The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca is an exploratory tale recalled by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca himself. His story describes the long, extreme and difficult journey from the Old world into the New one. This journey in its entirety was undertaken by him and a spare number of people around him that managed to survive. His survival, which he attributed whole heartedly to God his savior, did not come easy as he battled extreme weather, starvation, and a variety of local encounters.
These encounters offer Cabeza de Vaca’s view of the North American Indians through a European lens. This view allows the reader to experience the variety of different tribes, cultures, customs and various levels of sophistication. The documented experience reveals that the idea of Indians being solely animal like savages is not true in it’s entirety and at many times far from the contrary. Throughout his journey we see Indians flee from them, overpower them, save them and most interestingly intertwine with them. Along with brutal encounters between him and the Indians were other tribes that not only complied with his wishes, but also gave him a deeper understanding of intense love and selflessness. In turn, this makes it clear that not one standard, or single idea of an Indian is true, but rather they are all distinct, and different.
Chapter 7: Of the Character of the Land (pg. 65-70)
This chapter is descriptive of Cabeza de Vaca’s new surroundings as well as first encounters with the Indians. Vaca tries to navigate through the land while also survive the attacks by the Indians who are alarmingly skilled with a bow and arrow.
This is important in revealing a specific and understandable side of the freshly encountered Indians. They are attacking what is unfamiliar to them and what they perceive as a threat. Chapters such as this one likely attribute to the idea that Indians are thoughtless savages. However, in context to everything going on in the story they really are responding naturally to the newfound invasions. It also addresses this tribes admirable skill in archery; something that doesn’t line up with animalistic behavior.
Chapter 12: How the Indians brought us food (pg. 85-88)
The Europeans, shipwrecked and weak, are encountered by what they perceive is strong, daunting savages that could easily kill them in their current state. However, they prove to do and be just the opposite as they share the European’s sorrow and provide them with food, shelter and warmth.
The Indians, who have a clear upper hand on Cabeza de Vaca and his crew, don’t attack them or even leave them to their death. Instead they whisk them up and away, doing everything they know how to aid in their recovery. This is important because it was a clear moment that the Indians could have taken advantage of. Instead their sympathy and kindness shines through.
Chapter 14: How four Christians Departed (pg. 89-93)
This section reveals riveting new descriptions of the Indians and their unique custom of mourning their children. This custom take Cabeza de Vaca by surprise; he even claims that he has never known of any group to love their children more.
This is notable because it shows Indians custom’s that are extreme yet noble. They come together as a community and feel each other’s sorrow and do what they can to be there for one another. This reveals that while their traditions may be extreme and different to what the Europeans are used to, their intent and reasoning behind it is pure and admirable.
Chapter 26: Of the Nations and Languages (Pg. 130-132)
In this chapter Cabeza de Vaca encounters a broad range of languages and villages that he finds very uncivilized. This tribe intoxicated themselves with smoke and drinks and also have customs that are cruel and strange. There is also mentioning of gay Indians which Cabeza de Vaca describes in great detail.
This is revealing what Cabeza de Vaca would describe as a “wicked” tribe. This is important to note because it aids in showing the different and unique villages that the Europeans encountered. Their customs contrasted with the previously mentioned rituals of other tribes and add to de Vaca’s broad encounters and experiences.
Chapter 30: Of how the custom of receiving us changed (pg. 143-150)
This encompasses a strong connection between the Europeans and the Indians. The Indians showed great respect to de Vaca who couldn’t hide his surprise at the level of sophistication this village showed. They boiled their water, were wearing clothing, had permanent houses, and offered aid and respect to the Europeans.
This shows a tribe with a very high level of sophistication. This helps bring de Vacas experience in full circle from experiencing cruel, less developed tribes, to sophisticated, respectable ones. His change as well as openness on how he viewed Indians is clear to see here as he looks at them with admirations.
The selections made by Norton, Wiley and Heath do a great job at offering a general overview of the journey as a whole. Through these excerpts we see the historical backdrop of the narrator, the journey and reason for it, their extreme difficulties in travel, and encounters with Indians. These suggest that the narrator played an important role at taking the first steps in discovering the New World, a path that was increasingly followed. However, in giving such a general snapshot of the journey, interesting details are without a doubt left out. My excerpts are narrowed down to the different and unique tribes that Cabeza de Vaca encountered over the years. While these exclude the historical back drop and details of the Europeans navigational struggles, it offers a more magnified and detailed view on the different Indians tribes and their broad level of development and customs.
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