreme position, his contributions to the knowledge of Patagonia acquire special relevance; which is expressed in a work of great extension and depth.”



His opinion expressed almost 10 years after his death

-What led you to study about this?

– My concern for indigenous things began when I was 14 years old. I went to study in Buenos Aires and one day, in the National Library, I started reading Mapuche, without knowing that in my town (Ingeniero Jacobacci) half of the kids my age spoke that language, because then they hid their origin. Not even the teachers knew. So, when I returned, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the laborers who baled the wool in a commercial house where my father worked were of indigenous origin. I had a fantastic summer with them, because I began to write down the first things about their language. At the age of 16, always accompanied by the indigenous people, he was already building the first museum referring to his history.

-What have you been able to learn about them?

– I have met hundreds of indigenous people and all the Tehuelche speakers in Patagonia. I studied and learned that first came the Paleolithic Tehuelche world, very ancient. The ancestors of their ancestors date back to 10,000 or 12,000 years ago and evolved in Patagonia. Long after the arrival of the Spanish, around 1600, the horse allowed the Tehuelches to dominate the entire Pampas and Neuquén area. At that same time Mapuchization began. There are differences between them.



The Patagonian giants are not a fantasy, but rather the Tehuelches, who reached almost two meters in height and weighed 150 kilos, with dark complexions and Asian eyes, who lived by hunting and dressed in skins. The Araucanos or Mapuches, however, are a race of medium height, cultivators of Andean culture, who had houses made of wood and straw and worked wonderfully with weaving and silversmithing; They had a superior cultural trajectory, which the Tehuelches imitated.

-What was happening with the language?

– With the arrival of religion and name days, a transformation takes place in it. Then, the Tehuelche men, especially the caciques, in northern Patagonia, began to be bilingual. But the women continued speaking Tehuelche, some families even switched from Tehuelche to Spanish, without going through Mapuche. There was a religious syncretism and the Tehuelche became Mapuchized. But the Mapuche as a people were on the other side of the Cordillera.

-Do the descendants preserve the indigenous language?

– Today there are living descendants of great Tehuelche chiefs. There are only a few families, the others are descendants of Mapuches. The Ñanco, for example, are descendants of Sacamata, one of the most serious chiefs of northern Patagonia, born between 1870 and 1880. One of my teachers was the one who saved the Tehuelche language, since he was the last one who spoke it. His name was José María Cual (which in Tehuelche means neck). He died in 1960, aged 90. When I met him, I was a boy and he was blind. For many years we dedicated ourselves to the Tehuelche language and for this I want to pay the greatest tribute to this people, descendants of the oldest inhabitants of all of America.

-How?

– One day I swore to pay tribute to this unique town, saving everything I could from its history. Unfortunately I'm alone in all this. Descendants do not study their ancestors, because that means reading white people and there is a kind of rejection, a denial that is like cheating in life's solitaire. You can't move forward. So I am a plum teacher, that is, a scientist, who tells the story as it is told by science, anthropology. I do not make demagogic concessions. Therefore, if I say that there were no Mapuche here in 1865 and that they only arrived in 1890, I am saying what history is, I am not inventing it. Only others don't say it or say it differently. So I'm the bad guy.

-Is that why they give you escraches?

– Yes. But these people are not indigenous in the cultural sense, they are in the piquetero sense. They are politicians.

-What are they questioning you about?

– There are no questions. That's a pretext. You have to think about what they are looking for. If they define themselves as Mapuches they are Chileans and if they are Chileans they have no right to the land of Argentina. This is the key. So, as I explain that they are Chileans, I am the enemy. Any Chilean knows that the Mapuches are Chileans. Leaders know it too. But not youth. 99 percent of those who define themselves as Mapuche are of Tehuelche origin. But there have been many confusions due to language or surname. This is how identity is lost.

-Why would they have the need to feel like Mapuches if they are not?

– Because the word Mapuche is very attractive. It means people of the earth. If it is used as a symbol it is correct. I am also people of the earth. In 1960, as a tribute, the First Congress of the Araucanian Area of ​​Argentina proposed that the Araucanians be called Mapuche as in Chile.

-What would be the answer if someone asked who the originators were?

– It would be necessary to see with respect to what. Upon the arrival of the Spanish it is one thing. The constitution of the Argentine State is another. Because in 1816 there were no Mapuches in Argentina. The first settled in the center of La Pampa in 1820 and in 1890, south of Limay Negro, the first settlers of Chilean origin were the Mapuches and the Chilotes. You have to distinguish this whole thing very subtly.

-Why do you mention the loss of identity?

– That is the most terrible thing. The grandchildren of my teachers, who knew what they were, today are all Mapuche. That is, the grandfather is pure Tehuelche, but the grandson is Mapuche. Then Patagonia lost its identity. This is a land of floods, because people arrive from other places every day. So, the teachers are not from here and it is very difficult to recreate that wonderful identity that - until 30 years ago - was the word, the open house, the hospitality, the security and the indigenous base, now faded by all this confusion that there is with the Mapuches. But until a few years ago the story was clear.

-What happens with the Tehuelche language?

– It is a dead language. He died in 1960. And there are no people interested in learning it. I did it because I was aware that my teacher, José María Cual, was one of the last to speak it. He communicated with me in Spanish and we could make translations from Mapuche to Tehuelche, review them for several years and pass them clean. He was aware that he was the only one left to speak that language. But he died before seeing the grammar. Today culture is lost. The descendants, for the most part, do not maintain the language. Even the names that are here, in the shops, are false. The vocabulary is wrong and that is my suffering. This worries me much more than the escraches. Indigenous people have to improve and professionalize themselves without losing their language of origin. In Argentina, the indigenous language has one generation left and no one cares about recovering it.

-What do you feel every time you say you are alone in this?

– You feel helplessness, because it is difficult to reach teaching and those who have political decision over it. When I go to teach at schools, the kids and teachers are amazed. At the end of the talks, the boys who have indigenous surnames who were shy come forward and feel good, because they are descendants of the great chiefs. The same thing happens when they know what the meanings of their names are in Mapuche, because the Tehuelches have no meanings. All of this can be done, but who bells the cat.

Source: El Chubut Newspaper – Azkintuwe Noticia

Roca and the "Day of the Race"

Columbus Day

By Rolando Hanglin | LA NACION





We Argentines have a defect that is, at the same time, our cardinal virtue. We are, in large part, grandchildren of gringos. Therefore, we ignore almost everything regarding the history of our country. We are part of the human tide that came down from the ships between 1880 and 1920, when the corpses of thousands of victims were not yet well covered by the pious earth. Indians and Christians, hostages and captives, chieftain (caciques) and soldiers (milicos), all of them who fell in the great Indian-Christian war, between 1820 and 1890.

 

Being, then, half gringos, we could know little about the raids, the forts, Roca and Villegas, Pincén and Calfucurá. To us, the Indians were guys with feathers that appeared in cowboy movies! Always losing the battle.

We are, in large part, grandchildren of gringos. Therefore, we ignore almost everything regarding the history of our country.

That is why we are surprised that, today, the supposed descendants of those Indians, today called "Mapuches", claim properties in places like Bariloche, Aluminé, La Angostura and even Toay, La Pampa.



Let's go in parts.

Actually, the term "Mapuche" was invented by the North American ethnologist Edmond E. Smith in 1850, and later spread in different countries of America. The meaning is clear: mapu: land; che: people. In the same way, myself, a fan of the Patagonian language (mapu-dungún) I have baptized my weekend country house "Epu-Trehua" (the two dogs) and a little chalet I have in Chapadmalal, "Antu-Catán " (house of the sun) without claiming any historical roots.

Reading the works of Lucio V. Mansilla, Estanislao Zeballos, Manuel Prado and other authors from the time of the forts, we never find the word "Mapuche". No such tribe or nation was ever spoken of. The literature of 1820-1880 does speak of the Pampas, the Serranos, the Araucanians or Chileans, the Vorogas, the Tehuelches, the Tubichaminís. But the word Mapuche never appears. History and anthropology agree that Argentine territory, from San Luis to the south, was occupied by the northern Tehuelches (pampas, aoniken), the southern Tehuelches (pampas, guenaken) and the Tehuelches who had crossed over to the island, known as onas. These countrymen were part of a community of hunter-gatherers. They did not farm the land or uphold the concept of private property or national boundaries. Just that of "living space", which moved settlements in those immense extensions, always looking for abundant hunting of guanacos, deer, piches, ostriches. They occupied, then, without occupying it, an immense country. It is believed that these Tehuelches (or their ancestors) stamped the rock walls of the Cueva de las Manos 8000 years ago. Casamiquela affirms that when Carmen de Patagones was founded, the Tehuelches began to traffic rhea feathers and guanaco skins. They did the same in Punta Arenas, in 1850, and in 1865 with the Welsh colony, in the Chubut valley. It was an activity of economic significance far superior to what it may seem today. All the testimonies agree that the Tehuelche people were peaceful and dispersed.



Hence, it's quite unusual to witness the emergence, even in 2012, of communes, movements, or unions identifying as "Mapuche" that assert claims over territories in Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén, and Santa Cruz. Where do these groups originate? Are they indigenous peoples of our nation, to whom the Republic owes redress for its past injustices in usurping their lands and undermining their means of sustenance?

The Mapuche is Chilean and entered the sphere of the Argentine pampas in 1820, expelled by the internal wars in Chile.

We are going to leave the answer to Mr. Rodolfo Casamiquela, ethnologist and anthropologist who died in 2008, but not without writing 24 books and 200 monographs on the subject. Casamiquela, born in Jacobacci, considered himself the last man capable of correctly pronouncing the northern Tehuelche language (that is, "pampa") and his verdict was overwhelming: "The Mapuches are Chileans."

Other concepts: "Today only the Mapuche is spoken of. The Tehuelches suppressed themselves or forgot their own history, despite the fact that today there are many descendants, such as the Chagallo, Yanquetruz, Sayhueque, Foyel, Catriel, Chiquichano, Chelqueta, Chingolé, Chalao, Chacamata, Cual. These families are the Tehuelches that remain, that is, the so-called pampas. They were a lineage of enormous potential power, which gradually became Araucanized or Mapuchized based on their language. The Mapuche is Chilean and enters the sphere of the Argentine pampas in 1820, expelled by the internal wars of Chile. Many Chilean Indian chiefs sided with the King of Spain and, in the context of a war to the death, crossed the mountain range to save their lives. Here they were received by some relatives and , little by little, authorized by Brigadier Juan Manuel de Rosas to settle in the provinces of the Río de la Plata.

One wonders if the Tehuelches, a native people of Pampa and Patagonia, were exterminated by the Chilean Araucanians, or by the Argentine military forces, or by someone.

Casamiquela: "The issue is the language. To negotiate with Spanish, the so-called parliaments were held, that is, oratory and diplomacy assemblies where each chief (ulmén) with his little capitains (capitanejos) or little chieftain (caciquillos), and the representatives of the White or huinca (derived from the Incas, who also tried to subdue the Araucanians with little luck) competed in speeches and rhetorical figures to "adjust peace". In this diplomatic field, the Mapuche language was far superior to Tehuelche. Precise, clear, beautiful, simple, rude, Mapudungun is a very valuable language. With it religion penetrates, then the Mapuche predominates over the Tehuelche".



Our conclusion is that the Chilean Mapuches did not annihilate the Argentine Tehuelches; instead, they formed separate federations where Mapuche military leadership consistently held sway. As corroborated by meticulous historical travelers like the Englishman Musters, the Tehuelches were often characterized as "nomads, wanderers, free spirits, and undisciplined."

Professor Casamiquela asserts, "The Mapuche presence in Argentina lacks deep historical roots. They have been here for around a century." In this respect, they are akin to the Italians, Irish, or Croats. Casamiquela further explains, "When Professor Erice, the author of the most comprehensive Mapuche dictionary, arrived in our country, he found no speakers of that language in Viedma. Here in Jacobacci, there were the Linares, descendants of a captive bearing that surname who married the daughter of a Tehuelche chieftain, based near the Juncal lagoon, but they were Tehuelches. Creoles with surnames like Entrage or Castelo also belong to the Tehuelche heritage. In summary, the claims that the Mapuches make today regarding land rights... they simply do not have a historical basis. This is history, not conjecture. Currently, political dynamics are in play. Consequently, Chilean Mapuches declare themselves as Argentines and begin asserting a long-standing presence in our country. Historians are not primarily concerned with this aspect. What a politician or lawyer may argue... that is another matter altogether."



The tall and pensive Tehuelches were subjected to colonization and undoubtedly deceived by both Argentine settlers and Chilean Araucanians. Historically, the name Patagonia conjures images of a land inhabited by men with exceptionally large feet and towering stature.

Casamiquela explains, "The Spaniards, who were of shorter stature, often looked down at the Tehuelches as they stood atop the dunes. In 1896, a Frenchman named Delavaux conducted an excavation along Route 40 in southern Chubut, unearthing a Tehuelche burial site and measuring the skeleton of the interred individual, which reached a height of 1.99 meters. Another excavation, this time in Península Valdez, confirmed individuals reaching a height of two meters. They are indeed the tallest ethnic group in the world."

While they were of considerable stature, the Tehuelches were also known for their vices, free-spirited customs, docility, and kindness. They formed amicable relations with the Welsh settlers in Chubut and, in general, did not cause trouble. They allowed themselves to be influenced first by the Chilean Araucanians and later by the Argentine Republic.

One of the last heroic figures of the Tehuelche or Pampa lineage was undoubtedly Chief Pincén, whose name was remembered as Vicente, Juan, or Francisco Pincén, depending on the region. The surname is correctly pronounced as Pisen, Piseñ, or Pincel, always emphasizing the accent on the "i."



There are four pictures of Pincén. In these images, we see him with his characteristic fluke, colt boots, a short spear, his testicles hanging around his neck, his bare torso, long hair held in place by a headband, and he appears strikingly similar to Alberto Olmedo! He could also bear a resemblance to Don Alberto Rodríguez Saá, though the latter, more robust in build, still possesses the stature and charisma of his Ranquelino forebears.

Some individuals reject Columbus Day because it seems to categorize humanity on the same plane as creatures like golden retrievers or Hereford cows. The truth is, all humans belong to the same species, but there exist significant ethnic variations; a Swede is not the same as a Senegalese.

The tall and introspective Tehuelches were subjected to colonization and, undoubtedly, taken advantage of by Argentine settlers and Chilean Araucanians, who primarily ventured into our pampas to steal cattle and capture fair-haired women. Along the way, unfortunate confrontations with Argentinians, including violent encounters, were inevitable. It was an unfortunate reality.

However, that's a different story. For now, we conclude this humble note with a traditional Patagonian greeting, one that is still used today when travelers cross paths: "Mari-mari." This phrase literally translates to "ten-ten." Wishing you good fortune, and sometimes, to convey a warmer farewell in passing, it is articulated more fully: "Mari-mari peñí." In other words, "Goodbye, brother."

NOTE: The sources for this article come from the website "Los Matuastos- Periodismo" (Sunday September, the 9th 2012) and "Pincén, vida y leyenda" wrote by Juan José Estévez, and published in 2011.

Conquest of the desert: The huge mistake of the General Roca cancellation

General Roca cancellation: A huge historical mistake

By Roberto Ferrero. 


An article for controversy. Roberto Ferrero, another historical exponent of the Socialism of the National Left, presents us in this article with the vision and political position that the SIN historically had before Roquism. Pure historical materialism to defend national unification and lay the institutional foundations for the configuration of the country as we know it today. The death of no one is justified, the causes of the need to unify Patagonia to the National State against the imperialist threat coming from Chile are exposed.

Let's place these matters on the agenda, engage in open discussions, and use the resulting conclusions as a foundation for the ongoing reconstruction of our esteemed Latin American Nation. Such is the essence of this message.

Marcos D. Vega - 

Author: Roberto A. Ferrero, Former President of the Junta Provincial de Historia of Córdoba 

To my considerable surprise, I recently learned about the endeavor to remove General Julio A. Roca's name from the boulevard bearing his name in our city. I believe this decision is a significant error, possibly driven by a well-intentioned and compassionate concern for the plight of our indigenous populations. However, I find that the primary arguments in favor of this change lack substantial support.

These arguments, championed by the Argentine-German author Osvaldo Bayer – who openly advocates for Patagonia's separation from the rest of our country to establish an independent nation – essentially rest on two points. Both of these points, however, are as ahistorical and contextually flawed as each other. The more assertive of the two seeks to label General Roca as a "genocidal figure." Nevertheless, I consider this claim to be both semantically and politically frivolous. What is genocide, after all? It is the intentional extermination of an ethnic or social group solely because of their identity, typically perpetrated against people who are defenseless. For instance, the Turks brutally killed one and a half million Armenians, but they didn't harm any of their own. That is a true instance of genocide. Similarly, the Nazis annihilated six million Jews without persecuting or killing a single German. This, too, constitutes genocide.

But the case of Roca and the Conquest of the Desert is totally different. It was not a genocide, but the culmination of a very long war, in which the indigenous had, between 1820 and 1882 -according to the detailed inventory of the indigenous historian Martínez Zarazola- 7,598 casualties, but at the same time caused the death of 3,200 Creole (fortineros or fort soldiers), small owners, travelers, landowners, women, authorities, children...) In the so-called "Great Invasion" of Calfucurá in the province of Buenos Aires at the end of 1875, only in Azul the malón (Indian raid) murdered 400 residents, captivated 500 and seized 300,000 animals that, as always, were sold in Chile with juicy profits. (By the way: the chieftain Casimiro Catriel lived in Azul, used a carriage and had an open account in the city's bank...) Was Azul's then a Creole genocide caused by the Indians? By no means: it was a stage of this protracted and cruel war. Those who fought against Roca were not unfortunate Indians like those who now suffer unjustly on the banks of the Pilcomayo or in the suburbs of Rosario to which they have emigrated, compatriots who must be helped and integrated into their diversity.

They were soldiers representing a quasi-indigenous state that competed with and challenged the national government while practicing slavery on both captive whites and Indians purchased in Chile. Reflecting on Mariano Bejarano's 1872 official visit, sent by the national government to Chief Sayhueque, leader of the "Country of Apples" (today Neuquén), the indigenous writer Curruhuinca-Roux remarked, "Bejarano's visit was an official encounter between government envoys of two separate entities. The raids were not merely defensive tactics against 'invading' whites but were actual expeditions aimed at capturing loot, akin to terrestrial Vikings – part pirates, part merchants. This plunder was later traded in Chile, whose authorities supported these raids to weaken the Argentine government and gain control of Patagonia. We must avoid simplifying history into a Manichaean and naive narrative. The true story is far more intricate than the childlike portrayal of heroes and villains, victims and oppressors. While there's much more to be said about this historically inaccurate first argument, it suffices for now.

The second argument posits that the original indigenous peoples were dispossessed of lands in the Pampean plain and vast Patagonian regions, but this assertion is far from accurate. Concerning the origin of the indigenous tribes inhabiting our pampas – mostly variants or offshoots of the Araucanian people – only an utter lack of knowledge about our country's history and that of Chile can account for such an error. In fact, these trans-Andean tribes cannot be considered "original" since they only began migrating from beyond the Andes into our country in the early 18th century.

In comparison, the natives of this land were more 'original' because the resilient pioneers of the frontier and Creole soldiers, officers, and leaders of the Conquest of the Desert – with the exception of individuals like Fotheringham (English) and Nicolas Levalle (Italian) – held no less valid claims to these lands than the Ranqueles, Pampas, or Manzaneros. Their ancestors inhabited these lands at the same or even earlier times. Regarding the designation of "landowners" asserted by indigenous tribes and their modern advocates, it must be acknowledged but with one important caveat: the incredibly fertile and expansive pampa belonged to all Argentines, whether Creole or indigenous, native or descendants of immigrants, those who already occupied it and those who awaited their turn in the ports to populate it.

Calfucurá, Namuncurá, Catriel, Baigorrita, Pincén, Mariano Rosas and other Indian leaders could not keep what was common heritage for themselves. Like the dog in the manger who, according to the popular Spanish saying, "does not eat or let eat", so those fearsome inhabitants of the Argentine plain did not make it produce nor let others do it. This refusal, placed like a wall against the impetuous growth of the productive forces, could not and did not last. The historical necessity that, as Hegel unfortunately says "always advances from its bad side", and that carried in its bosom the agricultural progress of the nation, had condemned it.

For the rest, Roca's defense in relation to the Conquest of the Desert cannot make us forget the other great contributions that he and the "Generation of 80" made to the construction of this Modern Argentina, today so devastated: the nationalization of Buenos Aires and its unique Port, the establishment of secular institutions, secular education, mass immigration and agrarian colonization.

These achievements make him more than worthy of national gratitude and, therefore, the nomination of a street, which is one of the ways in which towns usually remember their benefactors. The fact that this Generation has quickly turned into an Oligarchy and that the speculators and large merchants and landowners have later monopolized the areas recovered for work and production, is a different sub-stage of Argentine development, which cannot overshadow the management of those like Roca and his friends strove to finally give us a unified country.

If the enemies of genocide are looking for a culprit, it is better that they study the biographies of Miter and Sarmiento, who preached and carried out a true social catastrophe against the native Creole lineage. Why nobody refers to this genocide, which really was? Or did not the "civilizer" Sarmiento advise Miter "not to hesitate to shed the blood of gauchos, which is the only thing that is human about them"? I am not proposing that the name of Sarmiento street be changed to Coliqueo, but I do believe that, without removing General Roca from the boulevard that honors his name, the homage desired by the indigenistas could be paid on another street in the city.

In the end, both of them, whether we like it or not, are part of national history, if we want to understand it in its integral unity and not as a fight between good guys and bad guys, who knock each other out of their heads. pedestals like in the tournaments of the Middle Ages, dark ages by the way. This is not a time for denigration, but for integration, not for balkanization, but for Latin American unity. Anything that goes against this perspective can only play the game of the foreign enemy that stalks us and intends to take advantage of our confrontations and our artificial anger.

Roberto Ferrero 

Facebook

Conquest of the Desert: Battle of Paragüil

Battle of Paragüil

Monolith commemorating the Battle of Paragüil

On March 1, 1876, Colonel Salvador Maldonado faced and defeated 2,500 lancers in Horquetas del Sauce. Despite this setback, the indigenous people regrouped and launched further attacks on the towns. However, they were once again defeated by Colonel Victoriano Rodríguez and Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Dónovan at the Paso de los Chilenos. The fierce battle saw the savage warriors fighting fiercely on foot and horseback, as exemplified in the combat of La Tigra, where thousands of cattle, sheep, and mares were driven to the toldería. After two days of intense fighting, commanders Vintter and Freire managed to seize 250,000 head of livestock.

The decisive battle that marked the climax of this series of terrorizing raids was the Battle of Paragüil. From March 16 to 18, a brutal wave of 3,000 horsemen, led by caciques Manuel Namuncurá, Juan José Catriel, and Pincén, unleashed havoc in Juárez, Tres Arroyos, and Necochea. Colonel Levalle was entrusted with the grave responsibility of confronting them. The fiercest battle of the "big invasion" series unfolded near the Paragüil lagoon. The Indians fought with untamed fury, determined to win or die in combat. For five hours of bloody engagement, the numerical superiority of the aborigines seemed to prevail, and the resistance of Colonel Levalle's forces was on the verge of collapse, encircled by a narrow circle of spears and shouts. However, providentially, Colonel Salvador Maldonado, renowned as "the best spear in the army, a disciple of Sandes," intervened like a cyclone of gleaming steel. The sight of Maldonado overwhelmed the Indians with terror, causing them to flee, abandoning everything and never returning (1).

In a letter to the Minister of War and Navy, Colonel Alsina, Colonel Nicolás Levalle reported the victory at Laguna Paragüil on March 19, 1876. He informed the minister that he had completely defeated the Indians at that location. However, pursuit of the retreating Indians was limited as they dispersed in defeat, some heading south between Libertad and Lamadrid, while others moved southwest between Aldecoa and Defensa. Exhausted and with a horse that had covered more than 40 leagues, Levalle and his forces had to rest for the night, preventing them from engaging in further pursuit to protect their gear.

"Mr. Minister, I cannot calculate at this moment the immense herds that there were, having to remind you that the Indians had many flocks of sheep and many other objects. Mr. Minister, the Indians that were at this point would be 1,500, which makes me suppose that there are Indians inside, and I am afraid that many of them could collect the immense amount of property that was here that was withdrawn inland. Not being able to give V.E. exact data up to this moment, since such a dense fog has dawned and lasts until this moment, which is 10 in the morning, that it cannot be seen from a block away, however I have sent the three Cavalry Regiments to explore the field in different directions, looking for the rakes, which until now I have no part of, however, I harbor the hope that something else can be done, because groups of Indians have been sighted by some firefighters that I have just received.

"Mr. Minister, at the end of this, I must point out the brilliant behavior of the Regiments that have collided, which are the 1st and the 11th, not having had such a fate for the 5th Regiment for having started its charge supported by infantry, in view of which , the Indians withdrew at half rein, having followed the Regiment as far as they could, and completely closed the night, I ordered to ring a meeting in order to organize the forces and that groups of soldiers who had remained behind with the tired horses join us. ”.

"Mr. Minister and friend: I congratulate you with deep regret that this day has not been as complete as I wished, the Indians have left thirty-something dead, taking many wounded, for our part we have only two wounded from the 1st Cavalry Regiment and a soldier from my escort, a picket of 20 men from the 5th Battalion, which a part of it also charged. –Nicolas Levalle”

". Mr. Minister, among the Indians there were, for the most part, those of Catriel, those who fought bravely, firing at us with many carbines, Remingtons and revolvers, Juan José (Catriel) being found dead and the one supposedly wounded. Colonel Plácido López's horse was shot in the head by Remington. OK".

This combat had enormous consequences in the course of the campaign. The feeling of inferiority before the effective organization of the Christian (as the White man) took root with greater force in the conscience of the enemy. From then on things went from bad to worse for the ambitious and cunning chieftain of the last great Indian confederation to rule the plains. Hence, he began to retreat inland, forever leaving the initiative in the hands of the national troops.

The government men were aware of their unquestioned superiority, although they continued to negotiate as "power to power."

In most cases, however, the fruits of diplomacy were spoiled by subordinate executors. Dr. Alsina tried to exclude violence for reciprocal benefit, eliminating reasons for reprisals by the aborigines; but these occurred fatally. Sometimes it was because the offered grass or sugar did not arrive, or because the agreed cows were skinny and old, others because some Indian was mistreated, thus violating the solemn stipulation. As a result of all this, the indigenous people attributed a lack of seriousness to the government of the Huincas, which did not deserve their credit or confidence. This and the lack of resources often led them to join the raid.

Such a state of affairs made one fear the renewal of the secular struggle. Namuncurá tried to avoid open warfare, as long as it did not discredit him or undermine the confidence of the tribes in their political and military hierarchy.

Informed, already by the firemen who spied on the movements of the government troops, already by the reading of the Buenos Aires opposition press, which indiscreetly denounced the supposed errors of the ministerial plans, and still, in the last instance, by the direct impression of their skillful "foreign ministers" who interviewed the Argentine authorities to negotiate about any end of their relations; In short, aware of Dr. Alsina's designs, he arranged isolated and distant attacks to dismantle the enemy device. Knowing the effects of the Remington, he would scatter and move away immediately after the assault, dodging any sustained, formal clash when it didn't come under cover of shadows. Considering that the adversary's military plans could endanger him, he organized a series of raids with the idea of masking his true purpose, which was to carry out an attack on the city of Buenos Aires itself, for which he had summoned up to 6,000 spears. The dispersed actions brought him considerable booty.

Fifteen kilometers north of the Paragüil railway station is a monolith that recalls the place where the battle took place.

Reference

(1) E. Stieben – De Garay a Roca – Buenos Aires (1941).

Source

• Clifton Goldney, Adalberto A. – El cacique Namuncurá – Buenos Aires (1963).
• Efemérides – Patricios de Vuelta de Obligado
• Portal www.revisionistas.com.ar

Conquest of the Desert: The last raid on Bahia Blanca

The last raid on Bahía Blanca

In the early morning of May 19, 1859, Bahía Blanca was invaded by three thousand spears belonging to the cacique Calfucurá, in what meant the last great raid.

Oscar Fernando Larrosa


It is assumed that Calfucurá orchestrated this raid, called 'malón' in Spanish, a tactic employed by the Araucanian people in their incursion into colonizing populations. The motivation behind this action is believed to be the recent death of his son-in-law Yanquetruz, who was killed in a hardware and bar store in Bahía Blanca.



Argentine Protective Fortress

The notorious cacique, Yanquetruz, gained infamy for his atrocities, which included murder and the plundering of captives and cattle, later sold in Chile. To grasp the magnitude of these Pampas pirates' activities, consider that four years prior, during a raid in the Tandil area, they rustled 20,000 cows and took numerous captives, leaving behind a trail of death and devastation.

In approximately 1857, Yanquetruz made a peace treaty with the Army, vowing to cease raiding activities. However, his reputation for reckless, alcohol-fueled binges, inevitably resulting in violence and bloodshed, endured.

During one of these inebriated episodes, at Silva's hardware store, located near the Argentine Protective Fortress in Bahía Blanca, a fierce brawl erupted. Tragically, National Guard officer Jacinto Méndez fatally stabbed Yanquetruz.


The Return of the Malon: Angel Della Valle

Calfucurá's deep-seated hatred for Yanquetruz led to several confrontations and betrayals between the two, but it was Yanquetruz's demise that provided him with the perfect pretext to launch an assault and conquer the Bahía Blanca Fortress.

On the morning of May 19, 1859, Calfucurá, accompanied by his formidable captains Guayquil, Antelef, and a fierce contingent of 3,000 battle-hardened Indians, stealthily entered the Giménez marsh (now known as Mayo Park) and effectively encircled the Fort.

Although a vigilant neighbor, "Gallego" Mora, alerted the Fort of the impending attack, the Fort's leader opted to retreat inside the stronghold, taking only a portion of the population with him. Seizing the opportunity, a large group of the indigenous forces launched an aggressive assault, setting fire to Francisco Iturra's grocery store and plundering all the alcohol they could find. Their triumph seemed certain, and they indulged in drunken revelry to celebrate their anticipated victory.



Bahía Blanca around 1860

A swift and courageous defense led by Commander Juan Charlone of the Italian Legion and the National Guards, stationed in front of the Iturra grocery store, caught the Indians by surprise, ultimately disrupting the attack after several hours of intense combat.

The outcome was a staggering toll of approximately 200 fallen Indians, their bodies solemnly laid to rest on a pyre in the plaza by Colonel José Orquera, the head of the Fortress. For the remaining India troops (indiada), they withdrew several kilometers away and sought solace in indulging in a barbecue feast, utilizing some cows they had managed to conceal.

This marked the final raid on Bahía Blanca carried out by the so-called "original peoples," who were essentially bands of looters that traded stolen goods in Chile, pillaging from those who toiled to civilize the land.


Yanquetruz

Testimonies from individuals who experienced that dreadful night provide chilling accounts:

Bernardo Mordeglia, a resident, recalls,

"It was a calm and bitterly cold night, without a breath of wind, when the news arrived, brought to the town by soldiers and Mr. Mora, warning of an impending Malón Indian invasion. Unfortunately, little attention was paid to the warning... The town was abruptly awakened at 5 in the morning by the bloodcurdling cries of Calfucurá, rallying nearly three thousand Indians to attack the town."

He goes on to recount that the Indians ransacked the Iturra premises and indulged in drunkenness, a circumstance he believes ultimately saved the city. Despite putting up a heroic resistance, the attackers eventually decided to retreat. Mordeglia reflects,

"By 9 at night, the Indians were feasting on roasted meat and leather in Saladillo, meat they barbarically stole from Bahía Blanca. The town was engulfed in mourning, cries of despair, desolation, and terror."

Andrea Laborda de Mora, the wife of the person who raised the alarm about the raid, recollects,

"The fury of the battle reached its pinnacle at the corner of Zelarrayán and [what is today]19 de Mayo streets. Later, when the town had calmed down, Commander Orquera, responsible for the fort where we had sought refuge, ordered the collection of the indigenous bodies, which were piled up in today's Plaza Rivadavia. At noon, the bugle sounded, drawing the neighborhood to the barracks, where a solemn bonfire blazed, consuming the bodies of the fallen indigenous warriors, victims of a savage chief's wrath."

Patagonia: Araucanian tribes exterminated Aonikenk original nation

So-called Mapuches exterminated original Aonikenk in Patagonia

Actual Río Negro




"Roca did not lead a private campaign in 1879. He assumed the role of commander-in-chief of the National Army to carry out a mission entrusted to him by Avellaneda, the president of the Argentine Nation, who had been democratically elected by the people. This campaign aimed to integrate and effectively incorporate into the Argentine geography nearly half of the territories that historically belonged to Argentina but were under the control of the Araucanian raid, characterized by the theft of cattle, women, and the provocation of fires.

The Araucanians, now known as Mapuches, arrived in Argentina around 1830, long after the Argentine Nation had already gained its independence and sovereignty. Hence, they were considered invaders. The initial group of invaders, led by Yanquetruz, consisted of approximately 100 indigenous people who settled in Neuquén and later expanded to the south and north.

The true genocide occurred when the Araucanians annihilated the Guenaken, also known as Tehuelches, who were the authentic aborigines of Northern Patagonia.

As of now, as Argentines, they possess all the rights that other Argentines have, but they cannot manipulate history to lay claim to lands that never rightfully belonged to them.

1. In 1879, Cafulcurá's troops were formidable, evident from their initial victories against the National Army. 
2. Both sides were equipped with Remington rifles. The Araucanians obtained these rifles from Chile, where the English traded them in exchange for Argentine cattle stolen during raids. In response, General Villegas led a National Army column with the aim of closing and controlling the Andean passes through which the Remington rifles reached the Araucanians.
3. Traditionally, the Araucanian Indians were known for their warlike nature. In the early stages of Spanish conquest, they devastated several significant cities in Chile, and it took the Chileans centuries to reclaim these territories.
4. Around the year 1250, the Araucanians expanded northwards and destroyed the Tiahuanaco Empire, which was larger and more advanced than the subsequent Inca Empire that emerged around 1280.
5. The current use of the term "Mapuche" and the deceptive practices employed by some to distort history are aimed at disintegrating and weakening national identity, with ulterior motives that do not serve the greater good."

Araucanians and Tehuelches

The notion of Mapuches is a fabrication that originated from the British Foreign Office.

Neither Rosas nor Roca mentioned them during the Desert Campaign, and they are absent from historical accounts, including the famous expedition to the Ranqueles Indians. Moreover, the official history, as well as the history museums of provinces such as Neuquén, Santa Cruz, Chubut, Río Negro, Mendoza, and San Juan, make no reference to them.

When did these so-called Mapuches emerge? Their flag bears resemblance to the post-apartheid South African flag, as they previously associated themselves with Mandela, and now they attempt to claim a heritage that is not their own. The true native inhabitants of these lands are the Tehuelches and Araucanos.

Let it be clear that Roca's expedition was primarily aimed at defending Argentina's sovereignty over Patagonia against Chile, not solely directed at the indigenous people, as some claim. At that time, approximately 90% of Chile's population was of indigenous origin, which holds significant historical importance. In essence, our country was protecting Patagonia from Chilean caciques who sought to claim it as their own.

According to the Salvat Encyclopedia — Dictionary — Edited in Barcelona — 1972:

MAPUCHE: Adjective - Referring to something or someone from Arauco - A province in Chile.
Masculine - The language of the Araucanians.

TEHUELCHE: Adjective and noun - Describing individuals from an Amerindian hunting tribe that, along with other groups, formed part of the so-called "Culture of the Pampas" in Argentina and Uruguay. They were largely decimated by Spanish conquerors and the Araucanians, and only a few groups remain in Tierra del Fuego.

Today, all of us born on this native soil are Argentines, and there is no room for false claims of indigenous ancestry or non-existent original peoples. Prior to the 16th century, Hispanic blood had already been present throughout Argentine territory, and the Tehuelche ethnic groups inhabited Patagonia.

The invention of the "Mapuche" identity only emerged in the 19th century. I emphasize that today we are all Argentines, and no one has the right to lay claim to ethnic groups or peoples other than those that belong to Argentina. Any such attempt would be tantamount to supporting the efforts of English, American, and Israeli interests to dismantle and weaken our beloved homeland.

The propagation of the Mapuche ideology, driven by Marxists who have turned indigenism into a state matter, must be challenged at its core. Regrettably, not only venal politicians and journalists paid by the system contribute to disseminating this infamous falsehood, but some have also been misled, not always out of innocence.

Even bishops and priests, adhering to Third World positions, promote these untruths without question, perpetuating these fallacies.

They have gone to the unimaginable extent of misleading Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, asserting that the revered Saint Ceferino was Mapuche rather than Tehuelche. It is difficult to believe that the Patagonian bishops were unaware of the deceitful nature of this maneuver, considering their elevated positions within the hierarchy and presumably, their knowledge of the general history of their homeland.

Let us fully utilize the incredible medium of technology to rectify the misconceptions of many Argentines on critical matters like the one at hand."

Source: Courtesy - Eduardo A. Castro

Author: Fredy Carbano