Translation and hegemony: The hispanic-mapuche parleys in the Araucanian Border

Abstract

Within the framework of our studies on cultural-linguistic mediation and its impact on colonial Hispanic-Mapuche relationships in the Araucanian border, we propose to reflect on how the practice of parleys could have contributed to foster new subjectivities and social relations. Facing such a formalized and long-lasting diplomatic practice from the perspective of the dynamics of recognition, we ask ourselves whether the translation and interpretation that necessarily took place at these parleys brought about subjects who were active counterparts able to influence the outcomes, and not just subjects of integration and assimilation. We posit that it is possible to think about cultural-linguistic mediation as a counterweight to hegemony.