Sovereign mythologies: indigenous lands and the construction of private property in Mendoza, late 19 th century

Abstract

Until recently, the only known case in Argentina of a merced real used by an indigenous community to claim their territory was that of Amaicha in Tucumán. In this article I will discuss the conflicts over cacique Sayanca of Guanacache’s merced real, north of Mendoza province. A key moment analyzed is the political scandal produced by French lawyer Jules Watteau, and his claim over the merced real -a quarter of the territory of Mendoza between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The case study shows how indigenous populations persisted in their ancestral territories in “white” Argentina, adapting to the colonial process even later than traditionally accepted. Moreover it suggests that the process of private property left behind an unresolved legacy, regarding the recognition of former indigenous property in Republican times.