Cuncos or Juncos is a poorly known subgroup of
Huilliche people
The Huilliche , Huiliche or Huilliche-Mapuche are the southern partiality of the Mapuche macroethnic group of Chile. Located in the Zona Sur, they inhabit both Futahuillimapu ("great land of the south") and, as the Cunco subgroup, the north hal ...
native to coastal areas of southern
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and the nearby inland. Mostly a historic term, Cuncos are chiefly known for their long-running conflict with the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
during the
colonial era of
Chilean history
The territory of Chile has been populated since at least 3000 BC. By the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors began to colonize the region of present-day Chile, and the territory was a colony between 1540 and 1818, when it gained independence from ...
.
Cuncos cultivated
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
,
potatoes
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern United ...
and
quinoa
Quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa''; , from Quechua ' or ') is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and ...
and raised
chilihueque
The chilihueque or hueque was a South American camelid variety or species that existed in central and south-central Chile in Pre-Hispanic and colonial times. There are two main hypotheses on their status among South American camelids: the firs ...
s.
[Urbina 2009, p. 44.] Their economy was complemented by travels during spring and summer to the coast where they gathered shellfish
Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...
and hunted sea lions
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
. They were said to live in large rukas.[Alcamán 1997, p. 32.]
Cuncos were organized in small local chiefdoms forming a complex system intermarried families or clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...
s with local allegiance.[Alcamán 1997, p. 47.]
Ethnicity and identity
The details of the identity of the Cuncos is not fully clear. José Bengoa
José Bengoa Cabello (19 January 1945) is a Chilean historian and anthropologist. He is known in Chile for his study of Mapuche history and society. After the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, José Bengoa was dismissed from his work at the University of ...
defines "Cunco" as a category of indigenous Mapuche-Huilliche people in southern Chile
Southern Chile is an informal geographic term for any place south of the capital city, Santiago, or south of Biobío River, the mouth of which is Concepción, about {{convert, 200, mi, km, sigfig=1, order=flip south of Santiago. Generally cities ...
used by the Spanish in colonial times
The ''Colonial Times'' was a newspaper in what is now the Australian state of Tasmania. It was established as the ''Colonial Times, and Tasmanian Advertiser'' in 1825 in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colon ...
.[Bengoa 2000, p. 122.] The Spanish referred to them as ''indios cuncos''.[ Eugenio Alcamán cautions that the term "Cunco" in Spanish documents may not correspond to an ethnic group since they were defined, like other denominations for indigenous groups, chiefly on the basis of the territory they inhabited.][Alcamán 1997, p. 29.]
Ximena Urbina stresses that the differences between the southern Mapuche groups are poorly known but that their customs and language appear to have been the same.[ The Cuncos, she claims, are ethnically and culturally significantly more distant from the ]Araucanian
The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sh ...
Mapuche than neighboring (non-Cunco) Huilliches.[ Ximena Urbina notes that the core group of the Cuncos distinguished themselves from the nearby Huilliches of the plains and the southern Cuncos of ]Maullín
Maullín is Chilean town and commune in Llanquihue Province which is part of Los Lagos Region. The commune is located in at the outflow of Maullín River.
History
In 1674, there was a group of soldiers Basques in the present position of the commu ...
and Chiloé Archipelago
The Chiloé Archipelago ( es, Archipiélago de Chiloé, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and t ...
by their staunch resistance to Spanish rule.[ That the Cuncos were a distinct group is also shown, according to Ximena Urbina, by the fact that the colonial Spanish also considered them the most ]barbarian
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
of the southern Mapuche groups[Urbina 2009, p. 44.] and that the Cuncos and (non-Cunco) Huilliche considered themselves different.[Urbina 2009, p. 34.]
Territory
250px, SRTM map of the topography of Chile between the 40th and 41st parallel south. The Cunco inhabited the western (left) territory shown in the map. But not necessarily the northwest (top left).
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
Andrés Febrés Andrés Febrés was 18th-century Spanish Jesuit active in Colonial Chile. He is best known for his book
In his writings he supported the incorporation of the lands of the independent Cunco and Huilliche, the Futahuillimapu, into the Spanish Emp ...
mentions the Cuncos as inhabiting the area between Valdivia
Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...
and Chiloé. Tapping on Febrés work Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro
Lorenzo may refer to:
People
* Lorenzo (name)
Places Peru
* San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo
United States
* Lorenzo, Illinois
* Lorenzo, Texas
* San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo
* Lorenzo State ...
writes that Cuncos inhabit the mainland north of Chiloé Archipelago
The Chiloé Archipelago ( es, Archipiélago de Chiloé, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and t ...
as far north as to limit with "Araucanian barbarians" (Mapuche from Araucanía).[
Hervás y Panduro list them as one of three "Chilean barbarians" groups inhabiting the territory between latitudes 36° S and 41° S, the other being the Araucanians and ]Huilliche
The Huilliche , Huiliche or Huilliche-Mapuche are the southern partiality of the Mapuche macroethnic group of Chile. Located in the Zona Sur, they inhabit both Futahuillimapu ("great land of the south") and, as the Cunco subgroup, the north hal ...
.[Hervás y Panduro 1800, p. 128.] The Cuncos lived in the Chilean Coast Range
The Chilean Coastal Range ( es, Cordillera de la Costa) is a mountain range that runs from north to south along the Pacific coast of South America parallel to the Andean Mountains, extending from Morro de Arica in the north to Taitao Peninsula, ...
and its foothills.[ Proper Huilliches lived east of them in the flatlands of the Central Valley.][ There are differing views on the southern extent of the Cunco lands, some accounts mention the ]Maullín River
Maullín River( es, Río Maullín) is a river of Chile located in the Los Lagos Region. The river originates as the outflow of Llanquihue Lake, and flows generally southwestward, over a number of small waterfalls, emptying into the Gulf of Coronad ...
as the limit while other say the Cuncos inhabited the land all the way to the middle of Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island ( es, Isla de Chiloé, , ) also known as Greater Island of Chiloé (''Isla Grande de Chiloé''), is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the west coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean. The island is located in southern ...
.[Alcamán 1997, p. 33.] A theory postulated by chronicler José Pérez García
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
holds the Cuncos settled in Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island ( es, Isla de Chiloé, , ) also known as Greater Island of Chiloé (''Isla Grande de Chiloé''), is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the west coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean. The island is located in southern ...
in Pre-Hispanic
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...
times as consequence of a push from more northern Huilliches who in turn were being displaced by Mapuche
The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...
s.[ The indigenous inhabitants of the northern half of Chiloé Island, of Mapuche culture, are variously referred as Cunco, Huilliche or Veliche.]
The lands of the Cunco were described in colonial sources as rainy and rich in swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s, rivers, streams with thick forests with stout and tall trees. Flat and cleared terrain was scarce and local roads very narrow and of poor quality.[
The Cuncos should not be confused with Cuncos from the locality of Cunco further north.][
]
Language
Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro
Lorenzo may refer to:
People
* Lorenzo (name)
Places Peru
* San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo
United States
* Lorenzo, Illinois
* Lorenzo, Texas
* San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo
* Lorenzo State ...
mention the language of cuncos as an accent or dialect similar to "Chiloense", the language of the indigenous people of Chiloé Archipelago
The Chiloé Archipelago ( es, Archipiélago de Chiloé, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and t ...
,[ asserting the languages of Huilliches, Cuncos, ]Pehuenches
Pehuenche (or ''Pewenche'', people of the "pehuen" or "pewen" in Mapudungun) are an indigenous people of South America. They live in the Andes, primarily in present-day south central Chile and adjacent Argentina. Their name derives from their de ...
and Araucanians (Mapuche) were mutually intelligible.[
]
Conflict with the Spanish
Ever since the Destruction of Osorno the Cuncos had bad relations with the Spanish settlements of Calbuco
Calbuco is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Calbuco. Administratively Calbuco belongs to the Llanquihue Province of Los Lagos Region. The origin of the city was the Spanish Fort Calbuco founded in 1603, an ...
and Carelmapu
Carelmapu (lit. from Mapudungun "Green Land") is a port and town ( es, pueblo) at the western end of Chacao Channel, southern Chile. Carelmapu was established by the Spanish in 1602 as San Antonio Ribera de Carelmapu following the Destruction of ...
formed by exiles from Osorno and loyalist Indians.[Alcamán 1997, p. 30.] Indeed, the area between Reloncaví Sound
Reloncaví Sound or ''Seno de Reloncaví'' is a body of water immediately south of Puerto Montt, a port city in the Los Lagos Region of Chile. It is the place where the Chilean Central Valley meets the Pacific Ocean.
The Calbuco Archipelago com ...
and Maipué River was depopulated as consequence of this conflict that did not only included warfare but slave raiding
Slave raiding is a military raid for the purpose of capturing people and bringing them from the raid area to serve as slaves. Once seen as a normal part of warfare, it is nowadays widely considered a crime. Slave raiding has occurred since an ...
too.[
On March 21, 1651, Spanish ship San José aimed to the newly re-established Spanish city of ]Valdivia
Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...
was pushed by storms into coasts inhabited by the Cuncos south of Valdivia.[Barros Arana 2000, p. 340.] There the ship ran aground and while most of the crew managed to survive the wreck nearby Cuncos killed them and took possession of the valuable cargo.[Barros Arana 2000, p. 341.] The Spanish made fruitless efforts to recover anything left in wreck.[Barros Arana 2000, p. 342.] Two punitive expeditions were assembled one started in Valdivia advancing south and the other in Carelmapu advancing north.[ The expedition from Valdivia turned into a failure as Mapuches who were expected to aid the Spanish as ]Indian auxiliaries
Indian auxiliaries were those indigenous peoples of the Americas who allied with Spain and fought alongside the conquistadors during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. These auxiliaries acted as guides, translators and porters, and in the ...
according to the Parliament of Boroa
The Parliament of Boroa ( es, Parlamento de Boroa) was a diplomatic meeting held on January 24, 1651, between various Mapuche groups and Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group in ...
did not support the Spanish expedition. While away from Valdivia hostile local Mapuches killed twelve Spanish. The expedition from Valdivia soon ran out of supplies and decided to return to Valdivia without having confronted the Cuncos.[ The expedition from Carelmapu was more successful reaching the site of abandoned city of Osorno. Here the Spanish were approached by Huilliches who gave them three ]cacique
A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...
s who were allegedly involving in the looting and murder of the wrecked Spanish.[ Governor of Chile Antonio de Acuña Cabrera planned a new Spanish punitive expedition against the Cuncos but was dissuaded by ]Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
s who warned him that any large military assault would endanger the accords of the Parliament of Boroa.[Barros Arana 2000, p. 343.]
The ''indios cuncos'' were the subject of Juan de Salazar
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
's failed slave raid
Slave raiding is a military raid for the purpose of capturing people and bringing them from the raid area to serve as slaves. Once seen as a normal part of warfare, it is nowadays widely considered a crime. Slave raiding has occurred since an ...
in 1654 that ended in a Spanish defeat at the Battle of Río Bueno
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
.[Barros Arana 2000, p. 346.][Barros Arana 2000, p. 347.] This battle served as catalyst for the devastating Mapuche uprising of 1655
The Mapuche uprising of 1655 ( es, alzamiento mapuche de 1655 or ) was a series of coordinated Mapuche attacks against Spanish settlements and forts in colonial Chile. It was the worst military crisis in Chile in decades, and contemporaries even ...
.
Albeit the Cuncos had occasional conflicts with the Spanish from Valdivia as in the 1650s[Barros Arana 2000, p. 359.] and 1750s, over-all relations towards the Spanish of Calbuco, Carelmapu and Chiloé were more hostile. Indeed, the Spanish in Valdivia were able to slowly advance their positions by trade and land purchases in the second half of the 18th century. Eventually Spanish domains reached all the way from Valdivia to Bueno River
Bueno River (Spanish: ''Río Bueno'') is a river in southern Chile. It originates in Ranco Lake and like most of Chile rivers it drains into the Pacific Ocean at the southern boundary of the Valdivian Coastal Reserve. Its lower flow forms the bo ...
.[ Amidst a period of renewed conflict in 1770 the Spanish destroyed a road the Cuncos had built from Punta Galera to ]Corral
A pen is an enclosure for holding livestock. It may also perhaps be used as a term for an enclosure for other animals such as pets that are unwanted inside the house. The term describes types of enclosures that may confine one or many animal ...
to attack the Spanish. Following a devastating raid of Tomás de Figueroa
Tomás de Figueroa y Caravaca (1747 – 1811) was a Spanish soldier. He was active in the military outpost of Valdivia and later in Santiago as a royalist during the early phase of the Chilean Independence War, Chilean struggle for independence ...
through Futahuillimapu
Futahuillimapu or Fütawillimapu is a traditional territory of the Huilliche people. Futahuillimapu spans the land between Bueno River and Reloncaví Sound. Futahuillimapu means "great land of the south."
Back in the 18th century when this territ ...
in 1792, Cunco apo ülmen Paylapan (''Paill’apangi'') sent messengers (''wesrkin'') to participate in negotiations with the Spanish at the Parliament of Las Canoas The Parliament of Las Canoas ( es, Parlamento de Las Canoas) was a diplomatic meeting between Mapuche-Huilliches and Spanish authorities in 1793 held at the confluence of Rahue River and Damas River near what is today the city of Osorno. The par ...
.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
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{{authority control
Society of Chile
Ethnic groups in Chile
Cunco
Indigenous peoples in Chile
Huilliche
Pre-Columbian cultures
History of Los Lagos Region
History of Los Ríos Region