Devotin and ambition, Christ's and the golden calf cult are the elements mingled in the origin of the colonial entreprise, in the origin of America, and particularly of Amazon - face to the unknown, the Europeans used conventional intelectual and organizational strutures, which had been moulded during centuries through indirect contacts with other cultures ; these strutures made impossible a clear perception of the radical alterity of the land and of the American people . ( Greenblat, 1996 ; 61.)(4)

The first European nation which succeeded in organizing the settlement of marcantilist groups at the river mouth and in its neighbourhood was France, which, under the rule of Sir La Ravadière, created a project for an Equinocial or Transatlantic France, he founded the city of São Luís do Maranhão, 1612, where were gathered mercantilist there established since 1594.

In 1626, the king of Portugal establishes the posession and legitimates the land; Bento Maciel Parente is appointed governor and captain of the Amazon river. In 1750 Portugal ensures the possession by means of the law Uti Possidetis - those who succeed in occupying a region are considered its legal owners.

Amazon river and most of its main affluents are, either totally or in great part, navigable - the whole navigable extension comes to more than 25 km. The occupation of the region, until half of XX century, happened exclusively along the river.

Until today Amazon jungle and its peoples are penetrated by a fantastic imaginary , now, no longer for the posession that characterizes the appointment and re-appointement , but this turn by the ecology "mith", still marvellous, which comes together with the assumption that we need to save the biggest world jungle; the claim brings in it adjectives that take us to a criticism to urban and mass societies. Indian and nature are again the priviledged main symbols, now covered by adjectives as : earthy paradize, world barn, world lung; the indians presented as the real Brazilian people, posessors of unquestionable winsdom. The images are built through the imaginary, highliting the importance of this space, a environment redesigned according to each historic moment. (5)

The Religious Presence

The Jesuits

Jesuits entered Maranhão before the Capuchins, who had taken part of its foundation in 1612.(6) The jesuits were mouved by the desire to settle a religious empire, what was beginning to became reality in Paraguai.

Jesuits presence in Amazon took place in 1636 when Luís de Figueira, who had come from Maranhão, arrived in Belém and started a missionary action along the rivers Tocantins, Pacajá and the low region of Xingú. In 1637 he returns to Portugal and publishes the book Memorial sobre as terras e gentes do Maranhão, Grão Pará e o rio Amazonas ( Memorial on Maranhão, Grão Pará and Amazon river lands and peoples ) .

Jesuit missions history in Amazon can be divided in three phases :

1 - trials to setlle a mission system in Maranhão and Amazon, similar to what Companhia de Jesus had been doing in the south of Brazil since 1549. It starts when the priests Francisco Pinto and Luís de Figueira were sent to Serra do Ibiapaba ( 1607 ) and finishes with Figueira and his group's death, arrested by the Aruande Marajó indians (1643)

2 - Priest Antonio Vieira political and ideological presence from 1652 to 1662, when, for the first time, jesuits were expelled from Maranhão. During the years of 1660 and 1680 there was a period of accomodation and concessions, which was to finish when the Companhia de Jesus priests were expelled again during a rebelion led by Beckman ( 1684 ).

3 - It occurs when the jesuits come back to Maranhão ( 1685 ) and final expelling process of Companhia de Jesus from Maranhão and Brazil , during Pombal rule, in 1759.

The permanent presence of jesuits in Amazon takes place in 1653 when the priests João de Souto Maior and Gaspar Fragoso are sent to Maranhão by priest Antonio Vieira.

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