Health Care as a Territorial Matter: Plural Medical Practice Across the Borders of Settler States

Settler colonialism and state formation have altered Indigenous Peoples' approaches to health care, both by undermining Indigenous medical systems and introducing biomedicine as a site of state governance. For Mapuche Indigenous Peoples in southern Chile and Argentina, these plural medical practices converge in state-operated "intercultural" health programs. This article examines Mapuche-led efforts to create alternative ways of organizing and administering health care that address Mapuche Peoples' health needs and support their territorial demands. Approaching health care as a site of territorial struggle, this article underscores health and medicine as critical terrain in Indigenous movements for territorial control and political self-determination.