The Life Histories of Mapuche Women Elders as Protest

This article explores the relationship between the life history narratives of Mapuche women elders and the theme of protest, making three central points. First, these narratives can contribute to understanding Mapuche protest against ongoing colonialism. Second, highlighting these stories is itself a protest against the absence of women elders' voices in most narrations of the collective struggle, as well as in academic theorizing about indigenous movements and decoloniality. And third, in the narratives, the women express protest against the portrayal of indigenous women as mere victims, instead projecting themselves as survivors and creators, whose knowledge is essential to envisioning decolonized futures for all.