The Trapelacucha is a distinctive silver pendant made by the Mapuche people of Chile. This jewelry is hand-made from silver in patterns, which have been handed down through generations uncounted. They are beautiful pieces of art, made and sold mainly by the Mapuche people as tourist items in Chile and Argentina.

Who are the Mapuche People? The name Mapuche is derived from the Araucanian words for "Mapu", which means land, and "Che", which means people. In their own language the Mapuche were the people of the land. The Mapuche Nation is situated in the south of Chile and Argentina on both sides of the Andes mountains. It was the first indigenous nation in the Americas to be recognized in a treaty with a European power, the Treaty of Killín 1641. This treaty, with the Spanish, made the Mapuche a free people.

Within their territory the Mapuche divided their lands into different regions dependant on altitude and environment.

1.  The high Andes, was called the "land of the snows" or Pire Mapu, which in the Araucanian region was quite moderate. In between the high white peaks were fertile valleys of tundra, where various tribes would meet to gather on sacred occasions.

2. The next part of their world was the Inapira Mapu, or the "land before the snows". This was the realm of the giant Pewen tree, later to be named the Araucaria. A giant pine, the Araucaria sheds nuts that the Mapuche ground into a paste. This food often ensured their survival during the harsh winters at the altitude of this high forest. The Pehuenche people were the primary gatherers of these Piñon nuts, and this region was known to be their land.

3.  The next region was the Lelfun Mapu, or "land of valleys", where the mapuche settled into a more agricultural lifestyle. Here the earth was made of rich fluvial deposits that had been formed throughout Chile's volcanic past. It was for this reason that the majority of Mapuche were concentrated in this region in ancestral times. This land was centered between the Andes 'Mountains and those of the coastal plain. This valley continues well into the southern region of Chile, and proved to be the natural route of southern Mapuche expansion.

4. Separated by the coastal mountain range is the next region of the Mapuche world, the Lafken Mapu, or "the land of the sea." Here the soil had very little agricultural value, so the coastal Mapuche, the Lafkenche, persisted mainly on the ocean’s abundance. Fish were not only taken from the sea, but gatherers cultivated clams, shellfish, and urchins, as well as the occasional carcasses of sea mammals that may have been deposited on shore. The region provided enough food that it supported quite a large population in ancient times.

5.  The last region in the Mapuche world was the Puel Mapu, or the "western lands", which make up the regions of the Argentine pampas in modern times. This land was also sometimes called the "Waithif", and held a very important regard in the Mapuche spacial perception. Early in the Araucanian development trade and exchanges of ideas led to a rapid acculturation of the Mapuche into this area beyond the Andes. They had quite a peaceful relation with the other native peoples of this area, perhaps due to it having an abundance of resources with a very small population keeping competition minimal.

The native people of the Mapuche are wonderful silver smiths. The Trapelacucha is one of Chile’s most recognizable objects, known the world over. It is a long necklace worn by Mapuche women. It is a sort of long silver ornament made of two or three parallel chains of silver coins, ending with a floral cross with oval points. I have enclosed some pictures of the “Trapelacucha”. Be creative! Design and make your own distinctive Trapelacucha!

Birgit	Birgit	Boop

Cynthia	Cynthia	James

Jeri	Mary Lou	Mary Lou

Pat	Terry	Paula