In Andrés Reséndez’s book A Land So Strange he follows the journey of Cabeza de Vaca, Dorantes, Castillo, and Estebancio. These four men were a part of a colonization group but through a series of unfortunate events they all died (except for these four) and ended up traveling from Florida to Mexico. They became slaves but eventually ended up becoming “medicine men.”

As medicine men they were treated very kindly and were greatly desired, but the medicine men became a part of a peculiar custom. When the medicine men traveled from village to village, “those who had accompanied the medicine men would pillage the new hosts, entering their huts and plundering whatever possessions or food they could carry back to their own encampment. In return, they left the medicine men,” (191). This left their new hosts with very little, because after this ritual took place, they then would offer the medicine everything they had as gifts. The medicine had their pick of food, clothing, and other items. The villages were fine with this ritual however, because they then would walk the medicine men to the next village and become the pillagers.

This act of taking the new village’s possessions but leaving the medicine men implies that the medicine men were almost seen as possessions themselves. It can be compared to giving someone a diamond but taking their food, pots, pans, and furniture because then, and only then, is it a fair trade. The medicine men were considered the best possession someone could have. Reséndez’s argument is that the medicine men were not considered men, but merely tools that could heal.

In A Land So Strange by Andréz Reséndez he re-accounts the journey of Cabeza de Vaca and his fellow survivors. Cabeza de Vaca and his friends had many trying experiences including being slaves for six years. After six years the men escape and end up becoming healers. The men do not choose to be healers but instead one of their owners made them blow on a sick Native American and because Cabeza de Vaca and his friends are Catholic they made the sign of the cross and prayed. Strangely the Native American lived and Cabeza de Vaca and his friends got a reputation of being faith healers. Reséndez explains that in the 16^th century in Spain miracles were not an unheard-of thing, so the survivors believed that they were merely the instrument and that God was healing the Native Americans. Reséndez also states that in today’s age one would try and explain the miracles through science. I agree with Reséndez that the survivors believed that God was helping them and I think that is ultimately became their biggest strengths.

In the 1500s religion was very important to people so this is how Cabeza de Vaca and his friends rationalized their survival. As Reséndez explains Cabeza de Vaca believes God was testing him and it was no mere coincidence that he lived while 296 other people that were with him died. It is logical that Cabeza de Vaca would believe there was some greater purpose for his survival and it wasn’t mere luck. Cabeza de Vaca and his friends’ belief in a higher power helped them cope with the harsh world and unfortunate circumstances they suddenly found themselves in. Without their belief in God they most likely would never have agreed to become healers, because they had no justification to their healing, and would not risk blowing on someone with the hope that they would get better. Without a belief in God they most likely would have given up and died.

The Wikipedia article “Estevancio” is very short especially when compared to the Cabeza de Vaca Wikipedia article. Cabeza de Vaca went back to Spain and lived a full life while Estevancio was forced to stay in North America and eventually died, I was still expecting the trip across America to overall be explained more and in greater detail (like in Cabeza de Vaca’s page). Another problem with the Wikipedia page is it has thirteen sperate sources but only eight of them are used. The fourth source is Handbook of Texas Online and is used four times when the other seven sources are used only one time each. Some good news is that the “Estevancio” article is a part of four WikiProjects and is rated of “top importance” in one of them, hopefully they will improve this Wiki page.

In the introduction in A Land So Strange by Andrés Reséndez he describes how Cabeza de Vaca and his companions transformed how Spain viewed the Indians and how they themselves changed. Before Vaca came back on his adventure the Spaniards did not know if the Native Americans had souls and treated them as lesser humans. Through Vaca and his companions’ description of their adventure the Spanish realized that the Indians really were humans and started to treat them as such. Reséndez also describes how the tale of Cabeza de Vaca was very well known in the 1500s, and still has devoted fans, but it has lost world wide popularity since. Reséndez plans on presenting A Land So Strange as a factual journey and will not embellish.

Creolization in the Americas by David Buisseret states that “creolization” is process of two or more cultures merging and sharing ideas to form nearly a new culture. Buisseret belives creolization is a two-way street both the Indians and the Spanish, Portuguese, French and Africans gained something from other. Buisseret shows the easiest for creolization to be shown is in architecture, food, clothing, language, medicine, and music. Buisseret also expresses that how much two cultures creolize it based on; if they need to, if they want to, if the land is similar, and if there is more people of one culture then the other. I find Buisseret’s points very persuasive. To me it is very clear in our food how our culture creolizes. We have pizza, tortillas, seafood, noodles and so much more. Creolization is the right term to use because assimilate sounds one culture is absorbing the other and the “main” culture is unaffected.

In William Cronon’s article “Only Connect…” he outlines what a liberal education means. Cronon’s article is for people who have either graduated from a liberal arts school or who plan on attending one, but they don’t know what it means to have a liberal arts education. Cronon begins his article with what having a liberal education meant back in the 1800s to what it is now. Cronon says now it is having courses not in the students major, so they become more well-rounded. Cronon’s main point, though, is that it doesn’t matter what the curriculum is, but more the qualities a person should have by the time they go through their liberal education. Cronon’s evidence is that many people have forgotten the attended purpose of a liberal education. Cronon’s says the main point of a liberal education are ten attributes he believes every liberal educated person should have.

I cannot say whether I found Cronon’s article persuasive or not because I already agreed with them. I did not find anything on his list shocking, I agreed with everything he said. The other problem is I know a couple people who have not had a liberal education, but from a tech school, and they still have his ten attributes. I believe that his list of ten can be written in three steps; 1 appreciate people for who they are, 2 be able to problem solve, and 3 learn how to communicate effectively.

To make a clear distinction between Cronon’s ideas and my own I must make sure either “Cronon’s” or “My/I” is in every sentence.

My name is Maggie I love dogs and have a Doberman mix named Cooper. I also like coffee and TV. I am looking forward to learning more about Latin American Culture!