This week’s reading of the Caudillos Versus the Nation State as well as “The Slaughterhouse” by Esteban Echeverría helped me to better understand why post-colonial North America is currently so drastically different than post-colonial Latin America, despite sharing a similar history. In part, the vast geography that composes Latin America makes sense of the staunch difference in indigenous relations and political unrest. Because early conquerors of Latin America recognized the indigenous peoples as having a distinct society (something that was not considered in Canada until the 1990’s), the indigenous peoples had become accustomed to being able to operate in their own communities under the protection of strong leadership from the outside. The makeshift alliances created between the conquerors and the Latin American people were key for dominating forces wishing to gain power. Between the recently landed Europeans, the elites, the mixed-race middle and lower classes, and the rural indigenous peoples, it was abundantly clear that independence meant something different for each different group in each distinct area. Some elites longed for tradition and conservatism while others embraced the new wave of liberalism and change. Since they were equally privileged groups, their success at any given time was dictated by how much support they could respectively gain.

“The Slaughterhouse” was written in a detached and somewhat sarcastic tone that exemplifies how genuinely disassociated people of different castes and classes were from each other. For me the details of this story depict a very unfortunate and disturbing series of events. Echeverría’s illustration portrays the actors as savage and uneducated. The way in which the individuals are able to find enemies among a group of those with whom they are relatively similar depicts the intricacy of the caste system, as well as the instability and subsequent violence that plagued their environment. The group ultimately bands together once it identifies a common enemy in the light-skinned passer-by riding English saddle. This illustrates, what Dawson suggests to be, the “great struggle that confronts Latin America, [being] the battle between civilization (read Europe) and backwardness (read dark skinned people of the countryside)”. This story indirectly explains why Latin America was so fractured in the time of caudillos who, because there was so much disagreement and chaos, could only maintain control over small spheres of influence.

Lieutenant Nun, the memoir of Catalina de Erauso, who escaped the convent she was raised in from a young age and carried out the rest of her life disguised as man and travelling the Americas, I found both surprising and fascinating. Her story is surprising from a current perspective because of the uniqueness of her identity at the time, as a transgendered and by most accounts homosexual person. In addition, the details of what took place during her time living as a male are extraordinary for anyone of the time – regardless of gender. It is fascinating because of how she kept her secret and her life against all odds. During her time as a male she travelled the Americas, which would have been an extremely unique opportunity for anyone of the time. In her travels she also astonishingly encounters several family members while maintaining her disguise.

It seemed clear to me that there had to be more motivation behind her running away from the convent. While another, larger nun attacking her may have been a catalyst; she goes on to fight in battles in the face of so much more pain and danger fearlessly. She seems to fuel off this other kind of violent danger, and she lives a good portion of her life electively fighting battles throughout the Americas under a series of different captains. At one point in battle, after losing men of all ranks, she persists to overtake the indigenous chief, “trampling an killing and slaughtering more men than there are numbers”.  Perhaps her secret was so grand that she fought in battle as though she had nothing to lose, making her an incredibly fearless and savage warrior. Catalina de Erauso lived as such a heroic man that when her identity was ultimately revealed the King and Pope were so impressed they actually awarded her for her efforts. I am curious as to whether she wanted to live as a man, or if that was the only opportunity she could take to escape her circumstances in the convent.

Casta Paintings was a fascinating read, as it showed the discrepancy in values between the Spanish elites, and those living in the Americas of all ethnic combinations including European. The opinion of Dr. Andrés Arce y Miranda, that Spaniards would consider the creoles inferior was not unfounded, but it was unpopular with fellow Mexicans who instead embraced the “no te entiendo” racial blending in the New World. Whether people collected the pieces because they identified with the muses or were amazed by them, the paintings were extremely popular throughout the colonies and Europe, particularly among the elites.

Both pieces show another side of history – one that defied social norms. LGBT, and racial groups are still considered marginalized groups in society today.  I think it is a fairly recent phenomenon that we can absorb this history in its entirety. History with narratives, which were accepting of these kinds of differences, was previously more stigmatized in a way that is not actually reflective of the time it represents and what was possible for different people.

The journal of Christopher Columbus outlines his conquest of the New World as though to update the King and Queen of Spain on his progress. He describes the land as more beautiful than anything he has ever seen, and the people he credits as being “well built, finely bodied and handsome in the face” with varying degrees of civility and intelligence which he measured by their ability to bargain and imitate the new language being exposed to them. While he speaks highly of these places his intentions are obviously to enslave the people as well as convert them to Christianity, as well he evaluates the land for its ability to produce resources to be controlled by Spain.

The notion that he has made this journey in the name of the King and Queen as well as Christianity seems to offer him a degree of disassociation. He deceives his crew by reporting inaccurate distances and times; he essentially kidnaps locals, which is more apparent when he recounts a number of them jumping overboard to escape; he also insults locals by declining certain gifts from the locals he deems not sufficient to impress the King and Queen. In comparing the two texts, it is also apparent that there is a level of misreporting as Columbus reports docile cooperative Indians, while The Conquest of Peru notes violence and cruelty towards the Natives particularly when they refuse to adopt Christianity and were firm in their own traditions.

Columbus’ obvious desire to impress the King and Queen also seems to result in him and other of his peers with similar interests embellishing events and findings. These tall tales are noted in the writings of Guaman Poma de Ayala where Canida “said that the people wore clothes and shoes all of gold and silver that they walked on floors of gold and silver and that on their heads and in their hands they carried gold and silver”. In trying to appeal to the church he he contradicts himself particularly at one point by describing the people as without any notable religion, but also remarks on these same people asking if Columbus and his crew had come from heaven and proceeding to come to them “each bringing something and giving thanks to god”. Similarly, when exposed to the Bible, the Inca Atagualpa insisted he only worshiped the Sun as well as wacas and other gods.

The determination and colonial mindset is well illustrated in Columbus’ journal as he explains that his goal is to conquer every island he passes and to reach as many islands as possible in his time. He also captures people for the specific purpose of educating in the Spanish way to bring it back to their people.

My name is Lindsay Chapman and I am a proud Canadian who has lived in Vancouver my entire life. I am an Arts undergraduate student, planning to major in International Relations. In the past, I have had the pleasure of travelling to various Latin American countries, including Ecuador, Mexico, and most recently, Colombia. I have been incredibly inspired by my travels, which is why I am excited to learn more about this part of the world and eventually return to Latin America for work and more travel.

Monserrate, Bogotá