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9. The Conquest of the Desert and the Free Indigenous Communities of the Argentine Plains
- University Press of Florida
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9 The Conquest of the Desert and the Free Indigenous Communities of the Argentine Plains Carlos Martínez Sarasola Toward of the end of the nineteenth century, the Argentine state intensified a policy of military expansion that would ultimately destroy the autonomous socioeconomic systems of the indigenous peoples of the Pampas— the central plains and its surrounding areas. The origins of the war lay in the movement of settlers west and south from the capital city of Buenos Aires to populate the plains. This frontier settlement brought nationals into greater contact with the indigenous peoples who lived on the central prairies and led to conflicts throughout the nineteenth century. As in the United States during roughly the same time, the national occupation of the plains was a contested venture, fought not only by pioneers and indigenous inhabitants but also by politicians and the soldiers sent to eliminate the native peoples. This chapter argues that politicians in Argentina did not share a common plan to exterminate native populations on their frontier. Rather, the genocidal war that emerged late in the century resulted from a difficult and contested negotiation at the heart of the nation’s political leadership. The Indigenous World of the Plains Central Argentina extends from the central Pampa prairies to the steppes and western mountains, from the sandy deserts of western La Pampa province , northwest to the hilly province of Neuquén (see map 1 at the front of the book). By the early nineteenth century, the plains were the site of a great political gathering that led to the climax of indigenous power, through the unification of several ethnic groups. These tribes included the Tehuelches, the original human population of the area; the Ranquels or rankül-che, of The Conquest of the Desert and the Free Indigenous Communities of the Argentine Plains / 205 mixed background of Tehuelches and Mapuches; and the various groups of Araucanos or Mapuches who had migrated from west of the Andes since pre-Hispanic times. All these groups were autonomous, but in exceptional circumstances they joined forces to form strong alliances. One example was the planning and fulfillment of large attacks on white settlements, called malones, such as the one that struck the towns of 25 de Mayo and 9 de Julio 1872 in the district of Alvear, involving almost six thousand Mapuches, Ranquels, and gunün a küna or Tehuelches warriors. Indigenous leaders during this time extended their power widely over the plains. Most notable among this group was Chief Calfucurá, who had arrived in 1834 from his native Chile and came to control territory south all the way to Patagonia. This leader was charismatic and diplomatic; an accomplished strategist with a gift for words. Calfucurá’s power was exceptional ; not only was he a religious leader but as chief he also presided over the famous Confederation of Salinas Grandes, which grouped tribes, chiefs, and leaders under his command. At this time the Chaco region in the north of Argentina was occupied by the Guaikurús and the Mataco-Mataguayos. Almost half of the territory of Argentina at this time was thus under indigenous control.1 The indigenous world of the Pampas was an ethnic and cultural conglomeration where integration and mixtures were the rule. The natives often included in their communities the “other,” even captives, who in many cases changed their identities to become part of indigenous society.2 Native groups thus included an important number of people from the other side of the frontier: whites, blacks—descendants of the slaves who had arrived in the Americas since the sixteenth century—and gauchos, frontier settlers of mixed background. All of them lived together in the indigenous communities for such reasons as exile, captivity, trade, or simply for the desire to undertake a new life. The tolderías, groups of toldos, mobile homes made of animal skins and branches, were led by chiefs who in some cases were of mixed race, such as Baigorrita or Pincén. There were also even cases of whites who became chiefs of the natives, such as Colonel Baigorria, who lived for years among the Ranquels. These indigenous leaders of mixed heritage resemble native leaders in early southeastern United States. Historian Theda Perdue has recently shown that biracial native leaders played important roles at a critical time of national expansion, white racism, and Native American cultural survival.3 [54.163.62.42] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 19:44 GMT) 206 / Carlos Martínez Sarasola Official...