Ignacio Domeyko's encounters during his travels in the Araucanian's Region: Nature and the Araucanians

Abstract

In this paper I describe the articulation of the complex space of Araucanian culture by focusing on some of the observation made by the Polish traveller and scientist, Ignacio Domeyko, starting with his visit to the Arauco region of Chile in the mid-19th century. Domeyko narratively constructs this space around two of his most relevant travel experiences: his encounter with the natural world and with the native dwellers of Arauco. I examine not only Domeyko's objective observations relating to nature (taxonomy of trees and plants, description of local flora in scientific terminology, references to various travel and scientific accounts) and his subjective observations (relating to the similarity he sees between Lithuanian-Polish nature —ever present in his mind— and that of the Araucanian nature present before his eyes), but also the peculiarly subjective character of the relationship that Domeyko establishes with the native dwellers. It is within the context of this "travel" among the Araucanians that Domeyko engages in a significant transvaluation of the other.