Indigenous women in the conquest of Paraguay

The role of indigenous women in the conquest of Paraguay was central, as the insertion of the Spanish conquistadors into the native societies of the Río de la Plata basin was based on the relationships established with them. In these matrilineal societies, women were the most prized asset of the entire community both as agricultural producers and reproducers of the labor force; through the cuñadazgo—a Guaraní institution by which caciques sealed alliances by giving women to newcomers, transforming them into brothers-in-law or sons-in-law—the first bond between the Guaraní and the Spaniards was structured.

Source: Wikipedia — Indigenous women in the conquest of Paraguay (CC BY-SA 4.0)