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Step 1. This assignment will involve a few parts, but the first…
Step 1. This assignment will involve a few parts, but the first thing you should do is read these two short articles by the author Charles Mann.
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These two articles discuss to main myths that persist about Native Americans. The first myth is that the North American continent was an unspoiled, virgin wilderness before it was discovered and settled by Europeans. The second article describes why the commonly held notion, namely that inferior technological skills were the reason why the native people of the Americas were overwhelmed by European settlers, is an incorrect reading of history.
Step 2. For this step in the assignment, I would like you to watch two clips from the film The New World (2005)Links to an external site.. This film (the full version is available to rent online) is a reimagining of the initial encounters between the English settlers who founded the Jamestown colony in 1607, a historical event noted for being the origins of the Pocahontas story. The filmmakers of this version put a lot of effort into making the film historically accurate, even reviving a version of Algonquian language that had not been spoken for 200 yearsLinks to an external site.. Here’s a more recent article about the film that points out some potential problemsLinks to an external site. with it. I want you to watch two clips from the film, each is approximately 10 minutes long. The first clip shows the initial encounter between the Indians and Europeans. As you are watching, pay close attention to how the native people and the settlers each interact with their environmentand each other.
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The second clip is the film’s conclusion, and takes place after (spoiler alert!) Pocahontas has moved to England with John Rolfe and their son. Note any changes to how people are interacting with nature in this scene.
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Step 3. Next read the short story “Mannahatta” by John Keene
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, which is an excerpt of Keene’s book CounternarrativesLinks to an external site.. (This short videoLinks to an external site. is a good introduction to the book.) This fictionalized account of the arrival of Jan (or Juan) Rodrigues, a native of the Dominican Republic, Rodrigues was hired by a Dutch explorer (Mossel) in 1613 on a voyage to what is now New York City. As this articleLinks to an external site. explains, Rodrigues remained in the area to serve as a translator and intermediary between the Native population and European explorers.
Step 4. For this discussion, I would like you to compare the three above sources? Are there ways that the film and Keene reflect the myths that Mann talks about in his articles? Is there a way that they contradict these myths? Be sure to use specific examples and quotations from these sources, and feel free to explain more generally how each source adds to your understanding of the history of early contact between European settlers and the indigenous people of the Americas.
