In detailing of his extraordinary journey to the New World, Cabeza de Vaca’s gives more of an in-depth idea of ancient Native Indians. His interpersonal relationships with these primitive people allowed him to reveal a ton of unique information about the Native Americans, including their cultural traditions, religious beliefs, and/or the nuances of their society. […]
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De Vaca’s Change in Ideology and Perception of the Native Americans and their Culture
The following selections from The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca seek to show the change in ideology and perception of Native Americans in de Vaca throughout he and his party’s travels throughout the Americas. De Vaca arrives in America with more or less the ulterior motive of conquering in the name of Spain; towards the end […]
The Way of the Maize Road: From the 1542 Relación of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Cabeza de Vaca’s account spans over nine years of his journey through America. There are many themes (religion, gender, survival, etc.) that encompass the account, making it difficult to highlight just five sections to draw from and summarize Cabeza’s journey. My goal was to choose chapters that would offer not only a summary of […]
A more story focused approach.
The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca offers such a wide variety of experiences, it can be difficult to decide the best way through the text with selections. I believe the best course would be with an increased focus on the events that occurred to de Vaca over the course of his journey. There are parts […]
An Overview of Change in the Mind of Cabeza de Vaca in Five Excerpts
Cabeza de Vaca’s narrative beautifully depicts many drastic changes that occurred between the times that the European men first arrived in the New World and when they left. One of the most significant changes is how the men viewed the Native Indians that lived in different areas of modern day Central America, North America, and […]
A Linear Description Provided by de Vaca
Headnote The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca is a collection of Cabeza de Vaca’s experiences with various Native American people after having landed in the New World. de Vaca explored present day Galveston Island, Texas, and describes his encounters with the native people of the area in his text, explaining in his opening pages that […]
Emphasis on Gender Roles
The Narrative of Cabeza de Vaca presents the expedition to the new world through de Vaca’s personal accounts. During his journey, Cabeza de Vaca is immersed into the native Indian culture, experiencing several different tribes. The exploration narrative is both a dramatic tragedy and a descriptive tale. De Vaca’s personal accounts describe the shift he […]
Two stories I’d Choose, based on Animal Significance. Buffalo / Coyote
It is interesting to read about how some of these stories are meant to be interpreted! We have inquired already to what religious contexts may intertwine and relate some of these stories to christianity or other religions. One story that I found recurring in studies was “The White Buffalo Woman.” The more I read, the […]
The Catholics and the White Buffalo
After last week’s discussion, specifically the question of cross-cultural influences on American Indian mythology, I found myself delving deeper into the story of the White Buffalo Woman (47). This story seemed to have too many parallels with Western concepts to be coincidental. For me, the part of the text that raised this question was […]
Buffalo and the Cheyenne
For the Cheyenne Tribes, the buffalo is a sacred animal. Throughout time it provided food, clothing, and shelter; essentially, it was the tribes source of life. It is interesting then, to read the buffalo as a villain. The tale of The Quillwork Girl And Her Seven Star Brothers (page 205) depicts the buffalo as a […]
