Research Paper On Cabeza De Vaca

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca’s narrative of his experiences with the Native Americans creates a unique contrast to many other narratives from this time period. The two greatest distinctions of Cabeza de Vaca were his understanding of cultural relativism and his approach towards bringing the natives to Christianity. Many of the first encounters with Native Americans created a great divide between the two groups, mostly due to outward appearance. The lavish clothing worn by Europeans created a sense of superiority, while the white skin brought fear and distrust. While many explorers used this distinction to their advantage, Cabeza de Vaca attempted to tear down this barrier as best he could. By joining the Native Americans in their nakedness, he formed a closer relationship with the natives. Understanding the importance of embracing their culture and making them comfortable by being naked took away the feeling of superiority. This absence was replaced by respect from the Native Americans. …show more content…
He reported how differently his skin reacted to the elements because it was not accustomed to the heat. Also, the tenderness of his skin was tested by the overgrown terrain consistently leading to “a heavy cost in blood.” While Cabeza de Vaca did suffer greatly internally and externally due to starvation and the elements, he turned his suffering toward God. Instead of complaining and demanding to be treated as superior to the Native Americans, he compared his experiences to the sufferings of Jesus Christ. “How much worse must have been his torment from the thorns than mine here,” recognized Cabeza de Vaca’s setbacks did not compare to the ones of his