In CIES Research Brief 7, PhD researcher Pedro Cayul along with Alejandro Corvalán, Dany Jaimovich, and Matteo Pazzona introduce the first micro-database on the the Mapuche self-determination conflict.
Self-determination (SD) disputes have become one of the more prevalent conflicts around the world. Indigenous movements represent about 40% of all SD movements. Most of them seek claim rights over ancient lands and legal recognition of traditional institutions.
To improve knowledge about indigenous SD conflicts, it is necessary to develop more detailed data on these disputes. Cayul's research introduces the first micro-database on an SD conflict: the Mapuche - Chilean State conflict events database (MACEDA).
The Mapuche are an indigenous group in Chile that account for 10% of the country's population. They are considered one of the most disadvantaged groups in the country with inferior social and economic conditions. Since their incorporation under the Chilean sovereignty at the end of the 19th century, the Mapuche have systematically been claiming political and social recognition along with access to previous land.
MACEDA is a media-based event data set that codes 2,619 conflict events between the indigenous Mapuche group and the Chilean state in the period 1990-2016. Events are coded according to event type (attacks / protests / state coercion / land invasion), actors, and consequences.
Micro-data collected by the MACEDA project could be used by further research to develop generalizable theories about SD conflicts.
