Week 14

In accordance with what Victoria stated in her post, the relationship between the Spanish and the Andean natives was the most intriguing about of this weeks reading.  Although they had set backs and challenges they needed each other.  The Spaniards relied on Andean natives for their advanced agricultural skills and the natives relied on the Spanish for solving their problems.  It began as a mutualistic relationship of colonials and kurakas, that helped benefit both sides.  Stern however, then goes on to outline major crisis's that affect the region of Huamanga.  Stern describes a system of encomiendas that have rule over much of the region but are able to give the natives a sense of freedom by letting them own and rule certain things. It also gives them money.  While Stern is describing the system and their relationships he is able to add in the natural resources that flourish in Huamanga making it an important region for the Spanish.  It is filled with mines for mercury, silver and gold.  He also brings up that the Andeans infused Christianity and their religion together.  However, they had individuals who believed that the Spanish would pay for everything they had done to their homeland.  Stern addresses issued talked about in other books but it is interesting to see how the conquest affected the region of Huamanga.