Millaray Huichalaf Pradines

Machi Millaray Huichalaf Pradines is a spiritual and ancestral authority of the Mapuche people who has led the defense of the Pilmaiquén River in southern Chile for more than 13 years. Her leadership has come at great personal cost, including political persecution and the imprisonment of members of her family and community.

As a machi, she is a guardian of water and Mapuche ancestral medicine. In the Mapuche worldview, ancestral authorities such as the machi emerge when balance must be restored. Millaray works with a network of young people from multiple Mapuche communities to gather lawen (medicinal plants) and teach the preparation of ancestral remedies. As many people seek alternatives to hospitals and pharmaceuticals, this knowledge has become increasingly vital.

Guided by her ancestors and the spirits of nature, Millaray began to speak out against the construction of hydroelectric plants on the Pilmaiquén River, warning of their impact on biodiversity, Mapuche spiritual life, and cultural continuity. Her stance has made her the target of legal and media campaigns designed to discredit her leadership.

Today, she is consulted by intercultural health facilitators in Puyehue (Entre Lagos Region) and in Unión (Los Ríos Region), and serves as a traditional health facilitator at the Osorno and Valdivia base hospitals. Thanks to intercultural health policies, she supports births, and cares for babies, children, and pregnant women through ancestral practices.