Authors: Maria Elena García Autino
Date Submitted: March 31, 2014
Article Type: Discourse

For children of Ruca Choroi Neuquen, Argentina, kites are not something new.

Back in 2005, Gustavo Sonzogni, a great kiteflier, and I started a kite building and flying experience that continued over several years throughout the region. We made more than 500 kites with schools and kids belonging mostly to the Mapuche community.

At that time, kites didn’t have a name in the Mapuche language. Children decided to call them cahuel mancuy, meaning “unruly horse.” The name refers to the difficulties of flying kites in the Patagonian winds. Now, even the wind sound on the kite sail has its own tahil (a sound or song that belongs to each animal or tree, according to the Mapuche people), the Cahuel Mancuy Tahil.

Page Number: 7
PDF Link: Discourse Issue 16