For them, it’s important because it’s one of the many ways to value the ancestral culture, share, renew energy, learn, reflect and pose new challenges. Similarly, as shown in the picture on the right, Chileans regard September 11 as important, similar to us in the U.S. That was the date that Augusto Pinochet established a dictatorship in Chile, eliminating democracy in the country for nearly 20 years. Now, people honor September 11th in Chile to reflect, similar to the Mapuche people celebrating We tripantu.
We Tripantu is an important day for the Mapuche people. During days before the holiday, nature begins to change. Rain begins to fall, giving plants water to grow and rivers to flow more freely. Birds wake and chirp earlier in the morning and furry animals get furrier in anticipation for the colder weather. According to the Mapuche, when the Rimu (fall) ends and the Puken (winter) arrives, nature renews its forces with the new sunrise that night, which is the longest night of the year and the day lengthens a crow's foot. For them, it’s the knowledge that is transmitted from generation to generation. This primarily because its the instance in which energies and desires are renewed to start a new cycle marked by the stages of the moon and nature, and the Mapuche community feels deeply connected to it.
