Negotiated Settlements: Native Amazonians and Portuguese Policy in Para, Brazil, 1758--1798

TL;DRAbstract

Portuguese efforts to consolidate control of native Amazonians during the late-eighteenth century were moderated by local power relations, the mobility of the populace, and their ability to act in their own interests. In counterpoint to the historiography, which has emphasized the destruction of indigenous Amazonians, this study demonstrates how native people created a unique regional society and determined the ground workings of intended Portuguese policy. The presumed homogeneity of the indigenous populace is refuted by the local sources, which clearly show that people identified and differentiated themselves according to family membership, social status, and ethnicity. During the Directorate(1758-1798), policymakers attempted to replicate continental values and integrate mission natives into Portuguese society, occupy the vast territory, and invigorate the economy. Colonial authorities negotiated with the native nobles of the former missions for indigenous labor and resources to

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