The economienda system was a legal and labor system in which Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) used indigenous people as a labor force. The goal of this system was to have indigenous people complete the hard physical labor and the land owners (Spanish colonizers) would provide protection. Along with this, the Spanish colonziers would also help to convert the indigenous people to Christianity.
This system was supposed to benefit both parties involved, however it was often manipulated and corrupt during the 15th and 16th centuries.