Indians Justified Mission

When the Spanish came to America they sought to incorporate Indians into their empire. They viewed Indians as inferiors and not human. This justified the action they took in setting up missions where missionaries main goal was to teach and have Indians practice Catholicism. They believed that this way it would be easier to conquer the Indians while avoiding conflict.
Spanish views of Indians justified missions being present in the communities. They believed the Indians to be inferiors, compared to the Spanish, and even created a casta system in which Indians of mixed races were categorized as below pureblooded Spaniards (Lecture). Even if Indians had a Spanish parent they were not believed to be Spanish because they were not of pure blood. Many historical papers give evidence of the similar beliefs Spanish had about Indians. …show more content…
Often is it being put lightly, as most Indians after living on the missions for some time, would attend mass daily and sometimes more than once. In most missions, according to guidelines missionaries were provided, the Indian women were provided with a basket that included “strings of beads, a small brush, ribbon, and a rosary” (Mission Guidelines). The last was the more notable because it is traditionally a religious adornment; used as a necklace to which one prays over the 20 mysteries. A sentiment, which in the eyes of the missionaries, would push the Indian women towards salvation and a better future as to not return to their Indian ways. Indians would even be expected to participate in the Eucharist as part of their daily lives on the mission (De Sistiaga, “An Account”). They would also be baptized by the missionaries, a step the missionaries saw as necessary to save the Indian’s souls. These Catholic practices exemplified the fact that not only was the Indian willing to participate in the religion but had accepted the religion as part of their