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Chapter 3:Friction over land and religious practices What are the main points from this section

Chapter 3:Friction over land and religious practices What are the main points from this section

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Chapter 3:Friction over land and religious practices

What are the main points from this section?

Breakup and Transformation of the Social Order 57 tact. No matter how lofty their goals, though, the church fathers actually fur- ther aided the Spanish crown by opening the Indians up-soul as well as body-thus, speeding up the process of transculturation and the integration into the new order. They also placed a wedge between generations, causing intratribal conflict. Church schools taught Aztec children the catechism to combat Indian religious beliefs. Children were instructed to spy on their elders and report parents who continued in the old ways (Brienen and Jackson 2008). The missionaries initiated a campaign of indoctrination to make Christi- anity and "paganism" appear incompatible to the neophytes. Some of the fric- tional contrasts were these: Aztecs believed in multiple creations, and Christians believed in one beginning and one God; Christians spoke of the pains of hell for sinners, whereas such explicit afterworld' punishment was unimportant to the Aztecs. In addition, clerical sects competed for Indian souls, each with its own conversion program and all with the intention of res- cuing them from damnation. Vine Deloria, an activist Native American, pith- ily puts it this way for all Indians: It has been said of missionaries that when they arrived, they had only the Book and the Natives had the land; now the Natives have the Book and they [missionaries] have the land. An old Indian once told me that when the missionaries arrived, they fell on their knees and prayed. Then they got up, fell on the Indians, and preyed. (Deloria 1988:101) On the whole, Indians underwent a traumatic period because of these conflicting religious philosophies (Canizares-Esguerra 2006; Chorba 2007). Missionaries constantly preached that individual salvation of the soul resulted from practicing Christianity. Eternal hell awaited those who rejected Christianity. Significantly, one early observer was already laying the ground- work for both their conversion and their subjugation: These Indians are free of almost all the impediments to salvation that hin- der the Spaniards, for they are content with very little.... They are incredi- bly patient and long suffering, and meek as sheep. I do not once remember having seen one of them nurse a grudge. They, the humble and scorned, live only to serve and work. (Zorita 1963:164; see also Chipman 2005) As a result, many Indians attempted a balancing act, worshiping both the old and the new religions and symbols simultaneously. Many priests working with the Indians began to notice a laxity-in some an outright refusal to con- form to the impositions of Christian belief and worship. Meanwhile, the con- tinuing practice of old religious customs by the Indians worsened the tensions that existed between them and the priests (Muldoon 2004; Padden 1967). Religious conversion programs brought superficial native acceptance, sometimes elicited with torture in the name of God. One such example of a common conversion method for that time is
Transcribed Image Text:Breakup and Transformation of the Social Order 57 tact. No matter how lofty their goals, though, the church fathers actually fur- ther aided the Spanish crown by opening the Indians up-soul as well as body-thus, speeding up the process of transculturation and the integration into the new order. They also placed a wedge between generations, causing intratribal conflict. Church schools taught Aztec children the catechism to combat Indian religious beliefs. Children were instructed to spy on their elders and report parents who continued in the old ways (Brienen and Jackson 2008). The missionaries initiated a campaign of indoctrination to make Christi- anity and "paganism" appear incompatible to the neophytes. Some of the fric- tional contrasts were these: Aztecs believed in multiple creations, and Christians believed in one beginning and one God; Christians spoke of the pains of hell for sinners, whereas such explicit afterworld' punishment was unimportant to the Aztecs. In addition, clerical sects competed for Indian souls, each with its own conversion program and all with the intention of res- cuing them from damnation. Vine Deloria, an activist Native American, pith- ily puts it this way for all Indians: It has been said of missionaries that when they arrived, they had only the Book and the Natives had the land; now the Natives have the Book and they [missionaries] have the land. An old Indian once told me that when the missionaries arrived, they fell on their knees and prayed. Then they got up, fell on the Indians, and preyed. (Deloria 1988:101) On the whole, Indians underwent a traumatic period because of these conflicting religious philosophies (Canizares-Esguerra 2006; Chorba 2007). Missionaries constantly preached that individual salvation of the soul resulted from practicing Christianity. Eternal hell awaited those who rejected Christianity. Significantly, one early observer was already laying the ground- work for both their conversion and their subjugation: These Indians are free of almost all the impediments to salvation that hin- der the Spaniards, for they are content with very little.... They are incredi- bly patient and long suffering, and meek as sheep. I do not once remember having seen one of them nurse a grudge. They, the humble and scorned, live only to serve and work. (Zorita 1963:164; see also Chipman 2005) As a result, many Indians attempted a balancing act, worshiping both the old and the new religions and symbols simultaneously. Many priests working with the Indians began to notice a laxity-in some an outright refusal to con- form to the impositions of Christian belief and worship. Meanwhile, the con- tinuing practice of old religious customs by the Indians worsened the tensions that existed between them and the priests (Muldoon 2004; Padden 1967). Religious conversion programs brought superficial native acceptance, sometimes elicited with torture in the name of God. One such example of a common conversion method for that time is
Friction over Land and Religious Practices Land and religious practices were serious conflict issues, often affecting other areas of life. With the defeat of the Aztecs, the Spaniards replaced the old elite and became the new collectors of tribute, which directly involved the land system. However, the most serious and intensely observable confronta- tion emerged in the realm of religion (Lockhart 1992). The Spanish earnestly focused attention on the Indians' minds and hearts. They reasoned that con- trol over the natives' laboring bodies would be assured after a new ideology was implanted. Their program of implementation, reminiscent of the heated European holy wars and inquisitions, was calculatedly vicious and effec- tively merciless. And attentive to this, the friars agreed to begin destroying the temples, and not to stop until they were all burned to the ground, and the idols like- wise destroyed and eradicated, even though in doing this they would place themselves in mortal danger. They carried out their plan. (Joseph and Henderson 2002:118; see also Ricard 1966) A well-organized campaign led to the destruction of many religious sites. Native religious roles and activities of all types were banned. All resisters dis- covered secretly upholding the old "pagan" way were punished or extermi- nated. Not surprisingly, many Indians responded to the Spanish campaign pragmatically, interpreting elements of Christianity "as things they might make their own" (Lockhart 1992:443). Missionaries, beginning with the Franciscans in 1524, followed by the Dominicans and Augustinians, were charged with the Indian Christianization policy. Many ascetic, humanistically inspired clerics undertook the Christian salvation of Indian souls and worked against great odds to convert them. The missionaries' protective intervention softened the cruel impact of military con-
Transcribed Image Text:Friction over Land and Religious Practices Land and religious practices were serious conflict issues, often affecting other areas of life. With the defeat of the Aztecs, the Spaniards replaced the old elite and became the new collectors of tribute, which directly involved the land system. However, the most serious and intensely observable confronta- tion emerged in the realm of religion (Lockhart 1992). The Spanish earnestly focused attention on the Indians' minds and hearts. They reasoned that con- trol over the natives' laboring bodies would be assured after a new ideology was implanted. Their program of implementation, reminiscent of the heated European holy wars and inquisitions, was calculatedly vicious and effec- tively merciless. And attentive to this, the friars agreed to begin destroying the temples, and not to stop until they were all burned to the ground, and the idols like- wise destroyed and eradicated, even though in doing this they would place themselves in mortal danger. They carried out their plan. (Joseph and Henderson 2002:118; see also Ricard 1966) A well-organized campaign led to the destruction of many religious sites. Native religious roles and activities of all types were banned. All resisters dis- covered secretly upholding the old "pagan" way were punished or extermi- nated. Not surprisingly, many Indians responded to the Spanish campaign pragmatically, interpreting elements of Christianity "as things they might make their own" (Lockhart 1992:443). Missionaries, beginning with the Franciscans in 1524, followed by the Dominicans and Augustinians, were charged with the Indian Christianization policy. Many ascetic, humanistically inspired clerics undertook the Christian salvation of Indian souls and worked against great odds to convert them. The missionaries' protective intervention softened the cruel impact of military con-
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