Elders from Chile
Francisca del Carmen Calfin Alcapan
A native of the Francisca Nienlaf Viuda de Calfin Community, in the Municipality of Toltén, La Araucanía Region, she works in various public and private institutions providing patient care, in addition to teaching the Mapuche language and culture in kindergartens and schools.
She is the President of the Center for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Chile and is invited to various national and international events as a rapporteur on the situation of indigenous peoples in Chile, focusing on the care of traditional medicine and knowledge.
She has participated in United Nations system conferences aimed at generating diagnoses and proposing specific solutions in favor of indigenous peoples and nations worldwide. Her testimony and participation have allowed global leaders and authorities to show solidarity with the petitions and needs of indigenous peoples and to understand that these peoples and their territories have both legal and spiritual foundations, thereby facilitating urgent solutions and responses to pressing needs in diverse territories. Her participation and narrative succeed in generating the necessary solidarity to open hearts and wills for understanding among peoples.
Her role is fundamental for the continuity of the tradition surrounding medicine and the ancestral relationship of medicine women with biodiverse spaces, constituting a heritage of knowledge of the language and spiritual traditions at the gateway to Patagonia, in southern Chile.
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Carola Esparza
Carola born in Chile at the feet of the Andes. She walk the red road, the road back to my Ancestral Mapuche (People of the Earth) Heritage. Now I'm learning to live back in harmony with nature, listening to the Mountains, to the Waters, to the Winds and to the Fire, and to walk on earth the way my Ancestors did. Also I'm learning to live in Heaven on Earth.
As part of my road, I went up the mountain for Vision Quest, I studied different disciplines, became a Reiki master, from the Usui Lineage, Kaballah, Metaphysics, Tarot, Massotherapy, with the Red Road I did Sun Dances, become a Fire Keeper for woman's Sweatlodge, learned from different Medicine Women.
For over 15 years, I have been following in the footsteps of Doña Rosa Huenufil, a Mapuche Grandmother and Keeper of the Mapudungun, the language of the Earth, from whom I'm learning the Sacred art of the Prayer Woman or Llellipufe. I have travelled to different parts of Mother Earth, participating in Shamanic gatherings, journeys to sacred places such as Machu Picchu, Okinawa and others.
“Carola Esparza is a true peacemaker, a strong communicator from the heart, supporting people to move communication from the head to the heart, so that they can understand each other better to bring peace to each other's heart”. Marijke Kodden.
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Lafkenche Calfin
Chilean Mapuche indigenous leader and activist, originally from the Lafkenche territory in the south of La Araucanía, on the coast at the gateway to Patagonia. He comes from a people intimately connected to the sea, having been a shoreline gatherer, fisherman, and land worker since childhood, as well as a caretaker of animals alongside his mother and grandmothers, who for generations have dedicated themselves to traditional medicine and ancestral ceremonies.
He is an expert in international cooperation and development, with a distinguished career in the world of philanthropy in pursuit of economic, social, and cultural rights. He has been a speaker at local, regional, and global conferences on human rights, gender, and diversity. He has led community strengthening projects for indigenous communities in Latin America and the Caribbean through his work in various organizations and foundations, and is particularly recognized for coordinating the participation of indigenous leaders in United Nations conferences, especially at the New York and Geneva headquarters, supporting the preparation of reports and complaints, as well as coordinating technical teams.
He has also contributed to the creation of multiple audiovisual productions, such as the documentary "Lafkenche" and the photographic and audiovisual exhibit "Voices of Corn," which was displayed for a month in the main entrance of the United Nations building in New York and included photographs of his authorship. This exhibit has traveled to several countries across the American continent. His experience in intercultural politics has led him to contribute in countries such as the Philippines in Asia, Namibia in Africa, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
He has also served as a representative on several occasions before the legislative and executive powers in Chile to present the needs and demands of indigenous peoples. His contributions in masterclasses, seminars, and conferences, especially in the academic field, where he continually contributes to the education and capacity building of students, indigenous leaders, and public system officials, have earned him wide recognition among his peers.