The Parliament of Las Canoas ( es, Parlamento de Las Canoas) was a diplomatic meeting between Mapuche-Huilliches and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

authorities in 1793 held at the confluence of

Rahue River Rahue River () is a river of Chile located in Los Lagos Region. It rises at the western end of the Rupanco Lake. In its middle course, the river flows through the city of Osorno in a north-south direction. Rahue river empties into the Bueno River ...

and Damas River near what is today the city of Osorno. The parliament was summoned by the

Royal Governor of Chile The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General. There were 66 such governors or captains du ...

Ambrosio O'Higgins Ambrosio Bernardo O'Higgins y O'Higgins, 1st Marquess of Osorno (c. 1720 – 19 March 1801) born Ambrose Bernard O'Higgins (''Ambrós Bearnárd Ó hUiginn'', in Irish), was an Irish-Spanish colonial administrator and a member of the O'Higgins fa ...

after the Spanish had suppressed an uprising by the Mapuche-Huilliches of Ranco and Río Bueno in 1792. The parliament is historically relevant since the treaty signed at the end of the meeting allowed the Spanish to reestablish the city of Osorno and secure the transit rights between

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...

and the Spanish mainland settlements near

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago ( es, Archipiélago de Chiloé, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and t ...

. The indigenous signatories recognized the king of Spain as their sovereign but they kept considerable autonomy in the lands they did not ceded. The treaty is unique in that it was the first time Mapuches formally ceded territory to the Spanish. The Mapuche-Huilliche leaders summoned by the Spanish to the parliament where those whose lands were to affected by the Spanish proposal. The Mapuche-Huilliche leaders present in the parliament were Catrihuala, Iñil, Caniu, Calfuguir, Ancaguir, Colin, Naguinguir and Pichi Huaiquipan plus the messengers of the Cunco Paylapan. The caciques Juan Queipul and José Antitipay, who belonged to the area, were not present at the parliament since they were in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

where they held a small parliament with Ambrosio O'Higgins in person. The issues to be dealt with were the same as in Las Canoas.

Background

Beginning in the mid-18th century the Spanish enclave of

begun a period of agricultural expansion. The expansion, that mainly directed to the south, was done mostly by pacific means, but hostilities with indigenous Huilliches did occur. The expansion of Valdivia included a process of mestization and the purchasing of indigenous lands by

criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish race-based colonial caste system (the European descendants) Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South Ameri ...

s and transformation of previous indigenous proprietors into

inquilino In historic Chilean agriculture an inquilino is a labourer indebted to a landlord who allows him to form a farm in parts of his property (usually in the marginal lands to keep away intruders) and who in exchange works without pay for the landlord. ...

s. In contrast the Spanish settlement at Chiloé Archipelago had a history of conflicts with the indigenous peoples north of the archipelago. After the Valdivian colonization had reached

Bueno River Bueno River (Spanish: ''Río Bueno'') is a river in southern Chile. It originates in Ranco Lake and like most of Chile rivers it drains into the Pacific Ocean at the southern boundary of the Valdivian Coastal Reserve. Its lower flow forms the bo ...

Spanish authorities pushed for connecting the city of Valdivia with the settlements at

Chacao Channel The Chacao Channel ( es, Canal de Chacao) is located in Los Lagos Region, Chile and separates Chiloé Island from mainland Chile. The channel was created during the Quaternary glaciations by successive glaciers that flowed down from the Andes to ...

by a road. This way the Spanish authorities hoped to make its possible for Valdivia and Chiloé to offer each other mutual aid in the case of an invasion by a European power.

Notes

References

{{Mapuche Las Canoas 1793 in the Captaincy General of Chile History of Los Lagos Region Huilliche history