Indigenous Labor

Definition

Indigenous labor refers to the system of utilizing native people as a workforce in the Spanish colonial system. It involved forced labor, often under harsh conditions, imposed on indigenous populations by the Spanish conquerors.

Related terms

Encomienda System: This was a legal system in which Spanish colonists were granted land and Native American workers in exchange for their promise to Christianize them.

Mita System: A form of compulsory labor used in colonial Peru, where indigenous communities were required to send a certain number of adult males to work in mines or other industries.

Repartimiento System: A forced labor system implemented by the Spanish crown, it required indigenous people to work for a specific period each year on public works projects or private enterprises.