ABSTRACT
In response to Chile’s multicultural policies and from a position of power that is greater than it was in previous years, since the nineties Indigenous peoples in Chile have made demands about their patrimony, and began campaigns for recognition of, and power over, their cultural rights and resources in their territories. Supported by the new policies of difference and new Indigenous legislation, ethnic groups claimed their rights and demanded participation in the production and control of archaeological heritage. One of the characteristics of multicultural patrimonialisation in Chile has been requests for repatriation and/or reburial of Indigenous human remains and archaeological objects. A historical review of Indigenous and patrimonial legislation shows that there is a long way to go in this country because existing laws are vague, incomplete, and confused. Currently, there is an absence of repatriation and reburial laws in a context of disputes between the state, archaeologists and Indigenous peoples. There are cases of repatriation and/or reburial controlled by the state and those led and executed exclusively by Indigenous peoples.
