The latter half of Guamán Poma’s plea to King Philip of Spain takes on a considerable tonal shift compared to the previous section. Guamán Poma starts out by chronicling the details of specific abuses (often even naming whom has committed them!) and also makes some suggestions for improvements. As he did in the first half, Guamán Poma emphasizes Christian values in his solutions and in his reasoning for why the actions of the Spanish towards the other inhabitants of New Spain are so distasteful. Race is also heavily discussed in relation to the current social structure of the Spanish colonial system, and goes beyond Spanish/Mestizo/Indigenous concerns and even brings up injustices towards black people in the colonies. Guamán Poma even touches on how systemic racism creates other societal problems (though his solution there leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion) (there’s also some rough opinions on interracial marriage… not great).
Throughout The First New Chronicle and Good Government, Guamán Poma acts as an advocate for the Indigenous people in the Andes. This is no different in his proposed solutions, as he suggests that Indigenous peoples should be appointed into positions of power. There is never any mention of shedding the colonial system entirely, or of restructuring it in a way that is completely radical. In fact, the suggestions made by Guamán Poma all fall within the context of colonialism and continued Spanish presence. Other than the recommendation to adopt more Indigenous principles and add more Indigenous peoples into positions of power, Guamán Poma’s suggestions seem relatively in line with what the Spanish state claims to already want- namely, Christian principles, an imperial presence, and a hierarchical system of governance with the monarchy at the top (but the pope and God above the monarch). That being said, I still am not convinced this would have been well received by the Spanish, if it were, in fact, received at all. To our (my) eye, these reforms seem pretty achievable, but a large part of Spanish rule in the Americas and in other colonies did take on a degree of racial hierarchization, which only worsened as the colonial projects of Europe distilled. (Not saying it was great when Guamán Poma writes this, but racism certainly becomes more legally enmeshed after the Bourbon Reforms roughly a century later.) As we talked about last week, Guamán Poma is in a unique social position and is therefore able to elaborate on the injustices he witnesses. However, I think this position also has him thinking and acting within the confines of the colonial system as well.
I agree that I don’t think the Spanish people would even really care, given how most if not all of them have to be fine with what was going on for it to happen without any resistance unless they do not know what was going on. For the most part they would probably justify it under the racial heirarchy, as “that’s just how the way things are.”
sadly I think this would have been the case as well
Like you said Guamán Poma is thinking and acting within the colonial system but he wouldn’t have been able to work outside it. Even his smallest changes likely would have been badly received, especially coming from an indigenous person. The Spanish were getting rich off their exploitation and abuses. Although it is strange to read Guaman Poma argue against racism while using racism as an integral part of his solution.
Yes, I thought that part was a bit of cognitive dissonance from Guaman Poma. Then again, perhaps he was just trying to get a baseline for what the Spanish could be persuaded to..? Either way, it was a strange argument to make.
I found it interesting too Guaman’s take on Mestizos and Mulatto/as and interraciality. These topics seemed to cause him great concern, and his portrayal of the mixed humans seemed to hone in from his need for purity and separation. Everything must be separate, for not even the Mestizos shall be allowed to live with the ‘Indians.’ The Spaniards, their slaves, and their disruptive mixed children shall live in the city all together. This was based on his observations of their disruption within the Indian enclaves, with their drinking and coca chewing, and also on the harm on the Indian mothers, whom traumatized, some would not even acknowledge their Mestizo child.
Yes, I agree. From what I remember, the Spanish colonies in the Americas started to get really specific about race and ethnicity around the time of the Bourbon Reforms (1700s) but there was precedent for that in the time Guaman Poma would have been writing in. I wondered if that bit was colonial influence.