Devastation Of The Indies Summary

Analysis: From the Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies
Native American civilization was not always a pit of terror and agonizing torture for every single being. The Spanish arrived in Hispaniola, during the early 1500, with the seemingly good intention of introducing to the indigenous the Christian faith. Unfortunately, their mission turned into an almost complete annihilation of a culture unlike their own. Bartolome de la Casas, depicts a graphic and ultimately disturbing castings of the happenings during their expedition. The Spanish Christians involved in these happenings can be seen as hypocritical, heartless, and close minded. Although, in the minds of these men, they were completing their God assigned duties, such as

the Indians would when they punished their own kind for having opposed views. Drastically after the Spanish arrival, the Native American’s possessions were seized, they were tortured through inhumane acts, and put to shame.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the natives cultivated the land they possessed and worked to maintain stability. Whether they worked for themselves or worked for someone with a higher power, order was established. The natives did not have a surplus of life essentials, but enough to survive. “The Spaniards did not content themselves with what the Indians gave them of their own free will…” (39) The Spanish were accustomed to receive everything in abundance, so what the Indians had to offer, would not be enough to suffice their demand. Because of this, all the Indians had to offer would be taken from them and in addition what they had set aside for themselves. “…for a Christian eats and consumes in one day an amount of food that would suffice to feed three houses inhabited by ten Indians for one month.” (40) Anything that could possibly carry the name of a native would be taken. “Ownership” became a vague and unrealistic term, unless if you were a Spaniard.
Consequently, after the arrival of the Spaniards, the native’s vision of peaceful day by day living, turned into a never ending nightmare.

“They attacked the towns and spared neither the children nor the aged nor pregnant women nor childbed, not only stabbing them and dismembering them but cutting them into pieces…” (40) Continuous killings became a game to the Spanish, as if they would see who could kill the most natives with the slice of one sword. These men showed no grace or mercy. Yes, the natives had already been exposed to cold hearted killing, because of their own chiefs, but never had these happenings occurred to their supreme authorities as well. This behavior was only used for subjects that deserved it, such as prisoners, but never the innocent or potentially harmless. Without factual evidence or motive, the Christian men would do these radical acts of terror. If the natives were not put to death by inhumane torture, they were put to work countless hours of hard labor, until their demise, searching for pearls. Pearl fishing was one of the hardest labors because these individuals had to be submerged into the water for an extended period of time, with no breathing breaks. To demonstrate, “…if the pearl diver show[ed] of wanting to rest, he is showered with blows, his hair pulled, and he is thrown back into the water, obligated to continue the hard work…” (42) Most men that dived into the water would not reach the opportunity of one last breath; the waters were inhabited by sharks that could swallow a man in one gulp. No matter what these people were put through, death would always be the final

answer.
In addition, Hispaniola was an unknown land to all the men that took on this long voyage. Therefore, none of the men were emotionally attached or invested in the lives of the individuals that already lived on this land. Not having an emotional link to these innocent people, made it easy to eliminate any that would have even the slightest question to their authority. Each person whom was not in communion with their beliefs would be stripped from both their physical and emotional state. In addition, all dignity and pride also became nonexistent. “…the most powerful ruler of the islands had to see his own wife raped by a Christian officer.” (40) The eyes of the head of the tribe had to see how his beloved was used as a lustful object. Not only was his pride as a man and authority as a chief taken away from him in plain sight, but the dignity of his wife also vanished. With this, both were condemned to shame. The most powerful ruler was now in the same situation that he would put his own subjects in. He would now be capable of understanding the experience of having human rights taken away involuntarily. The Christian man that was initially assigned to lead the lost to Christ, and turn them from their wicked ways, did nothing but influence them to believe that there was no such thing as Christ at all. “… they committed other acts of force and violence and oppression which made the Indians realize that these men had not come from Heaven.” (40) Who would want to become a Christian if violence seemed to be its roots?
Overall, De Las Casas was never complacent or content with the numerous wrong doings. He strived to abolish Native American slavery, after becoming a priest and receiving redemption. De Las Casas was named “Protector of the Indians” (39). He knew that the treatment the Spaniards had demonstrated towards the natives was unjust and inhumane, but the words and thoughts of one man, can only go so far without the accurate number of supporters. The lifestyle lived by these men that captured and tortured the Indians, was comfortable. They did not have to work to survive after captivating the ones who already knew the land. The initial purpose addressed to Emperor Charles V of redirecting the conviction set in the minds of the Natives, could not have taken a more drastic turn for the worst and through Casas writing Charles V became aware of the situation.