E/CN.4/2004/80/Add.3 page 19 49. The Special Rapporteur heard calls from indigenous people and their leaders for the preservation of their cultural identity in every region he visited. The Atacameño people complain about the loss of their language as a result of the forcible “Chileanization” to which they were subjected after the war of the Pacific. The Quechua people also complain about the loss of their identity. In the metropolitan area of Santiago, and also in cities like Calama, Iquique and Temuco, the cultural changes resulting from migration to the cities upset not just old people but also a growing number of young indigenous professionals, intellectuals and students, who are determined to preserve and regain their cultural identity. The Rapa Nui people also complains that its cultural identity is threatened by immigration to their island. San Pedro de Atacama, in the middle of the magnificent and spectacular Atacameño desert, has been transformed in recent years into an international tourist attraction. Although this has brought economic opportunities for the population, it has also created tension with regard to the preservation of their cultural identity, an issue of which the Atacameño authorities are very aware. IV. CONCLUSIONS 50. The prompt and positive response by the Chilean Government to the Special Rapporteur’s request to visit the country is clear evidence of its readiness to cooperate with the international community on questions concerning human rights and indigenous populations. This constructive approach to tackling indigenous issues has been noticeable since Chile’s return to democracy. 51. Despite this progress, the Special Rapporteur observed that there are some human rights issues that are a matter of grave concern to the indigenous peoples of Chile and that are closely related to political, economic and social factors. Attention should first be drawn to the failure to monitor and deal properly with the needs of indigenous communities in terms of their economic, social and cultural rights. This failure highlights a situation of vulnerability and extreme poverty that is particularly worrying in the case of the Mapuche. The poverty and illiteracy rates among the indigenous population, and particularly the Mapuche population, are more than twice the national average, and are particularly marked among women and children. 52. There can be no doubt that in recent years the relationship between the Chilean State and native peoples has begun to change. However, it is still in a transitional phase, perhaps because of the ongoing process of healing the wounds of the past in the area of human rights. Ten years after the adoption of the Indigenous Peoples Act, there are still gaps in the actual protection of indigenous people’s human rights. The climate of insecurity is reinforced by the continuing existence of a few laws enacted by the previous regime which are in practice an obstacle to progress in the recognition and protection of the rights of the country’s indigenous people. The Government has tried to implement various initiatives, in submitting draft constitutional reforms or pushing for the ratification of ILO Convention No. 169, but these initiatives have been blocked by Congress. This causes indigenous leaders to wonder how much priority the Government and Chilean society really give to indigenous issues.