Montoya, Antonio Ruiz de (1585-1652)

Antonio Ruiz de Montoya (1585-1652), a Peruvian Jesuit working in the missionary reductions of colonial Paraguay in the 17^th century, is distinguished by his writings that documented essential aspects of the Guaraní language and the cultural practices of indigenous peoples. He also evoked the history of the mission and colonial society in general. In a period of brutal subjugation of the indigenous peoples, Montoya, like other Jesuits, tried to protect them from the exactions of the settlers, while missionary reductions deeply disrupted the lives of the peoples concerned. In his writings, he echoed the phenomena of resistance, but also the integration of missions into the local mythical memory.

Keywords: Linguistics | Ethnography | Christian missions | Missionary | Colonialism | Jesuits | 17^th century | Paraguay | Guarani | Catholicism