The Mapuche: The People of the Earth, Part 2 of 2

As we continue our exploration of the Mapuche people in Chile and Argentina. The Mapuche traditionally lived in houses called rukas. The rukas were made of local materials. Like most aspects of their culture, music, singing and dance reflect the Mapuchen world view that they exist to live in harmony with everything around them- the earth, plants, animals and neighbors near and far. Many of the dances imitate and honor the animals that inhabit their environment. Let’s look at one of the more uplifting traditional dances.