Maria Antonia Bonifaz

A Chilean educator who founded Latin America's first school for indigenous girls

Maria Antonia Bonifaz (1845–1918) was a Chilean educator and social reformer who championed indigenous rights in 19th century South America. Born to a Mapuche father and Spanish mother, she experienced the cultural tensions of colonial Chile. In 1873, she established the Escuela de la Esperanza ('School of Hope'), the first institution in Chile providing formal education to Mapuche girls. Her curriculum integrated indigenous languages with Spanish literacy, challenging the era's assimilation policies.

Bonifaz authored <《Las Chilenas》, a groundbreaking book documenting Mapuche women's lives. She later co-founded the Women's Civic Union to advocate for voting rights and labor protections. Her work is preserved in the Chilean National Library's digital archives and the documentary <《Voices of the Mapuche》. Today, the Maria Antonia Bonifaz Cultural Center in Temuco continues her mission of cultural preservation through education.