María Catrileo

María Catrileo Chiguailaf de Codo is a native Mapuche linguist and professor of Spanish, English and Mapudungun language.

In 2009, Catrileo received the Provincial Prize for Conservation of National Monuments for her studies of the native Mapudungun language. Catrileo's work has focused on the phonology and morpho-syntax of the Mapudungun language and specially the verb forms. She is considered to be perhaps the only living Mapuche Indian to be a master of Spanish, English and Mapudungun. Currently, she is working the Institute of Linguistics and Literature of the Southern University of Chile, where she holds courses in Mapudungun.