Summary Of Rebecca Earle's 'Return Of The Native'

The way the Latin America elites viewed Indians in the late 19th and early 20th century was heavily influenced by the archaeology and literature of the Pre-conquest heritage that was taking place at the time. The wars of independence decentralized power making the republics extremely weak. Spain was no longer then common link between them all. A self-identity and a sense of culture is human nature. As nations were beginning to form they were trying to establish themselves in history. In order to root yourself in it you had to establish yourself in time also. Before the conquest, societies had no real need or purpose to have these different senses of identity’s and placement in the world. In the Return of the Native, Rebecca Earle defines …show more content…
Earle explains museums importance by making stating they were making nationalism something that was now visible. But making it visible did not necessarily bring about a sense of understanding and compassion from Europeans elites. Still elite’s viewed Indians as lazy, poor, passive, beneath them and uncivilized blaming the conquest for the continued inferiority. Literature such as poems and novels that were centered on pre-conquest indigenous leaders showed who the heroes or first creators of a nation were. This brought a huge sense of identity to the regions they described. It began a conversation on who a certain society was and how they had gotten there. It was placing them into a timeline that was not only under the Spanish rule. This also began arguments when nations could not agree on their authentic origins. Everyone was searching for an original past that would cement them into this era and the ultimately history all while confirming their identity as autonomous beings. They needed to establish a connection because the Conquest had brought among a whirl wind of change. The Latin American elite’s negative views of the Indian were