Colonial Kinship: Guaraní, Spaniards, and Africans in Paraguay

Colonial Kinship: Guaraní, Spaniards, and Africans in Paraguay reveals that the term 'tovajá,' initially denoting gift exchanges between Guaraní women and Spanish men, evolved into a foundational system of colonial governance. This system facilitated the encomienda, subjecting Indigenous peoples to labor while also integrating African descendants into colonial structures through kinship ties. Austin's innovative use of judicial files uncovers how female litigants, Africans, and their descendants navigated these relationships, demonstrating that 'tovajá' ties were not merely symbolic but central to colonial expansion, trade, and even warfare. The study highlights the unequal reciprocity in this system, where Spaniards exploited Guaraní cultural practices for labor and provisions while also establishing a complex social hierarchy involving free Black men and women. Additionally, it explores Indigenous resistance and the formation of Guaraní militias, which played significant roles in regional politics, including during Spanish sieges of Portuguese Colonia del Sacramento.

Borucki, A. (2021). Colonial Kinship: Guaraní, Spaniards, and Africans in Paraguay. Hispanic American Historical Review, 101(4), 697–698. https://doi.org/10.1215/00182168-9366675