At the first meeting of the year, Gustavo Velloso (USP) presented his new project, which is still in the early stages of developing its hypotheses. The research is based on an analysis of a Mapuche rebellion that took place in southern Chile between 1655 and 1662, within an international context marked by various indigenous uprisings in the Americas. The chronological proximity of these uprisings and the fact that the Council of the Indies sometimes considered two or more of them collectively suggest that they may have been manifestations of a wider crisis. A preliminary bibliographical mapping reveals similarities between these movements, such as the participation of multi-ethnic groups, the re-signification of Christian symbols and the presence of Christianized leaders. In addition, many of these conflicts were sparked by disputes over work, territory and power, in societies already embedded in colonial logic and territorial expansion, subject to intense social and ethnic reconfigurations. The research also takes into account the international context of geopolitical reconfigurations between the Western empires, marked by the rise of new economic powers and the impact of the crisis of the Iberian empires. Increased military spending and fiscal pressures on local elites would have intensified the exploitation of indigenous populations.

One of the innovative aspects of the project is the investigation of the possible relationship between these rebellions and the climate changes of the period, especially in the context of the “Little Ice Age”. Inspired by the ideas of Geoffrey Parker, the hypothesis suggests that the intensification of the El Niño phenomenon and other extreme climatic events may have influenced the outbreak of these revolts, not as a direct cause, but as a factor that impacted the populations’ ability to adapt. To test this, primary sources such as minutes from the cabildo (Spanish for “municipal council”) and correspondence will be reviewed in search of records of contemporary perceptions of these natural events and their social impacts. In addition, the research will examine how the increased demand for labor influenced environmental transformations which, in turn, shaped historical processes.

By investigating the indigenous insurgencies of the 17th century from the perspective of climate change and territorial transformation, the project dialogues with contemporary debates on the interrelationship between environmental factors and historical processes. This approach resonates directly with the interests of the Colonial Amazon Project, which seeks to understand the socio-environmental impacts of modern colonialism in this region, where indigenous populations also faced—and still face—forced displacement, economic exploitation and territorial reconfiguration in response to external interests. By considering the interdependence between ecological and historical factors, the research contributes to a broader analysis of the long-term effects of colonialism on peoples and landscapes, highlighting how the past can enlighten environmental and social challenges of the present.