One of our focuses this week in class was to address the way we think of early contact and cultural exchange between Europeans, American Indians, and Africans during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. To that end, we watched several clips from The New World (2005) and Pocahontas (1995) and we talked about the way that Facing East From Indian Country asks us to reconsider our approach to encounters between Europeans and American Indians and to consider how Indians “discovered” Europeans. In addition, readings in the Rushforth and Mapp collection included a number of primary source documents that provide accounts of European/Native American relations.
Using one of the film clips we watched in class (the links to them are on Blackboard), the chapters we read last week in Facing East, and Cabeza de Vaca’s account of his journey through Florida to the Southwest during the sixteenth century, discuss the ways that Native Americans and Europeans interacted and were envisioned by us and each other.
This doesn’t need to be a long answer – a paragraph or two will do. Just put together a few thoughts about how we think about early American Indian-European relations (with our 21st century perspective in the films), what Cabeza de Vaca says about his encounters with Native Americans (using specific examples from the text); and what Facing East proposes about how Native Americans discovered Europe.
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Neil Maude
ReplyDeleteAmericans and Europeans each confronted each other with great curiosity initially. Depicted in the "New World" clip, the Americans initially appeared very generous and welcoming to the Europeans. On page 26 of Richter's book there is an account of how the Americans wished their friendship upon the Europeans by circling their boats and giving gifts. The Europeans were also curious about the natives. the natives appeared welcoming, in page 28 of the Ruthsford/Mapp readings Columbus describes how they Natives came ready to the boat with goods to trade. This would likely indicate that the Natives were already familiar with Europeans at the time. Similar to Columbus Cabeza de Vaca depicts the natives as welcoming. Cabeza mentions how the natives brought many fish. They natives were also depicted to feel pity and sorrow upon news of the lost life from Cabeza's party. The natives even provided shelter and dwelling units for Cabeza's men. Cabeza obviously experienced much companionship and generosity from the natives until Cabeza and his men were held responsible for the disease that struck the natives.
A.J. Jewison
ReplyDeleteAs we discussed on the first day of class, the "discovery" of the new world was really a collision of two very different world systems-neither one really old or new. If we accept the idea that Native American culture and European culture really collided in the 16th and 17th centuries than we really should expect a complex and complicated vision of how these very intricate cultures first interacted. In both the documents and Richter, the Spanish and French collisions with the Indians were of mixed reaction. It seems evident that while the Europeans craved for profit at any cost, their survival was really dependent on the knowledge of the Natives. Both de Soto and Cartier demanded translators. Cartier even shipped Taignoagny and Domagaia back to France in order to teach them the ways of the Europeans. I think the dependancy of the Indians to the Europeans cannot be understated. De Vaca is clear that his crew needed help from the people of Malhado: "..they again gave us fish and roots, showing us such hospitality that we were re-assured, and lost somewhat the fear of sacrifice."
The Europeans admit their vulnerability in their writing to a degree, but typically account for their survival to the workings of "the Lord." The Natives always come off as curious beings, never as saviors to the Europeans in the 16th Century writings.
Modern film interpretations try to portray a more profound, romantic world collision. John Smith, in both films we watched, is not a hardheaded businessman, but a noble linkage between the two cultures . Despite what history tells us, the love story between John Smith and Pocahontas has remained a popular story, maybe because it makes the collision seem less chaotic and brutal?
Clearly, the "discovery" of the new world has sparked a wide range of stories about early Indian-European relations-some true, some not so true, and some hidden from history all together.
Peter Nickell
ReplyDeleteThe Native Americans in South America seemed both fearful and welcoming of the Europeans upon first arriving. In one of the documents from the Rushforth and Mapp readings, a native Aztec describes their first contact with the Spaniards. He says they were welcomed to the palace at Tlayacac with open arms doing the things that they thought would have satisfied including a sacrifice. This put that specific captain in a rage and he struck the native who offered. In the rest of the document it describes how the Spanish massacred the Aztec after. The New World showed Indians coming to the shore almost gawking upon the boats of the Englishman. It also showed an English captain looking at the lush American landscape and (as we said in class) having a look of “this is mine” on his face. Cabeza de Vaca’s account of first interaction as them coming to and weeping with the men about the deaths of their friends so they do not start of as “savages” at all but rather human beings who recognize misfortune.
Mitchell Ryan
ReplyDeleteThe Native Americans and Europeans greeted each other with a great sense of curiosity. This was more curiosity on the Europeans part, I would say, because as soon as the ships arrived, the Natives were already there with gifts and goods to trade. The Europeans, (these particular ones anyway) had never encountered the Natives before, but through their routes of communication, the Native Americans already knew of their existence, and what to expect upon meeting them.
Jenni MacDuff
ReplyDeleteThe first interactions between Native Americans and Europeans were very strange to each side. Their cultures were so different, so they both were curious and had a lot to learn. Usually they went into it with good and friendly intentions, however, their differences usually led to conflict. In the new world clip, the Indians run to the shore to look at the European ships coming in. They look curious and cautious, but definitely not hostile. The crews on the ships also look very curious and excited. In the Richter book, it also talks about how the Natives greeted the Europeans at their ships eager to trade with them, and in Cabeza De Vaca he accounts that the Natives greeted them with fish. At the first encounter it is usually peaceful, however, when one group decides they want power over the other group, conflict emerges. In the Richter book there are many accounts of the Plymouth and Virginia colonists oppressing the Indians to the point that war breaks out. The Indians and Europeans can never seem to live in harmony with each other.
From a 21st century perspective, “The New World” portrays the Europeans as alien to the American Indian, whose immediate concern is the invasion of their land. The Europeans, on the other hand find an untouched, fertile place where they can form a new society. This society would allow them a clean slate to foster equality and religious freedoms.
ReplyDeleteI believe de Vaca was very objective when describing his encounters with Indians. He says “wherever I went I received fair treatment”. This is evident by the way the natives rescued him and his crew members. They warmed him, fed him and brought him back to health. De Vaca also objectively illustrated the culture and rituals of the Indian people. This is evident in his description of how the Indians cured disease by breathing on the sick or running a stone over the abdomen. He later joked about these methods and admitted their displeasure with his comedy.
With regard to the Richter readings, I feel the Native Americans reluctantly accepted the Europeans. They became dependant, however, upon European tools that advanced their culture. One main overtone of Richter’s is that regardless of the generosity of the Europeans, Indians could not overlook the fact that some of their people would be taken into captivity and brought back to Europe. People and family were the root of Indian culture and a future of captivity was unthinkable.
Kaitlyn Guerrieri
ReplyDeleteThe first interactions between these two groups would be considered completely normal. The Native Americans and the Europeans were completely new to each other. They are both from completely different cultures and backgrounds, so it would seem only right that they were scared of each other.
However, 21st century depiction is different from year to year as well as who is creating the images or who the audience is. The movie "New World" shows the Natives as very peaceful, generous and very much into their land. In Disney's Pochantas the natives are seem and even named "savages". deVaca tells of how the Natives were generous and even brought them food. So it seems that the movie "New World" depicts the Natives the way the Europeans did at the time of their arrival into the new world. However, in Pochantas the Natives also suggest that the Europeans were "savages". It seems that in the instances where the Natives as well as the Europeans are shown as "savages" it is because both are curious of each other and are not really sure what each is bringing to the table.
Madeline D.
ReplyDeleteThe clip from "Pocahontas" depicted the Indians and Europeans as unwilling to get along, distressed by the more obvious differences between the two cultures. It shows the hostility and antipathy that they may have felt towards each other, based on a lack of communication or misunderstanding.
In Cabeza de Vaca's account, the Spanish men relied on the Indians for food and shelter. Some of the Indian tribes are more sympathetic and hospitable towards the Europeans than others, and de Vaca is ultimately able to assimilate into the Indian society before he returned home to Spain.
The contact between the American Indians and the Europeans in "Facing East From Indian Country" is discussed at length through the trade of material things between the two peoples. The interactions were mixed, but it was made clear that they became dependent on trading with one another.
Lauren McTigue
ReplyDeleteThe three sources discussed last week offer different perspectives in how the Native Americans and Europeans reacted to one another in varying degrees. The New World clip showed a curious first encounter while the Pocahontas clip showed a far more dramatic and confrontational view from both sides as each thought the other were “savages.” The latter gave way to the idea that each side had passionate and negative views towards the other which our readings from last week do not entirely attest to.
Cabeza de Vaca gives a very descriptive account of the interaction between the Europeans and Native Americans from the European view. The excerpt acknowledges what the two learned from one another, though there was distrust towards the unknown (this account refers to Native Americans as savages as well at one point). Even so, de Vaca speaks a great deal of how the Native Americans saved his crew and cared for them, indicating an inevitable bond. Still, the Europeans thought little of some aspects of the Native Americans’ way of life such as medicine, and the Native Americans fought against the accusation that their ways could be wrong. Through this, there is the presence of ethnocentricity on both sides as neither believes their ways could be inferior to the others, though they never take into account their very different backgrounds and environments.
The first encounters are ultimately—as Kaitlyn mentioned—what one would expect from two groups of people trying to make sense of the other.
Matt Adamitis
ReplyDeleteThe clips from "The New World" and "Pocahontas" did portray a Hollywood style representation of at least one aspect of the relationships between the Europeans and Americans upon first contact. Although neither clip gave very much detail about the relationships these two groups shared, they did both briefly touch on some of the interactions these people experienced with one another. "The New World" clip showed the English arriving at what would be Jamestown, with the Americans cautiously and curiously watching them from afar. The "Pocahontas" clip, which is geared more towards entertainment, does show how the initial uneasiness and misunderstandings between these people could turn violent.
In the readings this pattern occured, on one scale or another, fairly steadily. Initial curiosity and compassion in some cases, would lead to eventual distrust and even violence. On a small scale, Ritcher describes this happening when one of Verrazano's men snatched a young girl after attempting to lure her with food. It was also the case for Cabeze de Vaca when he describes being initially given food and shelter, but after disease strikes the Native Americans, he is nearly executed and is later forced into a type of slavery.
There seem to be a couple stages of the Natives Americans and Europeans “discovering” each other. At first, it is pure curiosity, as seen in The New World. Both parties are basically seeing what the other looks like, and finding out if they are friendly or not. This is often preceded by rumors and signs, most often of the Europeans. After this initial contact, the Europeans generally attempt to develop some kind of trade and barter system, using beads and other knick-knacks to obtain fur, beaver pelts, precious metals, etc. Some groups also begin trying to covert the natives to Christianity. If this doesn’t work, as stated in The Requerimiento in the Rushforth/Mapp text, the missionaries “shall powerfully enter into [the natives’] country, and shall make war against [them] in all ways and manners that we can...” Of course, there were often more complex interactions than this, but before general trade patterns had been established between the Europeans and the Native Americans, this could be a feasible scenario.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that there were many different reactions, and interpretations, of the first encounters of the Native Americans and the Europeans. According to the New World clip the Native Americans were very curious of the European visitors, however the Europeans did not seem that interested or curious of the Native Americans. I feel that Richter would disagree with this interpretation. I feel that he would argue that the Native Americans had probably already heard stories about the European settlers, found some of their items left behind and would have had some ideas already formed of the Europeans. It is harder in the Richter readings to assess how the Europeans felt upon arrival. Some of the encounters he describes the Europeans as curious of the Native Americans, and willing to learn about their culture. However in many of the stories the Europeans go very quickly from being cautious and curious to simply taking what they want and showing quite ignorance of the Native American culture. "Donaconna is less than enthusiastic in welcoming Cartier back. Before the Frenchman's rude departure, his peaceful intentions had already become suspect" (Richter 30) However on that same note Richter points out that many times the Native Americans also used the Europeans to fight their battles against other tribes. "Mococo apparently hopes his guest will broker an alliance with the Spanish that will help him defeat his coastal enemies of Ucita and three other towns" (Richter 20). Although the first encounters may have been over shadowed by curiosity, the overwhelming view of the following encounters of Native Americans and Europeans is one of who can gain the most out of the new relationships.
ReplyDeleteIn both of the movie clips the initial encounters depicted both the Indians and the Europeans to be curious and cautious/hostile. "The New World" showed an overly curious group of Indians watching the Europeans from afar as if it were their first time encountering non natives. This film was meant to be more realistic but it is unlikely that the natives had not crossed paths with any Europeans by that point in time. "Pocahontas" was geared towards presenting the Indians as savages because of the disconnect in language and culture which led to conflict and hostility between the settlers and the natives. In the readings we are presented with very detailed accounts of interactions with the Indians. We learn that the natives and the settlers were able to gain a great deal from each other and implement a barter system. However, the differences in their beliefs regarding medicine and a higher power ultimately led them to not trust the others and caused a great deal of tension/conflict. At first, it seemed like both groups were receiving the other amicably and establishing relationships that would ultimately benefit both groups. However, both the Europeans and the Indians believed they were superior to the other and it wound up preventing the two from coexisting peacefully.
ReplyDeleteJigisha Dalal
ReplyDeleteFrom the three video clips we watched in class the one I thought portrayed the Native Americans and Europeans in a very different way was "The New World". "The New World" characterize the Europeans as strangers to the African Americans. As they frantically run round, all they can think of is their land being invaded. But the Europeans, on the contrary, don't know that their are people already there and yet they are coming to this land ready to explore and expand their culture.
As stated in the Richter book, The Native Americans greeted the Europeans with open arms. Even though, their first interaction was somewhat uncomfortable on each side, due to their different backgrounds and cultures, it would give the impression that they were both scared of meeting strangers. Yet the Native Americans were ready with gifts and goods to trade. The Native Americans even helped the Europeans restore their health with a "concoction brewed from the vitamin-C rich bark and leaves from the white cedar." (Richter 31)
I think the initial meetings must have been met with quie a bit of nerves and reservations, on top of the fact that both sides were very curious about one another. To each side, their cultures were developed and advanced. The Indians knew the lay of the land and the way to sustain generations of livelihood in the new world, whereas the Europeans brought with them technology and changes in philosophy. I'm sure these differences initially created a huge gap in understanding.
ReplyDeleteIn the "New World" movie clip, the Europeans have a sense of relief at finally reaching their destination, but the captain also has an all-conquering look, as if he finally sees all that is HIS. The Indians, looking from the trees, have an initial look of suspicion and curiosity. In "Pocahontas," each side can be heard declaring the other group as being savages. It's very clear that both of these ideas could very well be true. The natives might have very well thought the disease the Europeans brought alone was a horrendous curse, and that they were savages. Perhaps they were weary of having been foretold of another race dominating their land, as the natives were well aware of outsiders before their arrival, due to tools and other objects.
What interests me is the way each party acted towards eachother, considering the Europeans had long-term motives, whereas the Indians must have had no clue they were going to be completely dominated as a people.
Rachel Marciano
ReplyDeleteThe first meeting of Europeans and American Indians was most likely a shocking and eye-opening experience for both sides. The Europeans had no idea that there were already people living in this "New World", and the Navtive Americans probably had no idea that another much more advanced and complex world other than their own even existed.
In first clip from "The New World", the men seem amazed by this new territory they have just found, and don't seem to be concerned if there are natives there or not. They believe this new land to be theirs. The Native Americans are even more taken aback by the large ships that are pulling up to their land, and show a lot of curiosity towards the new comers.
According to "Facing East", the Native Americans believed Europe to be the "new world." They were so accustomed to their way way of life, so when the Europeans came, they were completely amazed by all the technology and ideas that the Europeans had to offer.
Cabeza de Vaca met different tribes as he travelled west accross what is now the US.
ReplyDeleteHis text refers to Europeans as 'Christians' and the natives as 'Indians'. However he realizes through his
travels that each tribe is different. Not only do they have different languages, they have different customs and
traditions. For example some tribes go naked and barefoot, some tribes dress the women once they are married,
and some tribe wear deerskin and wear shoes. He also noticed the Indians on the east coast eat more fish, while as
he travels west fish is replaced by deer, pumpkins and corn. He notes how one village has more freedom for women than
any other because females are allows to converse with as equals.
De Vaca also notices that different tribes have different attitudes towards the 'Christians'. At first they are treated with pity
because their friends have died. Some tribes try to treat them as another tribe so that they may trade with them, and expect something
in return for the food they have given: Medical treatments. Perhaps they saw the Europeans as healers. Some tribe who have only
heard of 'Christians' treat them with fear, and as enemies or slaves. Cabeza de Vaca sees that all 'Indians' are not they same.
BC
Samantha Nickolaou
ReplyDeleteAs many others have already noted, the Native Americans and Europeans greeted each other with curiosity and a heightened sense of precaution. To each one the other was strange and the opening scene of "The New World" depicts this well. Also shown in the "The New World" clip, was the Europeans relief and interest to find land, and their ignorance to the existence of its inhabitants.
Cabeza de Vaca's account of his journeys share two different opinions on their interactions with the Natives. One opinion consists of his troubles dealing with hostile encounters with them. This view is comparable to the "Savages" song in Disney's "Pocahontas" in which both the Europeans and Native Americans recall the other as "barely even human." However, during most of de Vaca's odyssey, the natives are very giving, greeting him and his men with food multiple times a day. De Vaca describes them as generous, timid and a people of great mystery.
In the films "The New World", the Europeans are seen as a curiosity by the Native americans, although they may have heard of their arrivals through the communications previously established. The Europeans appear relieveed to find a bountiful land teaming with game, although their looks of concern may be that of survival and not of the natives. The film "Pocahontas" features a very stereotypical view of the natives and Europeans, with songs featuring both sides claiming the other are savages.
ReplyDeleteReferred to as 'Christians', Cabeza De Vaca's account of Europeans sees trouble with hostile natives aand the kindness they often show to them by providing food on severeal occasions. The Christians are viewed by the natives as pitiful for the loss of their friends, however the natives also see this as an opportunity for commerce by treating them as simply another tribe.
I believe that the first meeting between the Europeans and the Natives must have been very nerve racking. Both sides knew nothing of the others. I believe the Europeans were the ones making the first moves since they felt they were the superior ones. I also believe that the initial meeting was friendly because they were more curious than anything.
ReplyDeleteIn the film The New World it was very stereotypical on how both the Europeans and the Natives dressed. The Natives were the more curious ones. The Europeans looked like they were interested in discovering the riches of the land and conquering and owning the land. In the film Pocahantas the Europeans and the Natives did not trust each other at all. They were viewed as savages from both sides. Cabeza de Vaca's account shows that the Europeans are suspicious with how generous the Natives were. And the natives felt that the Europeans were soft and pitiful but saw them as a business opportunity to acquire new things they had never seen before.
It seems that Native Americans and Europeans has relationships that changed over time, as each culture and people learned more about one another.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Richter's text, Native Americans general first reactions to the Europeans were that of a curious nature, but more so that of a general respect because the natives believed these explorers to be holy, and "sent from god."
The European explorers had a much more comprehensive understanding of the possibility of the existence of native peoples that would inhabit any land they came upon, simply because they had experienced it before. In years prior, Europeans had invaded the African continent and learned much about the world outside Europe. These people therefore knew, or at least could make a good estimation that the same principals may apply to the new world, and it's native peoples.
Although the native reactions seem appropriate to the behaviors displayed by the French and Spanish settlers, I have to agree that they seemed more curious and mindful of the people instead of immediately trusting. The general disposition of Cartier, for example, seems to have been much more humane and tactful than that of De Soto. The Native Americans shaped their understanding of these settlers based more on aspects of their diverse European cultures, and vice versa.
“The New World” opened up a new, exotic, and exciting world for the Europeans who arrived here more than five hundred years ago. Innitially it would seem that mutual curiosity existed between the natives and the Europeans. The natives brought gifts and food to the Europeans, either believing them to be a potential new ally or even gods, where as the Europeans viewed the natives as primative, uncivilized, and savage.
ReplyDeleteCabeza de Vaca documented his travels westward into America, and began to note that while the natives didn’t seem to have much of a centrilized system of government of any sort, they did group into tribes that had their own cultures, customs, and languages. Many tribes’ cultures would also influence their perception of these newcomers from Europe, either by seeing them as friends, potential trade partners, or foes. Over de Vaca’s travels, the word about the Europeans began to spread – sometimes at the pace of the diseases that they introduced to the natives. Due to the latter tragedies and misunderstandings, what could have been a potential good relationship between the natives and the Europeans began to sour and turn into violence.
Raed Khawaja
ReplyDeleteFrom a modern perspective Europeans arriving in America immediately gives me tones of cultural imperialism. I start thinking of modern western culture making it's soft power effects on therest of the world. It is our reality that gaining power over another country is often won by imposing your culture and system upon them. Watching pocohantas this notion is reinforced. The natives react startled and have mutual disgust of the others. However, after reading less dramatized accounts of the situation like Cabeza de Vaca's work I realized that the natives felt they had much to gain from those who threatened their space. They stood to inherit technology which helped them progress dramatically. Whenever cultures clash like this it is natural that one will "survive" the other. This is usually granted to the more powerful or influential of those involved. Cultural imperialism is today's replacement for colonization.
There are numerous interpretations as to how the Europeans and Native Americans interacted when they first met, but what seems to be apparent is the two sides interacted with each other out of necessity. While the Indians sought the innovation and general knowledge the Europeans contained, the Europeans wanted to acquire anything of value that the land possessed. What the Europeans sought was something the Native Americans didn’t quite understand, because they didn’t see a possible ownership in any of the items the world contained.
ReplyDeleteAnother conflict arose out of the Europeans attempts to implement Christianity into the otherwise “Savage” Native Americans. The problem that surfaced here was how dissimilar the two cultures viewed religion, which caused a total conversion utterly impossible for the Europeans to accomplish. Further implementing the impossibility for conversion was the hostility shown towards the Native Americans because, As Cabeza De Vaca describes, “…to bring all these people to be Christians and to the obedience of the imperial majesty, they must be won by kindness, which is a way certain, and no other is” (65).
The picture created for us by Richter is one of great ambiguity. There is no valid conclusion that can be drawn as to how the two cultures truly interacted, because we only have half of the perspective. Without true documentation of the Native Americans take on the process of colonization, we will never be able to gain a valid view as to why things turned out the way they did.
Both the Natives and Europeans were curious to learn more about each other. I think both were a little fearful of the other (more so the Natives because they did not have the resources that the Europeans did). The Disney version of the New World showed Europeans and Native Americans more welcoming and less hostile than they probably were. When the Europeans arrived in America they were learning with the intent to change. They wanted to learn as much about the Natives so that it would be easier to implement European religion,government, beliefs and traditions on the Natives.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Booker
ReplyDeleteContrary to the beliefs I possessed prior to the readings and inclass films, the European and Indian relations were more mutually beneficial and cooperative than I thought. The film was overly exaggeratted dipicting grassy lands when the actual place of arrival was a swamp and very unattractive. Also John Smith's relation with Pocahontas was depicted in an unaccurate manner. On the other hand, the readings shows us that the Smith-Pocahontas relationship was a non-romantic, platonic relationship. The Cabeza De Vaca, is critical in understanding that although there was a mutual working relationship between Indians and Europeans, Europeans still maintained that there was an inferiority of the Indian culture to theirs;yet, they recognized the potential for Indians to join the Christian Faith and "better" themselves.