It seems like these missions were only able to survive in a new environment by having soldiers. However, to survive, the missions had to have some sort of economy. They had to be able to buy the goods that they couldn't produce unless they lived of the land entirely, and it doesn't seem like they did. Did the missionaries entirely subsist off of the forced labor of the Native Americans? We're they self sufficient in this way or did they also sell the goods that the Native Americans produced? And why did the Native Americans enter the missions in the first place? I read that in California the lifespan of mission Indians were 6 years. Why did they not run away before they were forced to enter the missions if they knew that the Spanish were coming? I know it was very hard for the Native Americans to resist, but I just want to understand better how the Spanish took control.
Beginning in 1597 and for 15 years Juan de Onate with his army of over 300 soldiers conquered pueblo after pueblo along the Rio Grande from El Paso Texas to Santa Fe NM. He and his army raped and murdered thousands of Piros Indians who had occupied the land in peace for over ten thousand years. These Indians were not warlike - like the Comanche or Shawnee. Those the Spaniards didn't kill, they enslaved or cut off a hand or foot for punishment for resisting. Their children under the age of 12 were entrusted into the care of the priests in these missions, as a warning against further rebellion. Onate and his men pillaged over 40 pueblos and proceeded to colonize each area with men, women, children and stock. They did live off the land, with the help of the Piros.
From a copy of a letter written by Don Juan de Oñate from New Mexico to the Viceroy, the Count of Monterey, on the second day of March, 1599:
"It is a land abounding in flesh of buffalo, goats with hideous horns, and turkeys; and in Mohoce there is game of all kinds. There are many wild and ferocious beasts, lions, bears, wolves, tigers, penicas, ferrets, porcupines, and other animals, whose hides they tan and use. Towards the west there are bees and very white honey, of which I am sending a sample. Besides, there are vegetables, a great abundance of the best and greatest salines in the world, and a very great many kinds of very rich ores, as I stated above. Some discovered near here do not appear so, although we have hardly begun to see anything of the much there is to be seen. There are very fine grape vines, rivers, forests of many oaks, and some cork trees, fruits, melons, grapes, watermelons, Castilian plums, capuli, pine-nuts, acorns, ground-nuts, and coralejo, which is a delicious fruit, and other wild fruits. There are many and very good fish in this Rio del Norte, and in others. From the ores here are made all the colors which we use, and they are fine."
So yes, the Spaniards did live off the land (with the help and enslavement of the local Pueblo Indians). The Pueblo Indians finally did revolt in 1680 (Pope's Rebellion) and kept the Spaniards out for 12 years, but eventually the Spaniards took control of the area again. (Don Diego's bloodless reconquest - 1692).