Indian Populations of Argentina and Chile and Their Changing Reality During the Colonial Period - Essay Example

0 Introduction Guarani and Mapuche are two major Indian tribes that inhabited Argentina and Chile, in the period prior and during the colonial era. This is a study dedicated in comparing and contrasting these two tribes. There will be a bias on the time period and the aforementioned periods will be the core of the study. To give a clear comparison of the two tribes, the essay will consider the culture and various activities undertaken by the tribes prior to the colonial period and while the colonial period was on. The study question will, thus, be “How did the Guarani and Mapuche compare in the nations of Argentina and Chile in the period preceding and during the colonial period?” 2.0 Body 2.1 Prior to the Colonial Period (a) Settlement Indians belonging to the Guarani tribe originally inhabited most of the regions in South America such as Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. They used to be semi-nomadic, well known for their fierce and warriors like culture and traditions. Actually, the name ‘Guarani’ stands for warrior. Some Argentines trace their ancestry to the Guarani tribe, and they have brown eyes and dark hair. They have light skin, portraying a combination of European and Guarani heritage 1(Aladama, 2003 p 328). Before the conquest by Spain, the Guarani had been scattered widely throughout southern American countries including Argentina. Thus, this Indian community had occupied Argentina even before colonization. They carried out numerous economic activities, which determined their culture. Long before, the Spaniards arrived in Argentina, Guarani used to be hunters and gatherers. They survived by hunting animals for food, as well as gathering fruits in forests. Men used to do the hunting, while women did gathering 2(Schild, 2000 p275). On the other hand, Mapuches occupied most of Chile and just a few Mapuches inhabited Argentina. Indians of the Mapuche tribe became the first inhabitants of Argentina and Chile, with them occupying a vast territory before the arrival of the Spanish. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the Mapuche occupied most of the parts in South America, and their population was two million. Currently, they occur in large numbers of about one and a half million in Chile and two hundred thousand in Argentina. Therefore, they have occupied most parts in Chile as compared to Argentina. Indian Mapuche constituted the third largest community in South America before colonization and after colonization of Chile by Spain 3(Geschiere&Nyamnjoh, 2001 p 170). Before colonization, and the coming of Incas and Spanish, the Mapuche occupied forests in Southern and Central Chile. They lived in small villages, divided by well laid out boundaries, with each village having its own territory. The male members of the tribe protected the tribe from external invasion, and hunted for animals in the forests. Women and girls did gathering, while young boys looked after animals. The Mapuche were on of the fiercest and brave tribes of Native South Americans; they fiercely protected their tribal boundaries and waged endless wars against invaders 4(Tom, 2007 p72). (b) Economy They used weapons such as clubs, bows, and arrows to do the hunting. Bows were made out of wood materials from the forests. Arrows used had poison on them to kill the animals hunted instantly. Guarani depended on the forests to earn a living, since they inhabited forested areas. Young boys learnt how to hunt from their fathers, who taught them hunting and use of the weapons at a tender age. Male members of the family gained a lot of respect from the women, as warriors and breadwinners of the tribe (Aladama, 2003 p 330). The Guarani also carried out fishing, as an economic activity that gave them food. They made fishing nets, which they used to get fish from water sources such as lakes. Fish used to be a staple food to the Guarani and it characterized much of their dietary requirements. They valued and protected water sources that harbored fish, with a lot of emphasis on the need to conserve the water sources. The tribe prohibited the pollution of rivers to avoid extinction of valuable sources of water for animals and human beings. Agriculture used to be a notable economic activity among Indian Guarani who occupied portions of Argentina. They tended to place a lot of reliance on agriculture, as a major source of livelihood. They grew food crops for home consumption, and used oxen to till the land. Animals used to be very important, as they were sold during times of emergency. Small-scale farming used to characterize most of the territory occupied by Guarani; as a result, the food crops produced were hardly sold. They had not developed machinery and modern tools to carry out agriculture; thus, produce used to be for home consumption only (Geschiere&Nyamnjoh, 2001 p 167). The extended family used to be central in the Guarani traditional society and family structure. Generations occupied the same house, with the older and younger members of the family living in the same house but in different rooms. Family used to be very important in the society, as it served the wider purpose caring for its members. Parents valued their children and grandchildren; the entire extended family had the responsibility of caring for children as they grew up. Upon marriage, children rarely moved out of their parents’ compound, instead most of them built their own houses within the same compound as their parents 5(Bourdieu, 2001p34). Families and clans among the Guarani used fell under categories of the Indian caste system. Belonging to wealthy and influential families attracted a lot of respect, esteem, and entitlement to privileges. Upper class families easily moved up in the political ladder, and they occupied prestigious political positions. Large businesses and ranches belonged to the upper classes, as the lower class families owned little or no property at all. Persons belonging to the lower classes worked very hard to be ahead of the classy individuals in the tribe. During colonization, the upper classes became the first Guarani to speak Spanish language (Geschiere&Nyamnjoh, 2001 p 172). Economically, the Mapuche were different. Firstly, name Mapuche meant ‘people of the land’, as such most of them used to carry out farming, mainly subsistence crop farming and livestock keeping. They grew cash crops, which included potatoes, barley, oats, wheat, and sugar beets. Those who occupied the coastal regions carried out fishing from the oceans and lakes. Just like the Guarani who used simple tools to cultivate, Mapuche also used tools such as the hoe to do farming. They only did small-scale farming, owing to the small sizes of their land. As a result, the farm produced used to be for family consumption; and the surplus sold to other communities in Chile and Argentina 6(Eim, 2010 p 52). (c) Art The type of art used by the Guarani included native forms of Indian art, such as feather Art that uses colorful feathers of exotic species. Ornaments and collars were made from these feathers from exotic birds. They made sculptures of animals and birds, carved from wood; this expressed the distinct stylistic arts of the Guarani. In addition, embroidery and ceramics used to be part of their art. They also made clothes and napkins, from finely woven linen, which enabled them to manufacture their own clothes without having to get them from other tribes (Aladama, 2003 p 335). Guarani also made handicrafts, which included basketry, weaving, and pottery. They exchanged the baskets and pottery materials with their neighboring tribes to get what they did not produce in their territories. Handicrafts used to be the major item of trade for the Guarani; as a result, artisans played a central role in the affairs of the tribe. Both men and women participated in the making of artistic materials, with great regard for the woven baskets and baskets as important symbols of cultural heritage. Since their departure from India, the Guarani carried out works of craft, an activity borrowed by other tribes in Argentina. They taught other communities how to do weaving, basketry and pottery. Guarani made their homes around a central place, using thatch for roofing the huts (Schild, 2000 p276). In comparison, during the pre-colonial period, the Mapuche used to be gifted artisans. They made hair ornaments from silver materials, and silver necklaces that were part of the costume worn by Mapuche women. They also made pins with huge heads that they used to fasten shawls. Their textiles, which had beautiful colors, resembled designs used by the Incas people. In addition, some Indian Mapuche had skills of molding pottery, and weaving of rugs to make attractive materials. The traditional music and folklore of the Mapuche used to be extremely rich; they had unique songs for each of the occasions in the tribe. There used to be songs for social, religious ceremonies (rituals), as well as songs sung during times of war. Children had their own special songs, which they sung while playing games, and during times of entertainment. During the pre-colonial period, the Mapuche used to perform group singing, with the main musical instrument used being a long horn, made of cow horn and bamboo. The ancestors of Mapuche, known as the Araucanian used to be very strong in the literature and music of Chile. Chilean writers and composers, who copied the literary styles of Mapuche, adopted most of the songs and poems by the Mapuche. Thus, the Mapuche musical patterns had great influenced on the Chilean cultures and ways of life before colonization (Geschiere&Nyamnjoh, 2001 p 175). Mapuche people used to make popular fabrics before the colonial period, an activity carried out by women. This knowledge of making fabrics was transmitted to the younger generations, to allow for perpetuation of the skill in the tribe. Children learnt the art by observing their mothers, and orally often within the environment of the family. Women in the community held a central position for their knowledge in textile. Therefore, women played both cultural and economic roles. As a result, men gave greater dowry during marriage especially if the woman was extremely good in weaving. In the Mapuche society, textiles had a variety of uses and used to be highly valued. In the Mapuche tribe, textile acted as a status symbol, as well as decoration for homes and making of clothing. Families that possessed greater knowledge in making textile materials commanded greater influence in the community. Usually, girls learnt the art by observing their mothers and continually learning how to do the weaving. Once they became perfect in textile making, they could join the other women in the society who did the same. Thus, the making of textile was a major activity of the Mapuche before the colonial period 7(Bacigalupo, 2007 p 46). (d) Religion and Culture Before colonization, the Guarani used to have strong religious beliefs in rituals; they respected their religious leaders known as shamans. The Jesuit missionaries had arrived in the mid sixteenth century, with an aim of converting the Guarani into catholic religious beliefs. A number of Indian Guarani converted to Catholicism, and adopted Christian baptism. Their traditional religious beliefs proved agreeable and blended well with the religious beliefs of Catholics. When the Jesuits left, the influence of the Catholic Church among the Guarani went under the control of the state, which appointed the bishops to minister in the church (Bourdieu, 2001 p28). During the pre-colonial period, the Guarani mainly identified themselves using cultural aspects of language, drinking and eating. They spoke Guarani language, took yerba tea made from herbs, and ate cassava commonly referred to as “mandioca.” Culturally, they served Mandioca during every meal and made mildly stimulating tea from leaves known as “Mate”; tea had become part of their culture for many years. Thus, even before the colonization cultural forms of food had been in existence among the Indian Guarani who occupied Argentina (Schild, 2000 p280). During the pre-colonial period, Majority of people in the Mapuche tribe professed to traditional Indian religious beliefs. Traditional beliefs and practices of animism and sorcery were widely carried out by most of the Indian Mapuche in Chile. Most of them resisted to accept Christianity religion, as they were deeply rooted to the Indian religion. Traditional ceremonies such as ‘ngillatum’, which served the purpose of supplication was very common and directed by religious leaders known as shaman. The shaman was a medicine man and a priest believed to have direct contact with the spirits, who were mainly women. Mapuche conducted the religious ceremonies to beseech their gods for rain and ask for solutions to conflicts facing the tribe. They used totems and sacred trees to perform rituals, with songs and dances accompanying the ceremonies. Thus, religion used to be a crucial part of Mapuche life during the pre-colonial period (Eim, 2010 p52). Just like the Guarani, the Mapuche used to be a warring community, which resisted the invasion of Spanish in their territory. Before colonization, the Mapuche had strong cultural beliefs and traditions, some of which resembled those of the Guarani. Their traditional housing structures consisted of huts with thatched roofs, and dirty floors. People of this tribe who used to live in rural areas always lived in poor health conditions; Medicare facilities and services were very rare in the community (Tom, 2007 p70). 2.2 During the Colonial Period During the colonial period, the Guarani protected their territory from invasion by the Spanish troops. Warriors guarded the community to prevent occupation of the land by Spain. The tribe resisted the cultural beliefs and western traditions brought by the Spaniards. They never wanted to lose their traditions and cultural heritage. As such, most of them never adopted the ways of life introduced by the Spaniards. However, some of the Indian Guarani did change during the colonial period. This is evidenced by conversion to Catholicism, which became widespread among the Guarani. Battles between the Guarani and the Spanish emanated from the common interest to control the empire of Inca in order to obtain silver and gold (Eim, 2010 p50). During the colonial period, Mapuche tribe, on the other hand, of Chile resisted the invasion of the Spanish in their territories. They endlessly and tirelessly fought to protect their territorial boundaries, as a way of resisting the rule of Spanish. When Chile gained independence from Spain, the government placed the tribe of Mapuche under reservations, and they revolted against them. This revolt went for quite some time, until the government succeeded in convincing the Mapuche to sign a treaty. The Mapuche community remained to be at the lower classes during the colonial period, despite their endless efforts to end oppression directed to them (Tom, 2007 p73). Most of the Mapuche tribesmen and women became Roman Catholics during the colonial periods. Despite the numerous efforts by the tribe to resist Christianity, they later on came to accept it. They were converted to Catholicism, with some portions of the bible being translated to Mapundugum language of the Mapuche. Some of them learnt the Spanish language that they used to interact with the Spanish colonizers (Eim, 2010 p 54). 3.0 Conclusion While concluding, variances and similarities can be noted from the findings of the study. This is, subsequent to the consideration of the study’s findings. These findings have been laid out under various major sub-headings. The sub-headings are; settlement, economy, art, and religion and culture. This conclusion is in the process of seeking to answer the study question, “How did the Guarani and Mapuche compare in the nations of Argentina and Chile in the period preceding and during the colonial period?” Work Cited: Aladama, A. J. Violence and the body: Race, gender, and the state. Indiana University Press. (2003). pp 326-340. Bourdieu, P. Guarani Pre-colonial Culture. Stanford University Press. (2001). pp 25-38. Bacigalupo, A. M. Shamans of the foye tree: Gender, power and Healing among Chilean Mapuche. University of Texas Press. (2007). pp 46–47. Geschiere, P and Nyamnjoh, F. Capitalism and Autochthony:Millennial Capitalism and the Culture of Neoliberalism.Duke University Press. (2001). pp 159-190. Eim, S. The Conceptualization of Mapuche and Guarani Religion in Colonial Chile, and Argentina. Cengage Learning. (2010). pp50-60. Schild, V. The Civilization of Guarani in Argentina. Citizenship Studies. (2000). pp275-305. Tom, D. Monuments, Empires, and resistance: The Araucanian Polity and Ritual Narratives. Cambridge University press. (2007). pp70-74.   Read More