ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the varied means by which Amerindian peoples came into contact with Iberians and how indigenous societies negotiated their interactions with imperial actors like bureaucrats, churchmen, and colonists. It focuses on Amerindians who lived in regions where Iberians exercised considerable political and economic power, which was usually around urban centres, mining regions, and agricultural districts. The chapter examines impact of the Bourbon and Pombaline Reforms, which differentiated between Indians living in frontier versus urban regions, how native communities responded to the policies. Amerindian responses to Iberian incursions varied a great deal, shaped as they were by the particular needs of each society and in response to changing external dynamics. Amerindians were active historical subjects who developed multiple strategies to survive European colonialism and secure their own interests. Amerindians living in the Republic of Indians, mission towns, and colonial settlements were Christian vassals of their respective kings, with rights and obligations defined by their respective laws.
