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MAPUCHE INTERNATIONAL LINK
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Brave Nina Honoured on Wedding Day

Press Release, November 6th, 2011 

A human rights activist with cancer has received a special medal on the day of her wedding.

Nina Dean, Vice Secretary of Mapuche International Link, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last month after suffering from chest pains. Doctors now say her condition is not as serious as was first thought and Nina hopes to live much longer than originally expected.

The medal was awarded in recognition of Nina’s hard work promoting the rights of the Mapuche, the indigenous people of Chile and Argentina, who face discrimination, land eviction and the environmental degradation of their ancient land; in Chile almost any Mapuche dissent can be categorised as terrorism under draconian laws introduced by Pinochet, Lonkos (chiefs) who assert their rights are singled out, whole communities raided and homes destroyed. Nina has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of these issues, sitting at her computer until well into the night for no money, despite having spent all day in her paid job as a drug and alcohol worker.

Reynaldo Mariqueo, himself a Mapuche and General Secretary of Mapuche International Link, presented Nina with the gold and enamel medal, and she became quite emotional as it was handed to her. “This is a great honour and I will continue to fight for as long as I am able to,” she said.

Mr. Mariqueo also had this to say about the presentation: “I was proud to present Nina Dean with the Laure-Thérèse Order on behalf of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia. She has devoted a huge part of her life to the Mapuche cause over the last ten years, forging many links with Mapuche activists in Chile and Argentina. She has spoken several times at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, doing a tremendous job of raising public awareness. We hope that her health continues to improve and we wish her much happiness with her new husband.”

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The Order of the Queen Laure-Thérèse

The Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia was formally established by Mapuche chiefs in 1860, when they realised that their territory was about to be annexed by the then new republics Chile and Argentina. They were helped by the naturalized Mapuche/French lawyer Orélie-Antoine, who was elected King by over three thousand Lonkos in a grand assembly of Mapuche authorities, and the Kingdom survives to this day in exile in Paris.

On Saturday Nina, 41, went on to marry her partner Kenny Ahmed in a well attended pagan ceremony in the garden of her family home, that reflected her spirituality and beliefs.

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Correction: Nina did not receive a medal as such. In fact she was received into the Order of Queen Laure-Thérèse and given the title of Dame Nina Dean. To be received into the Order of Laure-Thérèse is the highest decoration that a woman can obtain within the Kingdom, and consequently it is much more auspicious than a medal.

 

 

 

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