Family articulation among “indios de servicio” on the spanish-mapuche frontier during the second half of the seventeenth century

Abstract

There is little research on the articulation and development of the Mapuche family, particularly for periods prior to the nineteenth century. This gap is especially evident for the large numbers of individuals who were enslaved and integrated into colonial society as a labor force. Beginning with the official abolition of Indian slavery in the 1670s, an ambiguous system of labor and personal control was implemented in colonial Chilean society, which can be referred to as “indios de servicio.” In the context of these confusing situations, indigenous families, particularly on the Spanish-Mapuche Biobío frontier, developed their own individual strategies for survival and adaptation. In particular, three types of relationships that served as the framework for family organization in the “indios de servicio” strata can be seen: Christian marriage, marriage “a la usanza” (“according to custom”) and the matrifocal family. This article seeks to contribute to our understanding of the behavior of these indigenous households on the Biobío frontier during the second half of the seventeenth century.