230px, Illustration of the parliament in Alonso de Ovalle's book ''Histórica Relación del Reyno de Chile''. The Parliament of Quillín (Killen) was a diplomatic meeting held in 1641 between various

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 ...

groups and

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, Cana ...

authorities held in the fields of Quillín. With the ensuing treaty the Spanish sought an end to the hostilities of the

Arauco War The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people, mostly fought in the Araucanía. The conflict began at first as a reaction to the Spanish conquerors attempting to establish cities and force Mapuche ...

in order to concentrate the empire's resources in fighting the Catalans in Europe. This way the Mapuche obtained a peace treaty and a recognition on behalf of the crown in a case unique for any indigenous group in the Americas. Another contributing factor for parties to wanting to end warfare may have been the 1640 eruption of

Llaima The Llaima Volcano is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Chile. It is situated 82 km East of Temuco and 663 km South of Santiago, within the borders of Conguillío National Park. Geography The top of Llaima consists of tw ...

volcano in the middle of the conflict zone. Possibly Mapuches interpreted the eruption as a signal sent from the

pillan The Pillan (of Mapudungun origin; singular ''pillán'' and plural ''pillanes'' in Spanish) is a powerful and respected male spirit in Mapuche mythology. According to legend, the Pillan are good spirits, but they can also cause disasters, since th ...

es. The parliament served as starting point for the return of many Spanish women held captive by the Mapuche –often in conditions of slavery. However not all Spanish women wanted to go back to life among the Spanish.

References

{{Mapuche Quillin 1641 1641 in the Captaincy General of Chile 1641 treaties History of Biobío Region