Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC): Museos Leandro Penchulef and MIRAS advised managers of the Melipeuco museum in La Araucanía

“It was very striking to see that such a large space is not needed to show the true meaning of our culture or an exhibition. We leave with many ideas and enthusiasm”. That was part of the evaluation of Walter Huenchumil, administrator of the Social Department and head of Culture of the Municipality of Melipeuco after visiting the Villarrica UC Campus and seeing the Mapudungun Room, the Leandro Penchulef Museum and the Regional Interactive Museum of Agroecology and Sustainability ( LOOK) .

The objective of the activity was to meet and learn from successful and innovative experiences of museums in the region, this because the Melipeuco delegation develops a community museum project in the communal Tourist Parador.

The management was carried out through the Regional Museum of La Araucanía as part of its actions to raise new cultural initiatives in the territory.

“The idea is that they get to know other experiences, which perhaps started as incipient as them, and they can see the diversity of museums that exist; because they are no longer places like before where one entered a silent place between four walls, now they have come out of the buildings and are also linked to the territory and nature, like the MIRAS Museum”, explained Patricia Muñoz, coordinator of the visit and Official of the Regional Museum of La Araucanía in the area of ​​collection conservation and documentation.

On the occasion, the director of the Leandro Penchulef Museum, Mariela Cariman; the academician María Lara and the researcher Viktor Naqill presented their vision and work objectives , the activities carried out at the UC, the key points about the Mapundungun Hall and the importance of safeguarding culture and language.

“It was a very interesting initiative to receive the lamngen from Melipeuco. There was a witran , a very enriching conversation where they told us about the process they have experienced, the discrimination in the place and the loss of identity and language. They are very keen to work around strengthening all the elements that allow culture to be positioned”, said Mariela Cariman.

“It was a very interesting initiative to receive the lamngen from Melipeuco. There was a witran , a very enriching conversation, where they told us about the process they have experienced, the discrimination in the place and the loss of identity and language” – Mariela Cariman, director of the Leandro Penchulef Museum

The delegation got to know the Regional Interactive Museum of Agroecology and Sustainability (MIRAS) as a pioneering initiative in the vision and teaching of the natural heritage of the commune, participating in a guided tour of the place together with its coordinator, Claudia Ríos.

“For us it is very important to be able to share the experience around sustainability and agroecology with people who are looking for museum ideas, especially because of the intercultural component that MIRAS Araucanía seeks to promote. We feel very honored to be able to receive intergenerational teams with so much knowledge of the local and Mapuche culture, as well as the power among all of us to revitalize the knowledge of different perspectives”, said the person in charge of the venue.

“I participated in the formation of the Melipeuco museum and now this opportunity has been given to get to know these museums in Villarrica that are different from ours, which is just beginning. I found it very nice and interesting to see these ancient and unknown objects for one . The talk about the medicinal garden (MIRAS Museum) seemed very good to me and that space should continue to be strengthened. Now we take with us that idea of ​​having a little place where there are medicinal plants because there are people who don’t know them and walk over them without knowing that they are remedies. We are happy for this trip and to be able to visit other museums”, commented Alicia Huenupi, a member of the delegation.

For her part, Erica Cariman commented that “The visit was a wonderful experience. I think they are doing a good job and putting a lot of effort into it. I was surprised by many cute things.”

“The talk about the medicinal garden (MIRAS Museum) seemed very good to me and that space should continue to be strengthened. Now we take with us that idea of ​​having a little place where there are medicinal plants because there are people who do not know them and walk over them without knowing that they are remedies “, Alicia Huenupi, member of the delegation.

Finally, Luis Artemio Huenupi, intercultural advisor of the Municipality of Melipeuco, expressed that “The conversation with the peñi and lamngen and the work they are doing was very interesting . The Leandro Penchulef Museum has many stories with a lot of representation and reality; it is being able to go back to the past and to who we were. On the nature side (MIRAS Museum) I have always liked it and I find it very interesting to bring us various ideas to work with children”.