In this article I analyze the Chilean “Indigenous Law” of 1972 (Law No 17.729) in the context in which it was passed, with special reference to three actors involved in its drafting: indigenous people, scientists, and state. First, I explain my methodological approach and I consider the previous and subsequent legislation on the same topic. Then, I analyse the relations between scientific practice, state action, and indigenous action, to expose how the debates leading to this legal statute created different representations of indigenous subjects. In the conclusions, I propose to understand the law as a polyphonic text that integrates the actions of the different actors involved, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses in the context of the indigenous and agrarian policy of president Salvador Allende‟s Goverment (1970-1973).