Indians, catechesis and civilization in the municipality of Vila do Prado, Bahia (1844-1888)

Abstract

The paper aims to analyze the activity of catechesis and civilization of the "brave Indians" (Pataxó, Botocudos, and Maxakalis) in the Prado village municipality in southern Bahia between 1844 and 1888. Based on a descriptive-historical approach of primary sources - handwritten and edited documents – it is evident that catechism and civilization initiatives were motivated by the stories of attacks by "savage" Indians told by authorities and farmers from Prado village. Thus, the interest of the promoters of catechesis and civilization, and of the farmers was to control the indigenous groups who were defiant of penetration and occupation of the Prado hinterland. Furthermore, all attempts to build villages for the Indians failed due to the inefficiency of the public administration, the insalubrity of the places, the lack of missionaries, and the resistance of the Indians to the village system. The Indians reacted to the domination process with sporadic attacks on settlers’ farms, fleeing and/or tricking catechists, and moving further into the hinterland to escape persecution and murder by the settlers. As a result, a territorial dispute became evident: on one side, catechists, and farmers, who encouraged the penetration and occupation of the hinterlands for the progress of agriculture and trade, and on the other side, the natives, who saw their habitat and source of food decreasing every day. For the former, it was a question of progress; for the latter, a question of survival.