This is an incredible story of the courage and resistance of Chilean women during Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973–1990). In an atmosphere of fear and censorship, sisters, wives and mothers of people who disappeared without a trace at the hand of the dictatorship began a painful search for their loved ones. These women began to challenge the silence and terror imposed by Pinochet, his military, and his secret police in their plea for truth and justice. Turning to the folk art of embroidery, they also found their voice: through bright-colored tapestries, called arpilleras in Spanish, they told the stories of the disappeared and other victims of the military dictatorship. With the helping hand of the Catholic Church, these tapestries were smuggled outside Chile and carried the plight of the missing around the world as a protest against the regime. An extraordinary amount of personal determination propelled these women, the arpilleristas, into a leading role in the nonviolent movement to restore democracy to Chile.
This guide begins with a reflection on the arpilleristas and the women’s protest movement in Chile by award-winning scholar, poet, and activist Marjorie Agosín. The introduction is followed by several readings, comprising a historical narrative that describes the movement, and a series of primary source documents, including poetry, diplomatic correspondence, and, of course, photographs of the arpilleras themselves. Each section of the guide is sharpened by “Connections” questions that are designed to stimulate students’ reflections and to offer additional resources.
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