Butalmapu facts for kids

Butalmapu or Fütalmapu is a word from the Mapudungun language, meaning "great land". It was the name for large groups or confederations that the Mapuche people formed, especially when they needed to unite for war. These groups were based on the big geographical areas where Mapuche communities lived in Chile.

What Was a Butalmapu?

A Butalmapu was like a big alliance of different Mapuche groups. It helped them organize and work together when facing a common enemy. It wasn't a permanent government, but a way to bring many smaller groups together for a specific purpose, usually defense.

How Butalmapu Worked

Each Butalmapu was made up of several smaller alliances called aillarehues. An aillarehue was a group of family clans, known as lofs, from the same area.

When there was danger from outside, or when they planned a military campaign, the leaders (called lonkos) from all the lofs would choose a supreme military leader for the entire Butalmapu. This leader was known as a Toqui. The Toqui had the power to make important military decisions. They usually stayed in this role until the fighting ended or they died.

Spanish writers didn't describe these Butalmapu groups in detail until the 17th century. One of the first accounts was by Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán, who called them "utanmapu."

Butalmapu During the Spanish Conquest

At the start of the conquest of Chile by the Spanish, it's believed that different Butalmapu existed.

Northern Butalmapu

One Butalmapu was among the Picunche people. This group stretched from the Limari River south towards the Mataquito River. It was led by a famous Mapuche leader named Michimalonco.

Central Butalmapu

Another Butalmapu was found among the Moluche people. This one was located south of the Itata River and north of the Bio Bio River. It might have included groups like the Cauquenes, who sometimes fought alongside them against the Spanish in the 1500s. Before that, they even fought against the Inca in a battle known as the Battle of the Maule.

Moluche Butalmapu South of the Bio Bio River

By the 1600s, the Moluche people living south of the Bio Bio River had three main Butalmapu, each representing a different part of their territory:

• Lafkenmapu: This was the coastal region.
• Lelfünmapu: This covered the plains of the Intermediate Depression.
• Inapiremapu: This included the foothills of the Andes mountains.

There was also another Butalmapu called Piremapu in the Andes mountains, which was home to the Pehuenche people.

Southern Butalmapu

Further south, among the Huilliche and Cuncos people, there were two Butalmapu:

• Willimapu: Located between the Toltén River and the Bueno River.
• Chawra kawin: Located between the Bueno River and the Reloncaví Sound.

By 1805, these two southern Butalmapu had joined together to form just one, which was also called Huillimapu.

See also

In Spanish: Butalmapu para niños