20 CultureShock! Chile
Native Peoples
When Pedro de Valdivia first arrived in what is now known
as Chile, a number of native peoples inhabited this corner
of the world. Sadly, the Spanish conquest, which brought
war and slavery and introduced a number of fatal diseases,
combined with the subsequent policies of the newly
founded republic, caused many of the indigenous groups
to disappear forever.
The peoples of the north, such as the Aymara, Quechua,
Atacameños and Diaguitas and even those from the central
area, the Picunche (men of the north), had been brought
under the control of the Incan empire in the mid-15th
century. Because they were organised, it was easy for the
Spaniards to bring them under control.
The Mapuche (people of the land), who lived south of the Bío-
Bío River, were fierce warriors. Not only were they successful
in repelling the Incan warriors, but they also proved to be a
formidable enemy of the Spanish. In fact, their resistance
made Chile the most difficult country in the hemisphere