WI Indian allies in South American colonial wars?

How can we have Amerindians playing a roll similar to the one NorthAmerican Indians played in the wars between France and England/Britain?

After all, the Spanish didn't have problems with the idea of enlisting Amerindians to fight other Amerindians (Ex: Tlaxcallans vs Aztecs). Cortez even enlisted Amerindians to fight his fellow countrymen (Narvaez) but the battle ended before Indian Pikemen had a chance to participate.
 
I think the base place for something like this to happen is the River Plate, were there where several wars between Portugal and Spain over present day Uruguay in the XVII and XVIII centuries.

IIRC, on one occasions, a Spanish governor even gave weapons to priests who were in charge of as mission to distribute them among Indians, in order to defend themselves from attacks of Portuguese slave hunters (Bandeirantes). Apparently, this Native army armed with European weapons succeded in deffending the mission from an attack.

On another occassion, a Guaranni army was called in to defend the city from an attack by a French expedition (1658). However, the invading force was defeated at sea with the help of a few Dutch ships which were trading at the port. So, the Guaranni didn't have a chance to enter into combat. (To be honnest, I couldn't verifie the info about the presence of a Guaranni force during this attack in a source on-line.)
 
Surprisingly, it turns out that Amerindians might have played a much greater roll in OTL during this Spanish-Portuguese wars than I thought. This is what I found:


Colonia del Sacramento
Desde mediados del siglo XVII, altos funcionarios y mercaderes del Brasil proponían la conquista de Buenos Aires a fin de tener una factoría para el comercio con Potosí. Estas amenazas no eran ignoradas por las autoridades del Río de la Plata, cuando a fines de 1679 recibieron avisos desde el Paraguay y del Superior de la Compañía de Jesús, sobre el reclutamiento de una gran expedición en el puerto brasileño de Santos con destino al Río de la Plata.

Manuel Lobo, un militar de prestigio, vino al frente de la expedición que en 1680 fundó la Colonia Do Sacramento en la banda oriental del Río de la Plata, el centro histórico de la actual Colonia (Uruguay). Soldados, aventureros, indígenas y esclavos negros integraban el contingente fundador. Varios comerciantes flamencos, holandeses e ingleses llegaron de inmediato a la nueva factoría, dispuestos a explotarla.

Entre tanto, el gobernador de Buenos Aires, José de Garro, enterado por unos pescadores de la presencia de los portugueses, visitó a Lobo para hacer protesta formal de los derechos de España al territorio usurpado. Mientras daba aviso a los gobiernos de Santa Fe, Corrientes, el Tucumán y al superior de los jesuitas.

Garro juntó una fuerza considerable: 120 soldados y vecinos porteños, 300 cordobeses, 81 correntinos, 50 santafesinos, unos pocos indios quilmes de los vencidos en la reciente guerra calchaquí y 3.000 indios de las misiones del Paraguay que venían mandados por sus caciques y acompañados por los confesores jesuitas quienes ejercían la verdadera autoridad sobre esa tropa.

Con el apoyo del cabildo, Garro tomó la decisión de atacar. No había tiempo de preguntar a España o a Lima si estaban de acuerdo. Por eso puede decirse que ésta, como ha escrito Félix Luna, es la primera guerra de los argentinos, tanto por la iniciativa de pelear en defensa del territorio, como por la composición de la tropa mencionada más arriba.

El ataque se produjo en la noche del 6 de agosto. Previamente el gobernador, en el lenguaje caballeresco de la época, intimó a Lobo el desalojo de la Colonia. Bastante menos caballeresco resultó el final de la lucha, pues se permitió saqueo libre, aprovechado por los indios tapes para ensañarse con la guarnición portuguesa vencida. Más de un centenar de lusitanos había muerto.

La victoria llenó de júbilo a los rioplatenses. Pero el esfuerzo pronto se vio defraudado: España, que al enterarse de la usurpación había dado instrucciones de desalojar a sangre y fuego a los portugueses, cedió ante la reacción enfurecida del rey de Portugal. En efecto, Pedro II de Braganza, apenas supo lo ocurrido en Colonia, amenazó a España con una guerra. Carlos II cedió, desautorizó al gobernador de Buenos Aires y devolvió la Colonia a Portugal. Ambos reinos se comprometieron a discutir los límites de Tordesillas, pero este compromiso se postergó y la Colonia Do Sacramento fue reconstruida y repoblada por los portugueses.

El siglo XVII concluía en el Río de la Plata con una importante experiencia de autogestión victoriosa, seguida por una decisión de la metrópoli que resultaba incomprensible a los ojos de los criollos, pues se había gestado en la Península según los intereses europeos y no de acuerdo a los intereses netamente americanos.

Buenos Aires se acomodó a las nuevas circunstancias y se estableció una buena comunicación entre ambas costas ribereñas. Sin embargo esta fundación portuguesa genero tres guerras regionales de repercusión internacional

Fuente: La Argentina Historia del País y de Su Gente de Maria Saénz Quesada
http://www.portalplanetasedna.com.ar/batalla1.htm

I'll try to translate, the best I can:

Since the mid-seventeenth century, officials and merchants in Brazil proposed the conquest of Buenos Aires in order to use it as a base for trading with Potosi. These threats were not ignored by the authorities of the Rio de la Plata: at the end of 1679, they received information from the Paraguay and the Superior of the Society of Jesus, about the recruitment of a large expedition in the Brazilian port of Santos, destinated to the River Plate.


Manuel Lobo, a prestigious Portuguese military, led the expedition which in 1680 founded Colonia do Sacramento on the eastern bank of the Rio de la Plata, the historic center of the present Colonia (Uruguay). Soldiers, adventurers, Indians and black slaves made up the contingent which founded the town. Several Flemish, Dutch and English traders settled immediately in the new own.


Meanwhile, the governor of Buenos Aires, José de Garro, learned from fishermen of the presence of the Portuguese, and visited Lobo in order to make formal protest, informing him about Spain's rights to the territory usurped. In the meantime, he informed the governments of Santa Fe, Corrientes, Tucumán and the superior of the Jesuits of the events that had taken place.


Garro gathered a considerable force: 120 soldiers and locals residents, 300 Cordobeses, 81Correntinos, 50 Santafesinos, a few of the defeated Quilmes Indians in the recent Calchaquí War, and 3,000 Indians from the missions in Paraguay that came led by their chiefs and accompanied by Jesuit confessors -who exercised the real authority over the troops-.


After having obtained the support from the local council, Garro decided to attack. There was no time to ask Lima or Spain whether they agreed. So it can be say that this, in the words Felix Luna, is the first war of the Argentineans, both for the initiative -to fight in defense of territory-, as for the composition of the troops mentioned above.


The attack occurred on the night of 6 August. Previously, the governor Lobo, in the language of chivalry of the time, summoned the Portuguese asking them to evict the colony. The end of the fighting was far less chivalrous, as Garro allowed Tapes Indians to loot freely. The Portuguese garrison was destroyed, and more than a hundred Lusitanian died.


The victory filled the Rioplatenses with joy. But they would soon be disappointed: Spain, who, when she learned about the Portuguese installment, had instructed authorities to evacuate them “by fire and sword”, yielded to the furious reaction of the king of Portugal. In fact, as soon as he learnt about the fate of the Portuguese, Pedro II of Braganza threatened with war. Charles II then disavowed the governor of Buenos Aires and returned the colony to Portugal. Both kingdoms agreed to discuss the limits of Tordesillas, but this commitment was postponed and Colonia Do Sacramento was rebuilt and resettled by the Portuguese.


The seventeenth century ended in the Rio de la Plata with a victory, followed by a decision of the metropolis that was incomprehensible in the eyes of the natives, as it had been decided in the Peninsula taking into account European interests and not American interests.


Buenos Aires accommodated to new circumstances and a good communication between both coasts of the river was established. However, the Portuguese foundation of Colonia do Sacramento would give rise to three regional wars with international repercussions.
 

maverick

Banned
Yes, I remember the role of the Jesuitic Guaranies in the retaking of Sacramento.

It otherwise can't be that hard, several tribes were later more than eager to ally with men than Rosas and Mitre provided the pay was good enough, although I don't know if the first Argentine Government have enough money to bribe the southern tribes, and that I don't know which tribes are those, since the tribes that Rosas had in his pocket resided in southern Chile in the 1810s.

Guaranies like Andres Guacurari also had important role in places like the Misiones, although mostly fighting Brazilians and during Artigas' civil war in the north.

I dunno about Bolivia and Peru, although they do have a history of rising against against the Spaniards, if Tupac Amaru II is of any indication.
 
Yes, I remember the role of the Jesuitic Guaranies in the retaking of Sacramento.

It otherwise can't be that hard, several tribes were later more than eager to ally with men than Rosas and Mitre provided the pay was good enough, although I don't know if the first Argentine Government have enough money to bribe the southern tribes, and that I don't know which tribes are those, since the tribes that Rosas had in his pocket resided in southern Chile in the 1810s..

A very cool scenario would be to have Pampa Indians fighting the British in 1806/7. For those who don't know, Pampa Indians of that time where nomad horse riders, similar to contemporary Amerindians from Norhtamerican Plains (but, IIRC, they used more spears and boleadoras than bows and arrows, and were more in touch with non Indians through trade and other means of communication than NorthAmerican Indians).

Apparently, a certain leader (I think it was a Spaniard, a criollo or a mestizo from Chile who had some influence among these tribes) presented himself to the authorities in Santa Fe 1806 the and offered the help of thousands of Indian horsemen to expell the "Colorados" (litterarly "the Reds"; it was the word he used to refer to the British soldiers) from Buenos Aires. He's offer was declined.

Guaranies like Andres Guacurari also had important role in places like the Misiones, although mostly fighting Brazilians and during Artigas' civil war in the north. .

I didn't know this

I dunno about Bolivia and Peru, although they do have a history of rising against against the Spaniards, if Tupac Amaru II is of any indication.

Nor do I, but who can they fight. After all, Spanish control over Perú and Bolivia wasn't threateneed by any foreign power...

Maybe Mexico is a better place. Might tibes living in Northen Mexico have been allies of either Mexico or the US during the Texas Secession and/or the Mexican-American war???

EDIT: I just realised the original post (which I myself wrote) says South America. But it doesn't matter.
 
What about the wars between the Portuguese and the French? Or the Portuguese and the Dutch? Or in wars that took place in Northern South America, involving Spain, Portugal, France, GB and the Netherlands? Could Amerindians had played a greater roll there than IOTL?
 
I agree, the greatest chance probably involves the Pampas area. Or posssibly if the conquest of the Andes went very very different you could get something from there (Portugese backed Incas versus... everybody else + Spaniards or something. Could be fun, if implausible). On the Pamapas though, maybe we could get something out of the Aruacanization of the area? Like if somebody else settled the east coast, you could get them backing the native tribes versus Spanish backed Mapuche. Or maybe the other may around, I know the Spaniards weren't very fond of the Mapuches.
 
Well, Upper Peru (current Bolivia) was guerrilla territory during the independence war. I'd pretty much bet Indians were fighting there. Then again, if so, they were commanded by the rich landowners of the area and not as independent tribes.

Maybe a bit far fetched, but WI during the Argentinean's Northern Army retreat in 1812 (the Jujuy Exodus), Belgrano or an ATL commander doesn't disobey orders and continues retreating to Cordoba. Let's assume the Spaniards reach that general area in fighting condition and defeat or outmaneuver the revolutionary forces. Would the Argentinean Triumvirate enter negotiations with the Mapuches for help in the war?
 
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