Cabeza de Vaca and His Attitude Towards Power, Essay Example

Power is an expression of violence, which is present throughout the writings of Cabeza de Vaca. Through racist attitudes, violence, expression of superiority and authority. The below essay is going to provide an overview of how the author describes the symbols of power that are present in the journal.

As de Vaca  is a religious writer, he suggests that the increase of authority over the natives of America is only possible through teaching them about God. For him, a conquest is not a fight for territory and power; more importantly a religious discourse. It is important to note that it is likely that the author is trying to “explain” the military failures of the army by indicating that it is only possible to conquer the people through spirituality. This spirituality, which is new to the Indians and provides the conquerors with authority. As de Vaca writes describing “teaching” the natives about a new attitude:

“We told them he was an evil one, and in the best way we could, gave them to understand, that if they would believe in God our Lord, and become Christians like us, they need have no fear of him, nor would he dare to come and inflict those injuries, and    they might be certain he would not venture to appear while we remained in the land. At this they were delighted and lost much of their dread (124).

He tries to control the thoughts or Indians, as well as their interpretations of life. He is also aware that natives have a natural fear of Europeans. He understands that he cannot control the people through power; he uses faith instead. He writes that after Indians see what he can do and how he heals people, they “lose much of their dread”; but he can also control their fear by reminding them of Badthing: something they are all afraid. This control over the fears of the natives from the unknown, the bad and the Europeans gives de Vaca the negotiation power needed for resettlement and conquer.

The source and symbol of power in the story is healing. The story of raising the man from the dead gives de Vaca both authority and power over the tribes. Therefore, he uses the power of religion instead of the power of force. Nonetheless, it is still power, but is exercised to manipulate the tribes, make them subdue, instead of crushing them. The frequency of the healing rituals indicates that de Vaca realizes that these do not only impress natives, but also make them fear of him, look at him as a superior. This gives him the power to control their thoughts, be heard and considered as a teacher.

Regarding the freedom of the natives, it is important to note that de Vaca kept them safe and fought for their freedom. He sees the only opportunity to make them obey in making them become Christians. As he says: “All these people, if they are to be brought to be Christians and into obedience of Your Imperial Majesty, must be led by good treatment, and … this is a very sure way, and no other will suffice” (108). He understands that Indians had to suffer ill-treatment from previous conquerors and promises them that he would not act the same way. He rejects hat attitude and criticizes these methods in his work.

The worldview of Europeans represented for Indians was Christianity and the values associated with it. He uses power not through force but authority and teaching. He, however, takes control over the natives and expresses his superiority in several ways. He becomes a healer, and Indians presume that he has supernatural power. They fear him, while they respect him at the same time. The approach of de Vaca is similar to today’s leadership concepts. He uses collaboration, creates trust and authority, therefore, instead of forcing himself on the tribe as a conqueror, he offers something else: leadership. There is, of course, resistance among native Indians, and they prefer their own customs, values, beliefs over the man’s who just came from the other side of the water. Still, as he performs actions they believe are miracles, they start respecting him and fearing from him at the same time.

It is not clear from the memoir, however, whether or not de Vaca was afraid of the Indians, and if this was one of the reasons why he did not engage in a military conflict. Indeed, he describes Indians as fierce fighters, saying that “should they notice either fear or greed” … they “take courage from the fear of their enemy”. (122). Independent of the reasons behind his “soft” and collaborative approach, de Vaca managed to “conquer without fight”, while communicating his power through authority and knowledge. He tried to understand the tribes, not because he wanted to conquer them, but because he wanted to turn them into Christians.

Works Cited

Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar Nunez. “Excerpts from The Relation of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca”.  The Norton Anthology of American Literature.” 7^th  ed. Vol. A. Ed. Wayne Franklin, et. al. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. 2007