An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay, (1 of 3)

"An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay" by Martin Dobrizhoffer is a narrative from the late 1700s that pulls back the curtain on the Abipones, a native group from Paraguay, chronicling their way of life, societal organization, and relationships with Spanish settlers and Jesuit priests. Written by a Jesuit missionary, who spent almost two decades immersed in South America, the book paints a clear picture of a culture barely known to Europeans at the time. Dobrizhoffer starts by explaining his reasons for writing about the Abipones, setting the scene in Paraguay and pointing out the difficulties caused by both local tribes and colonial rivals. He introduces his goal to authentically show the Abipones and clarify some untrue stories about them. Dobrizhoffer's text works to give us a way to grasp the detailed social workings and cultural wealth of the Abipones, criticizing the stories that formed historic views of native groups.