In the reading I saw the word ethnocide being used in regards to the methods employed by missionaries towards the Native Americans. I had a California History class last semester at CSM where my professor was quick to defend the missionaries against Indian genocide, stating the intentional wiping out of the Indian population was not part of their agenda. We did not, however, talk much about the cultural impact the Indian neophytes (think novices of a religion) had to deal with as a result of being Christianized. We glossed over the fact that while the neophytes were allowed visits to their families off the missions, they would be brought back against their will if they wouldn't return on time. Basically, the neophytes were not allowed to leave once they agreed to live on the mission and become Christians.
They were subject to working with different crops and creating tallow and cow hides (cow hides were California's big cash crop during the Californio period) but my professor argued this was not a cruel and unusual amount of labor. In addition, the neophytes were taught different skills which sounds nice, and perhaps a few of them taught their friends and family some of these skills, but they still weren't allowed to leave the missions. We also read of the instances of the missionaries trying to rid their neophytes of some of their cultures more vulgar practices. I assume that probably how the ethnocide began, having them shed the more disgusting behavior before slowly bringing them more and more into a European world view and behavior.
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