Cabeza de Vaca: from "La Relacion" - Discuss

Question 1

question for discussion

Answer 1

• how might de Vaca’s experiences among Native Americans have influenced his beliefs about them and later the way he governed them

Question 2

points from the account to support your position

Answer 2

• de Vaca ultimately fired from his role as governor because he felt so strongly that enslavement of Native Americans was wrong
• although Native Americans had several opportunities to kill de Vaca and his crew, they showed him good will and fair treatment. this was one of the main reasons he spoke against their enslavement

Question 3

which passage below shows the contrast between what the europeans feared form the Native Americans and what actually happened

Answer 3

• par 11: “we could not defend ourselves… each on of them gave me an arrow in token of friendship”

Question 4

what passage below shows how de Vaca’s feelings of concern for others was influenced by the Native Americans

Answer 4

• p 20: “to see beings… so like unto brutes, yet so deeply moved by pity… increased my feelings”

Question 5

if you were writing about how de Vaca’s experiences with the Native Americans may have influenced him to treat them humanely later in his life, which passage below would give good supporting detail

Answer 5

• par 28: they “would rather be without food themselves so as to give it to us…”

Question 6

if you were writing about how de Vaca came to appreciate the Native Americans’ way of doing things, which of the passages below would give the best supporting detail

Answer 6

• par 25, 27: “we laughed, taking it for a jest;” Natives “think it effective, and I found it to be”

Question 7

if you were writing about how de Vaca’s experiences with the Native Americans may have influenced him to treat them humanely later in his life, which passage below would give good supporting detail

Answer 7

• par 12: they “brought us plenty of fish and some roots… taken out of the water with much trouble”