How a Volunteer Radio Station Revives Mapuche Culture in Chile

Werken Kurruf Radio has been a vital voice for the Mapuche Lafkenche community in Budi, Chile, since its launch in 2004. The station, run entirely by volunteers, broadcasts in both Mapuche Zdungu and Spanish to preserve and strengthen Indigenous culture. Its work comes against a backdrop of historical challenges, including the lasting effects of the 1883 Chilean state invasion and genocide on the Mapuche people.

The radio station first went on air on September 11, 2004, marking the beginning of the first Mapuche/Lafkenche broadcast on 98.3 FM. From the start, it has been a community-driven effort, self-financed by local Indigenous farmers who speak the Mapuche language. Volunteers like Julio Chehuin and Ivonne González lead the programming, supported by others such as Sergio Marinao, Andrés Caiguir, and Elías Paillan. Wise women, or kimhes, including Ruth Bizama, Jesica Neculman, and Genoveva Neculman, also play key roles in shaping the station's content.

In 2021, Werken Kurruf Radio received a grant from the Indigenous Community Media Fund. The funding aimed to improve its infrastructure and broadcast systems, helping the station reach more listeners. The need for such support is clear: only around 20 percent of young Mapuche people still speak Mapuche Zdungu, reflecting deep cultural losses over generations. Despite these challenges, there is a renewed interest among younger Mapuche in reclaiming their heritage. Many are now learning ancestral traditions, including sports like *el Palin*. The radio serves as a crucial platform for this revival, offering programming that connects elders and youth while reinforcing cultural identity.

Werken Kurruf Radio continues to operate as a self-sustained, volunteer-led initiative in the Araucanía region, known to the Mapuche as Wallmapu. Its broadcasts provide a space for cultural exchange, language preservation, and community resilience. The station remains a key tool in addressing the ongoing impacts of historical oppression on the Mapuche people.