Overview:
Have you ever wondered what the indigenous populations of the Americas thought of Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors? In this course, you will discuss the perspectives offered by Indigenous texts to consider the shock of cultural encounter using first-hand sources, contemporaneous artwork, and archaeological findings. You will also consider lesser-known writings by European explorers on their individual cultural encounters in the early days of exploration.
Target audience:
This course is for the general public and will interest both history buffs and those with no background in the subject. Curiosity is the only prerequisite.
Learning objectives:
By the end of this course, you will have:
- critically evaluated a variety of perspectives on cultural encounters and exchange
- questioned the power dynamics which produced the sources under discussion
- developed a greater understanding of the native peoples of early modern Mesoamerica
- increased your knowledge of “conquest” as a historical idea in Spanish America.
Course outline:
Each session includes lectures with time for questions and group discussion.
Session 1: The food ways, trade routes and archaeology of pre-Columbian Tenochtitlan
This first lecture will give an overview of Mesoamerican cultures before contact with Europeans.
Session 2: Integration of Spanish intermediaries into native culture
This lecture will present case studies of individuals who, because of their linguistic abilities or because they had been adopted by an indigenous community, served as translators and cultural go-betweens.
Session 3: Warriors fighting against and alongside Europeans
Some indigenous communities fought alongside the Spanish against the Nahua because of prior political disagreements. In this lecture, we will consider some of the different motivations involved in the battles of conquest.
Session 4: Indigenous chroniclers on history and current events
Indigenous chroniclers writing in the 16th and 17th centuries are some of our best sources for understanding how Spain’s colonial rule was viewed by native communities. Here we will examine selections from these insightful texts.
Session 5: The colonial period through other Nahuatl sources
In this concluding session, we will discuss works of art, music, cuisine and theatre created by indigenous artists as they offer complex visions of the political identities emerging in the 17th century.
A short break is held halfway through each session, and you are welcome to bring refreshments if you wish.
Teacher:
Nancy Marquez earned a BA in Classics and Medieval Studies from Stanford University and an MA in Spanish Literature and Language from the University of Notre Dame. In 2017, she completed a PhD in History from Victoria University. Her thesis is about the long-distance scientific networks of New Spain from 1550 to 1700. Her current research is on migration from the Pacific to Spanish America and related transoceanic cultural exchanges during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Relevant links:
School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations
For further information:
Continuing Education, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140.
Phone 04 463 6556, Email: conted@vuw.ac.nz
Please note: Courses need a minimum number of enrolments to go ahead. If your course doesn’t reach the number required, we’ll have to cancel it. If this happens, we’ll contact you by phone or email about a week before the scheduled start date and arrange a full refund. Please check your emails regularly.
