Although the Mapuche indigenous people represent the original caste of the Chilean people, they have historically been marginalized by the dominant Chilean society, to the point of being dispossessed of their lands, lifestyles, and medicinal customs inherited from their ancestors.

However, it should be emphasized that the Mapuche people have tried to obtain a space in Chilean society, initiating open conflicts with the governments of the time in different periods of time, in the search to demand their participation, protagonism, revitalization of lifestyles and medicinal customs inherited from their ancestors.

However, even though the conflicts that the Mapuche people have caused to demand respect for their culture are not without contradictions, it should be noted that since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, everything took a turn in favor of the Mapuche, since the world has focused its attention on the Mapuche medicinal culture, because the Mapuche Indians have historically used a plant species of medicinal interest that hides the fundamental ingredient for the vaccine against coronavirus.

It is the plant species Quillaja saponaria, a plant ancestrally used by the Mapuche people to cure all kinds of diseases associated with stomach disorders and respiratory ailments, and that today the scientific community has proven that it has essential phytometabolites (plant saponins) or biomolecules with the ability to enhance the immune responses of vaccines against Coronavirus.

[1] Blasco L Vacuna Novavax contra la covid-19: el árbol mapuche que alberga un ingrediente "clave" para combatir la pandemia. Article: Online access

[2] Millalen P., Millalen H., and Millalen A COVID-19 and Indigenous peoples in Chile: vulnerability to contagion and mortality. Article: Online access