Futa Mawiza Biocultural Territory
Strengthening kvme felen in the Futa Mawiza Biocultural Territory of Chile
About
In Chile, the Futa Mawiza Initiative is strengthening the protection and governance of the Futa Mawiza Biocultural Territory through a self-determined process rooted in Mapuche cosmovision, knowledge, and traditional practices. This work supports the full exercise of collective rights and reinforces community-led stewardship of ancestral lands.
Led through a consortium, the initiative advances territorial planning efforts, strengthens sustainable community livelihoods, and fosters intergenerational knowledge exchange through the creation of a traditional knowledge school. It also promotes national and international advocacy to secure recognition and culturally appropriate support for Indigenous Conservation Territories.
While Futa Mawiza Chile and Futa Mawiza Argentina operate as distinct initiatives, they share a common objective: to strengthen and consolidate Mapuche governance across borders, recognizing and advancing it as one interconnected territory.
ICI is strengthening conservation management across 245,896 hectares in Chile, engaging 3,500 direct project stakeholders.
Led by
in collaboration with Koyagtun Koz Koz Panguipulli and Winkulmapu Mapuche Association of Kurarewe
Observatorio Ciudadano – Chile
Key ICI achievements in Futa Mawiza Chile
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![A woman with long dark hair, glasses, in a gray jacket, signing documents at an outdoor event, surrounded by people, trees, and clear blue sky in Chile.]()
Historic co-governance agreement signed advancing inclusive conservation and Indigenous co-stewardship.
This agreement formalizes shared management of 17,000 hectares of Villarrica National Park (Sector Puesco Lanin) - making it the first time Mapuche communities in Chile have gained official recognition in the governance of a state Protected Area (PA).
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Community livelihoods initiatives are being supported
through the recently established Kume Mongen Small Grants Program supporting community nurseries that contribute to local reforestation, community garden networks to strengthen food security, local fairs that promote commercialization and strengthen market access, among others
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1 Gender Based Violence (GBV) protocol
developed and adopted to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
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![Close-up of an official document with the title in Spanish and a small coat of arms or emblem at the top left corner. The document appears to be related to the municipality of Panguipulli.]()
8 ancestral territories mapped covering 134,973 hectares
generating key data to support community land use planning and advocacy and laying the foundation for advancing legal recognition and territorial restitution for Mapuche communities.
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![Group of four people sitting outdoors on grass, engaged in conversation, with a house, trees, and mountains in the background.]()
Kimeluwün School of Knowledge established
with programs that train Mapuche youth and community members in traditional cultural practices, environmental education and territorial protection.
Explore Related News from Futa Mawiza
The Region
Approximate area in hectares:
491,792
Indigenous Mapuche population:
21,952
The Futa Mawiza Biocultural Territory, spanning Argentina and Chile, includes glaciers, rivers, lakes, and the Andean Patagonian “cold forest” within the Valdiviana ecoregion—the only temperate rainforest in South America. Its isolation supports high endemism and relic Antarctic flora. Chile’s diverse geography, from desert to Patagonia, hosts 30 ecosystems, 76% covered by native vegetation. Much of the subproject area is a threatened biodiversity hotspot.
Before colonization and state formation, the Mapuche people built a sophisticated socio-political and territorial system guided by az mapun—norms promoting harmony among humans and nature. Despite centuries of domination and assimilation policies, Mapuche culture endures across Wallmapu (“land that surrounds us”), maintained through oral tradition and collective stewardship. Many protected areas were established without Mapuche consent, and the people now seek full or shared governance, grounded in their belief that all beings and spirits (newen) are interconnected within the territory.
About the Futa Mawiza Biocultural Territory
Percentage of the country’s land area under recognized IP or LC ownership:
3%
(Source: RRI: 2015. Who Owns the World’s Land?)
Number of Land Defenders Killed 2016-2018:
2
(Source: Global Witness)
Biodiversity Significance
Local Context
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Agriculture
Livestock
Agroforestry
Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs)
Tourism
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Agricultural expansion and commercialization
Climate change
Deforestation, overgrazing, and overexploitation of wildlife and other natural resources
National and Regional Policies and Plans linked to tenure security
Loss of Indigenous knowledge
Mining
Infrastructure development (e.g. roads, railways, pipelines, transmission lines, wind farms, geothermal projects, airports, dams)
Globalization, integration into market economy, influence of Western culture, lack of recognition of traditional systems
Tourism
Hydroelectric mega-dams
Illegal logging
Hydrocarbon activity
Large-scale land acquisitions, real estate development, urbanization
Invasive species
Human-wildlife conflict
Voices from Chile
Views from Chile
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Füta Mawiza Bulletin No. 1 (Chile)
Developed by the Füta Mawiza initiative in Chile, this bulletin introduces the initiative’s work, shares key priorities, and highlights outcomes from the First Congress of Indigenous Conservation Territories.
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Füta Mawiza Bulletin No. 2 (Chile, 2025)
This second bulletin from Füta Mawiza (Chile) shares progress across the initiative and includes a glossary of Mapuche and technical terms, supporting dialogue between Indigenous knowledge and conservation approaches.
