Treaty Of The Mapuá

The Treaty of the Mapuá ( Portuguese: ''Tratado do Mapuá'') was signed in August 1659 by Portuguese Jesuits led by António Vieira with various indigenous peoples who inhabited the Marajó Archipelago at the mouth of the Amazon River.

Background

The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494 and ratified by Pope Julius II in 1506, had divided the New World between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile. The line was drawn 370 leagues (around 600 km) west of Cape Verde. The problem was knowing where exactly this line was, as the treaty did not specify the exact length of a league, or which of the Cape Verdean islands was intended. The Portuguese naturally adopted an interpretation which claimed the line at its most Western location, which makes it run through the Marajó Archipelago at the mouth of the Amazon River. This put the region at the frontier of their ambitions to establish what later became Colonial Brazil.

By the 17th Century, their struggle for dominance in the archipelago was less with the Spanish, but instead with the French (who were operating from Cayenne) and the Dutch. The Portuguese intended to dominate the indigenous peoples that lived on the numerous islands, trying to enslave them and organising various raids and military expeditions against them. At the same time, each European colonial power needed the support of their numbers.

In 1652, Jesuit missionary António Vieira arrived in Belém. His standing with the Portuguese there was not very good, as in 1648 he had recommended handing over the State of Maranhão, which contained the region, to the Dutch in exchange for the Captaincy of Pernambuco. However, after setting sail for Lisbon in June 1654, he obtained a series of decrees from King John IV in April 1655 which placed the Catholic missions in the region under the Jesuits, with himself as their superior. The decrees also prohibited the enslavement of the indigenous peoples, except in certain specified cases. With these in hand, Viera returned to Belém and managed to convince the Portuguese to abolish the laws that sanctioned slavery.

In spite of this, the Portuguese continued to organise military expeditions. As an example, in 1658 another armed expedition was prepared from Belém against the Aruã and other indigenous groups.

Signing of the treaty

In an attempt to pacify the situation, Viera called representatives of various peoples together at the Mapuá River from 22 to 27 August 1659 to sign a treaty. Most participants must have travelled in canoes for days to reach this place. The location is in the current municipality of Breves, near a community called Vila Amélia (). In the present day, there is still an indigenous cemetery at the spot where the treaty was signed.

There are very few historical records of what happened that week. Vieira mentions in his writings only one of the indigenous people who attended by name, namely Chief Piyé of the Aruã who lived on the island Caviana. Researchers rely on the collective memory of those who still live along the Mapuá to understand what took place. They relate that seven indigenous peoples were present at the ceremony, and that Chief Piyé refused to swear an oath of obedience to the King of Portugal.

In spite of these objections, a treaty was signed that granted the Portuguese the following rights:
*The right of unhindered passage of their canoes through the straits and waters around Breves. This was an important trade route from Belém to Macapá and French Guiana.
*The right to establish Jesuit missions on the Marajó Archipelago.

Aftermath

On 11 January 1660, Vieira sent a letter to the Portuguese Crown, informing them of the treaty. It was received with triumph, as it established the integration of the mouth of the Amazon into the State of Maranhão and Grão-Pará. It effectively ended Dutch ambitions in the region, putting it in the sphere of Portuguese America. After it was signed, the Portuguese immediately started christianising the indigenous peoples in the area. In reaction, many fled to Brazilian Guiana (a region coinciding with the present-day state Amapá) and French Guiana.

In 1661, the Portuguese in Belém revolted because of a shortage of slaves, which they attributed to the Jesuits. The colonists began actively to oppose Vieira, and were joined by members of the secular clergy and other Catholic Orders who were envious of their monopoly in governing the indigenous people. They reinstated slavery, effectively putting an end to the treaty after only two years. Hostilities against the various indigenous peoples continued afterwards. The revolt further weakened the standing of Vieira, and he and 31 other Jesuits were expelled from the region in the same year.

References

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1659 treaties
Mapuá
Colonial Brazil
History of Pará