This is especially importortant to Chileans because their are stilll many Mapuche living in a very traditional way and trying preserving their culture.
The celebration of We Tripantu in Valparaíso is very much done in a Valparaíso way. People here love parades so We Tripantu here takes the form of an all-day parade that snakes around the city. Groups of people prepare dances and battle cries for months and then parade around the city. In many ways, the event becomes somewhat of a party in Valparaíso, as pretty much every other event does. Many of the the people wear costumes or perform dances that don't really have anything in particular to do with the Mapuche. Rather, the parade we saw was a giant blend of many different cultures. But hey, isn't that what most of us are? We are all just a giant blend of different perspectives, histories, and cultures. We Tripantu for us was an opportunity to remember that and to learn about an new group of people, the Mapuche!
