Abstract: In the last few decades, colonial studies have benefited from the engagement with Settler Colonialism Theory (SCT) in different case studies. Particularly in the Southern Cone, this articulation expanded the knowledge of present-day Uruguay and the Argentine Patagonia, territories traditionally inhabited by highly mobile groups. The Chaco has yet to be considered under the parameters of said model. During colonial times and up until the late nineteenth century, this region represented one of the most difficult challenges for advancing colonial and later national control due to the nature of their terrains and the strategies implemented by their Indigenous Peoples. In this article, I will review some aspects that make this a rugged region to categorize completely under any given theoretical framework and then explain how some of the concepts from SCT can help us elucidate certain processes of conquest and colonization in the Gran Chaco.