-Week 2 Readings-

It was very fascinating to read primary sources from both a Spanish and Native perspective upon the arrival of the European people in Latin America. Although written a couple centuries apart, the two texts focus on similar interactions between the groups that occurred during the time of Spanish conquest. 

Columbus's journal focused on reassuring the king and queen that they would gain their worth in funding his expedition. He promises gold, silver, extraordinary sights and land, and potential Christian converts. In order to maintain order within his crew and avoid being seen as a failure, he uses signs and over-exaggerated positive word choice to glorify his goals and actions. 

The words from Guama Poma on the other hand, bring to light the true violence and miscommunication that occurred between the two cultures. It highlights several deaths and the greed of the Spanish which is overlooked in Columbus's writing.