Abstract
In the mid-eighteenth century, the Luso-Brazilian expansion affected the Jê peoples who lived in the backlands of Goiás and Piauí. To try to contain the indigenous warlike incursions, the Portuguese Crown hired Antônio Pires de Campos and Antônio Gomes Leite, aiming at the practice of war, as well as its pacts and the creation of villages from the private initiative, that is, from the sertanistas themselves. Thus, based on evidence from sources and specialized literature, we discuss the practices of these men and the indigenous soldiers who were led by them. We support the thesis that their actions, beyond seeking the promised favors, had a direct role in the genocide, in the conquest of territories, and in the management of indigenous work via administration; and indirect, in the expansion and consolidation of Portuguese boundaries from Goiás and Mato Grosso.
Keywords
Antônio Pires de Campos; Antônio Gomes Leite; sertanistas; Kayapó do Sul; Gueguê; Akroá