Why do some ethnic minorities identify with the state while others reject national identification? Existing work often answers this question by looking at the variation in identities across different ethnic minorities. In my dissertation, I examine in-group variation among the Mapuche in Chile, the largest indigenous group in the country that constitutes over 8% of the population. I focus on why identities and behavior within the Mapuche community manifest so diversely, oscillating between national integration to ethnic distinctiveness.

The variation in behavior and identity of the Mapuche is evident: some Mapuche people participate in politics by voting or running for office, while others adopt aggressive strategies where they regularly employ violence against the state and private actors. My fieldwork suggests that behind the variation in behavior, there is also a variation in identity: while some interviewees identified as nationally Chilean and ethnically Mapuche, others outright rejected Chile, arguing that they were “Mapuche living under Chilean occupation.”

So, in my dissertation, I examine the variation in identity, and I link the variation in identity to the variation in political behavior. On the behavioral aspect of my project, I study why some Mapuche have used traditional politics such as voting and advocating for new policies, while others have sought violence against the state. I argue that the presence of extractive economic development can help explain variations in identity and behavior because while the presence of extraction can have positive effects on the country’s economy, its presence impairs indigenous people’s ability to engage in traditional practices and it serves as a reminder of the dispossession they faced at the hands of the state.

To test my theory, I use a multi-methods approach. I conduct a quantitative analysis utilizing a novel data set I acquired from the Chilean government on forestry subsidies, and existing data on Mapuche public opinion, violent events, and state provision of services. I supplement this with interviews in the field, and I employ a survey experiment to examine what triggers people to support (or use) violence against the state.

Maps were created by the author in 2022 using QGIS and data from CONADI and CONAF.