Nheçu
Encyclopedia
Nheçu or Chief Nheçu was Guaraní Indian leader who lived during the 17th century in the region of today's municipality of Roque Gonzales
, in the Western part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul
, in the south of Brazil
.
Historical records left behind by the first European
settlers and their descendents indicate that in 1628 Nheçu had commanded the slaughter of one native Paraguay
an and two Spanish
Jesuits missionaries: Roque Gonzales
, João de Castilho and Afonso Rodrigues (all three name spellings here are in Brazilian Portuguese
). These were the first three Europeans to enter this region of southern Brazil, as far as it is known. Today, they are celebrated as martyr
s by the Catholic Church, especially in that part of the American Continent.
The center of rule and control of Chief Nheçu is said to have been the Inhacurutum hill, an unusual elevation located in the Ijui river valley. It was also from this place that he tried to resist and stem European colonization, a campaign that ultimately was in vain with the establishment of the Jesuit Missions
in the region.
Today there are but very few descendents of the Guaraní people in the original territory commanded by Chief Nheçu. However, the area is well populated by descendents of European immigrants and their descendents, the Portuguese language prevailing, with some communities still speaking (mostly in the home) dialects of German
, Russian
, Polish
, Italian
, etc.
Roque Gonzales
Roque Gonzales can refer to:*Roque Gonzales, Brazil, a town and municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil*Roque González de Santa Cruz, a Jesuit missionary who established missions in Brazil...
, in the Western part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, in the south of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Historical records left behind by the first European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
settlers and their descendents indicate that in 1628 Nheçu had commanded the slaughter of one native Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
an and two Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Jesuits missionaries: Roque Gonzales
Roque González de Santa Cruz
Father Roque González de Santa Cruz S.J. was born in Asunción, Paraguay on 17 November 1576. He was the son of Don Bartolomé González de Villaverde and Doña María de Santa Cruz who were Spanish nobles. Roque González spoke Guaraní fluently from an early age....
, João de Castilho and Afonso Rodrigues (all three name spellings here are in Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
). These were the first three Europeans to enter this region of southern Brazil, as far as it is known. Today, they are celebrated as martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s by the Catholic Church, especially in that part of the American Continent.
The center of rule and control of Chief Nheçu is said to have been the Inhacurutum hill, an unusual elevation located in the Ijui river valley. It was also from this place that he tried to resist and stem European colonization, a campaign that ultimately was in vain with the establishment of the Jesuit Missions
Mission (station)
A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
in the region.
Today there are but very few descendents of the Guaraní people in the original territory commanded by Chief Nheçu. However, the area is well populated by descendents of European immigrants and their descendents, the Portuguese language prevailing, with some communities still speaking (mostly in the home) dialects of German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, etc.