Race and the Definition of “Indian” Identity on the Fringes of Colonial Spanish America

The following study examines the process of the creation of indio identity and status, at least on paper, that defined the role of the nativesin colonial society, on three distinct mission frontiers on the fringes of Spanish America. The mission was a frontier institution designed toacculturate and ostensibly transform native populations into sedentary agriculturalists, and incorporate natives into the new colonial order. Thefirst is the Jesuit Chiquitos mission frontier of eastern Upper Peru (modern Bolivia), populated by ethnically diverse sedentary agriculturalists. Thesecond is the Jesuit mission frontier of Paraguay with more a homogeneous Guaraní population. The final case study comes from the Franciscanmissions of northern Coahuila (Mexico) populated by small bands of nomadic hunter-gatherers.