“Administration of catechesis and civilization of the indians” in the province of Bahia (1836-1887): between civilization and land issue

Abstract

In the perspective of the insertion of the indigenous in society, this article investigates the administration of catechesis and civilization of Indians in the province of Bahia (1836-1887), based on the guidelines and application of Provincial Decree No. 32 of 1836 and Imperial Decree No. 426 of 1845. Through a historical-descriptive approach, based mainly on primary sources – manuscript documents (letters, reports, correspondence) from the Public Archives of the State of Bahia (APEB) and edited documents (laws and reports) – as well as a select bibliography, seeks to confront and dialogue mainly the archival documentation of the various authors involved directly or indirectly in the process of catechesis and civilization of the Indians. The following results were evident: the Regulation of 1836 had little applicability since it did not give useful guidelines and had insufficient catechesis agents;  Indians' Regulation of catechesis and civilization of 1845 had a partial application for lack of economic resources, and part of its anachronistic orientations concerning the reality of the old villages and towns of the Indians and discredited by the public authorities towards this type of public service; the Regulation of 1845 did not promote the foundation of new settlements, and the appointment of local directors for the old settlements further aggravated the conflicts over land ownership and contributed to the process of usurpation of the Indians' lands.