For the Mapuche belief, being sick or being healthy are part of the general concept of health. These components are always in balance according to how they behave with the environment, and are seen in the daily chores of the community, whether in the social, political and also cosmogonic aspect or related to beliefs. Illnesses are, therefore, a manifestation of an imbalance in some area of life either of the individual or the community, and that must be restored with the help of a healer and guide.
The machi is a crucial character, since apart from having a spiritual wisdom to recognize the cause of the disease, she also has the knowledge of plants and herbs and the different healing properties they have. This connection with the earth, and taking advantage of the fact that Chile has an enormous variety of endemic species with positive qualities for the body, has allowed not only the rise of this medicine in Chile and the world, but also the successful creation of the first chain of Mapuche pharmacies: Makelawenwhich every day has a greater recognition and acceptance among different audiences.
In this way, it is not only possible to find medicines based on Mapuche herbal medicine, but also the market has opened up to the creation of cosmetics, creams and oils that use plants originally used by the Mapuche, such as the quillay or the canelo.
The following are some of the plants or herbs that have been used daily by this native culture since ancient times.
The cinnamon tree, apart from being considered the sacred tree and the union between the earthly world and what comes after death, is also one of the most used plants in herbal medicine. Its bark is used both for stomach pains or for other conditions related to the skin, such as dermatitis or infections.
A commonly used herb in Chile is the maticowhich has been ancestrally used by the Mapuches under the name of palguñi, as an antiseptic for wounds and as an infusion to alleviate stomach pains; as well as the plantain or pilunhueque in mapudungún.
Other widely used plants are chamomile, to relieve inflammations and its digestive power; pehuén pehuén for pains of the sciatic nerve or the lengato reduce fever, among many other herbs.
Other related news
