The Weda Kurruf or el “viento malo”

suicide among Pewuenche students in Chile

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of the historical trauma, globalisation, and hegemonic social forces on the deterioration of Pewuenches’ wellbeing in southern Chile. This situation is particularly conspicuous in younger groups, who have experienced a decline in their mental health evinced by the rise of cases of suicide in the last decade. This article will explain the extent to which historical violence, governmental intervention, and imposed educational policies embedded in global agendas are determinant conditions for this problem.