Resistance and the re-appropriation of the warrior trope in Mapuche cultural production

My thesis 'Resistance and the Re-appropriation of the Warrior Trope in Mapuche Cultural Production,' traces how the Mapuche warrior has entered western literary tradition through 16th century texts, and was appropriated by the Chilean state at key moments in the nation's history, and how this trope has subsequently been reclaimed by Mapuche poets. I examine the form of this re-appropriation moves from the 'spiritual' warrior of the past who comes to 'save' the Mapuche of the present, to the physical 'taking on' of the warrior role in art from anti-poetry to hip-hop, to the abandonment of what is perceived by many weichafe ('the person who does war') to be a romantic symbol best confined to the literary realm. Although these traditions have come about sequentially, they continue to be employed simultaneously as part of a heterogeneous and diverse social movement. Interaction with the warrior trope moves from the local to the global, and involves ecological, political and cultural resistance.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo