Williche

The Williche, or Huilliche, are the southernmost mainland branch of the Mapuche, whose Mapudungun name means people of the south. Their country, Futahuillimapu, ran from below Valdivia to the mainland shores opposite Chiloé, while Cunco kin held the north of the island. They farmed potatoes, maize and beans, raised the camelid chilihueque and fished from three-plank dalca boats.

The Spaniards founded Valdivia, Osorno and Castro between 1552 and 1567, but the Curalaba disaster of 1598 drew the Williche into the Mapuche rising and every Spanish city in their territory except Castro was destroyed. The islanders rose with the Dutch corsair Baltazar de Cordes in 1600 and against the encomenderos in 1712; mainland Williche fought a battle on the Bueno River in 1759.

Tomás de Figueroa's expedition of 1792 broke their resistance, and the Parliament of Las Canoas of 1793 opened Futahuillimapu to Spanish haciendas and the refounding of Osorno.