Huilliche people

The Huilliche (Huillice) is an ethnic group of Chile, belonging to the Mapuche culture. They live in mountain valleys in an area south of Toltén River and on Chiloé Archipelago. The Huilliche spoke the Huillice language or Huilliche dialect of Mapudungun in historic times (i.e., after the arrival of the Spanish), but some people nowadays believe they might have spoken a (possibly) unrelated language before their Mapuche acculturation. Their name means 'southerners' (Mapudungun willi 'south' and che 'people'.)

According to the place where they live, some may prefer the names:

• The huilliches of the Valdivia Province: Lafkenche
• The huilliches of the Osorno Province: the original name Huilliche
• The huilliches of the Chiloé Province: Veliche

References

• Alberto Trivero (1999); Trentrenfilú, Proyecto de Documentación Ñuke Mapu. (Spanish)