By Jeannette LaFors
September 18th is the day Chileans celebrate their nation’s independence. This year over a million people were dealing first-hand with the aftermath of the September 16 8.6 earthquake and ensuing tsunami – dropping or adjusting any plans they had for celebrating independence.
Considerable motivation for Chilean independence from Spain came when Napoleon invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 1808 and set up his brother Joseph to rule there. Leaders in both Spain and the Spanish Americas formed juntas (local administrations) to stand in for the imprisoned Spanish monarchs. Amidst the chaos, colonists in Chile were divided – some wanted to return to an absolute monarchy, others wanted to remain loyal to Spain, and others still wished for independence. It turned out to be a long and bloody war, and civil strife ensued even after independence was won.
The national celebration is definitely a big deal. Everyone gets the two days off, and most schools close for an entire week during the “fiestas patria.” Lots of people travel to visit their families, and a religious liturgy of thanksgiving dating back to 1811 is led by the Archbishop of Santiago. The president and cabinet members attend this religious service, which became ecumenical in nature in 1971 at President Allende’s request.
Here are some of my observations:
Lots of Red, White, and Blue. I mean lots. Flags. Everywhere. I wondered why there were so many Chilean flags. Did people take their patriotism that seriously? Eventually I learned that public buildings and private residences since 1967 are required to display the flag on Sept 18 and 19 (as well as May 21) and that people responsible for displaying the flag risk a fine if they don’t. Before 2010, Chileans were not allowed to fly the flag on days other than the national holidays without permission. In honor of Chile’s bicentennial, President Piñeda enacted a law repealing the restriction and allowing anyone to fly the national flag throughout the year. The most impressive flag flies downtown near La Moneda (where the president’s offices are located) and is 27 meters long and 18 meters wide.
Consumerism. Chileans exploit their independence holidays to make some cash. Every store offers special deals and street vendors do their best to attract customers and make a sale. Kites for sale on the highway. Flags for sale on the sidewalk. Children’s traditional costumes in shop windows. Party decorations everywhere. And food . . .
BBQs are Supreme. Chile BBQs are all the rage, from intimate gatherings to giant “fondas” where thousands of people converge to eat, listen to music, and dance. I’ve never seen the variety nor quantity of meat in the U.S. like we have experienced here. You can get grass-fed Chilean beef, all kinds of beef from Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, . . . . and yes, FDA-approved beef from the U.S.A. I was astonished by the enormous quantity of meat I saw for sale in the grocery stores and consumed at the celebrations we were part of. To get warmed up for your protein-fest, you’re likely to be offered a “choripán” – a delicious chorizo sausage (chori) grilled to perfection and stuffed into fresh-baked roll (pan) or an “anticucho” (shish kabob). And you can’t turn down the empanadas – delicious meat-filled pies.
Spirited Celebrations. The first day of spring comes right on the heels of Independence Day, and snow is still covering the Andes. So the holiday is not a big lake, pool, or beach day. But typical Chilean “Dieciocho” festivities do include rodeo, emblematic of a country lifestyle in Chile’s central valley (akin to the American “cowboy” and other South American “guacho” cultures). And cueca.
At the kids’ school celebration, Adela wore a traditional huasa (aka country girl) folk dress and competed in a cueca dance contest. Cueca is Chile’s official national dance, and it’s a highly complex partner-dance that mimics the mating ritual of a rooster and a hen. I didn’t make that up.
Dylan’s soccer club hosted a giant “Dieciocho” celebration with enormous amounts of food and competitive games that included kite-flying, tug-of-war, and potato sack races. They skipped the cueca.
We were delighted to celebrate the long holiday weekend with close Chilean friends in the beautiful coastal mountain range near La Campana National Park. In addition to preparing and eating delectable back-to-back traditional Independence Day BBQ spreads (one Chilean-style and the other American-style), we spent a lot of time jumping on a trampoline, hiking, playing soccer, strategizing games of mega-size chess, and socializing with all those gathered.
And yet, amidst the hearty celebrations, ubiquitous red Chilean soccer jerseys, and military fanfare, I detected an undercurrent of rational reluctance to celebrate independence with unbridled expressions of patriotism.
Indigenous peoples in Chile continue to fight for land taken from them by conquistadors and colonists. The Mapuche, Chile’s largest group of indigenous people, are one example. The Mapuche proved to be a formidable foe to the conquistadors, and it wasn’t until the 1880s that Chile and Argentina banded together to seize and divide their Wallmapu territory. Today the Mapuche continue their tradition of fierce resistance. They plant their ancient crops on contested land, they sabotage timber corporations, block highways, and interrupt commerce. Many Mapuche activists have been arrested and charged with terrorism (in a way the UN has defined as discriminatory); and others have been killed by police.
And indelible memories of Pinochet’s human rights’ violating regime have not endeared people to trust or support national expressions of patriotism.
Thinking about Chilean independence and what it means for individuals, communities, and the nation caused me to reflect on my own ambivalence celebrating American Independence. Founders of the U.S. desecrated Native Americans, protected slavery, and excluded women and others from fully participating as citizens.
When Europeans arrived in the new world, they ushered in disease, warfare, slavery, genocide, and apartheid that decimated Native American populations. The Declaration of Independence describes Native American people as “merciless Indian Savages” and they continue today to experience discrimination in their daily lives. Native Americans are more likely to live in poverty, drop out of high school, be unemployed, and suffer from violence than most other racial/ethnic groups. And they are less likely to receive adequate access to education, healthcare, and other critical support services [See this article].
While we certainly have, as a nation, expanded opportunities for many to pursue “life, liberty, and happiness,” it is irrefutable that the lives, liberty, and happiness of far too many of our citizens are threatened and violated every day. Indeed, knowing this motivated me to become a history teacher – to help young people critically reflect on the events of our past so they might be motivated to act in ways what ensure a better present, as well as a better future.
“Me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.”
— Toni Morrison, Beloved