Alyssa Gustin
Dr. Teresa Coronado
English 327
29 March 2016
The Depiction of
Native Americans Through Art
In the
colonial and Puritan literary canon, several pieces of literature ranging from
captivity narratives to journals kept by settlers have survived and prospered
as common materials used to study this time period. Less common, however, is
the presentation of illustrations as viable options to study early America. The
cliché phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” can hold some merit,
especially when comparing illustrations back to texts. A specific subject often
explored in colonial and Puritan literature is the relationships Native
Americans had with settlers. Native Americans are often portrayed as being
somewhat less than human in literature written by early settlers, whether they
are patronized or demonized. By looking at illustrations, the views that these
settlers had of Native Americans can be better explored and understood. Francois
Du Creux presents four drawings that depict Native American warriors. By using
Du Creux’s illustrations, as well as texts and other illustrations related to
Native Americans, there can then be a deeper insight and understanding about
Native American relations between themselves and settlers during colonial
times.
Francois
Du Creux was a priest and a historian who lived between 1596 and 1666. Du Creux
lived in France his entire life and is known for his works in Latin
translations, particularly his writing about the history of Canada (Wallace). The
illustrations come from his Historia
Canadensis, which was published in 1664, where he depicts the land and
lifestyles of Native Americans the French had come in contact with, among other
things. Although it is unknown exactly what tribe is being depicted in the
illustrations, possibilities include the Algonquians, the Iroquois, or the
Huron tribe, also known as the Wyandots. Whichever tribe it is, the
illustrations done by Du Creux portray the warriors in a strong, somewhat
over-exaggerated manner. By observing and closely analyzing these
illustrations, it becomes easier to then get a sense of exactly how the French
seemed to view Native Americans.
Descriptions
of Native Americans varies greatly throughout literature, from being naïve and
childlike to vicious and inhumane. Physical descriptions are not as commonly
explored as the actions and lifestyles of Native Americans, and so the use of
illustrations based on descriptions can be something even more useful when
exploring Native American lifestyles. An example of illustrations that depict
Native Americans is done by Theodore De Bry, who uses descriptions from
Christopher Columbus’ writing in order to create an image. Columbus gives a lot
of description of the indigenous people he encounters when he first lands in
the Caribbean. One of De Bry’s engravings specifically illustrates this first
encounter, and in his diary Columbus says:
Later they came swimming
to the ships' launches where we were and brought us parrots and cotton thread
in balls and javelins and many other things, and they traded them to us for
other things which we gave them, such as small glass beads and bells…But it
seemed to me that they were a people very poor in everything. All of them go
around as naked as their mother bore them; and the women also, although I did
not see more than one quite young girl. And all those that I saw were young
people, for none did I see of more than 30 years of age. They are all very well
formed, with handsome bodies and good faces. Their hair coarse—almost like the
tail of a horse—and short. They wear their hair down over their eyebrows except
for a little in the back which they wear long and never cut. (Columbus 30)
Columbus’ description of this event gives great insight
into how he viewed them personally, especially when he expresses their
reactions towards his arrival by explaining how they gave gifts to himself and
his crew. It is clear that, while he does admire them in some aspects as he
recognizes their “handsome bodies and good faces,” his overall view of them is
that he seems to pity them by calling them “people very poor in everything” and
noting how they do not wear clothes. He later even says that they “should be
good and intelligent servants” (30) due to the fact that they did not know his
language and would repeat whatever he would say without knowing what he meant. This
description, however, does not even begin to cover everything going on around Columbus
in this moment, although he does talk about his first landing later. De Bry’s
engraving can then be used as a way to gain further insight into Columbus’
arrival into the Americas.
De
Bry’s illustration gives a vivid portrayal of Columbus’ description upon
landing in Hispaniola. While it does not fit everything within the description,
such as the hair of the indigenous people, it does give more of a view on what
is going on around Columbus. While the Native Americans are seen giving gifts to
Columbus and some of his men who are wearing what appears to be metal helmets,
there are other members of Columbus’ crew who are putting up a cross right
along the shore line. Further in the background, there are more Native
Americans who seem to be running away frantically from the ships as more of
Columbus’ crew depart from the ship and arrive on shore. Although Columbus does
not go into detail about what is going on around him during that moment in
time, having these extra details gives a better vision of what settling
Hispaniola was like for not only Columbus but for the Native Americans as well.
The Native Americans
themselves in De Bry’s illustration are very similar to Du Creuz’s portrayal.
This is particularly seen in how much the illustrations are focused on muscle
definition. They have large thighs and defined muscles in their arms and
torsos, and the only clothing they have on are cloths that cover their genitals.
While the Native Americans are depicted in this illustration as having a
stronger stature, their reaction to Columbus and his men is one of apprehension
as they appear to be intimidated by Columbus and the staff he carries. Although
Columbus’ description in his diary does an admirable job of describing what the
indigenous people were like, De Bry’s engraving is able to further delve into
what people who wanted to explore the new world could encounter. Words can only
go so far for some people, and so with illustrations the Americas become a
clearer vision for people.
Francois Du Creux’s
illustrations help to further understand Native Americans during pre-colonial
times, just as De Bry’s engraving does. Du Creux’s illustrations are much more
focused on the individual Native American in comparison to De Bry’s engraving,
however. The first illustration shows a Native American warrior leaning against
a large rock while holding a small object that could possibly be a weapon. Much
like De Bry’s depiction of the indigenous people of Hispaniola, Du Creux draws
the man with a brawnier frame and only wearing a piece of cloth to cover his
genitals. An interesting aspect of this illustration to note is the facial
expression of the man; while he is supposedly a warrior, he is looking downward
with a serene expression rather than being depicted in a scene where he is
attacking someone to display his strength. The second illustration is similar
in terms of the structure and expression of the warrior. However, this warrior
is in a more active state as he stands with a shield in one arm and his bow and
arrows in the other. Both illustrations show the men with partially shaven
heads, indicating that they are probably from the same tribe. These Native
Americans are much more similar to the ones that De Bry showed in his
illustrations due to their more passive facial expressions as well as their
lack of sufficient clothing.
The next two illustrations
show Native Americans who could possibly be from a different tribe than the
ones depicted in the two previous illustrations. The third illustration shows a
man holding a bow in one hand, and arrow in another, and his quiver slung
around his shoulder. He is dressed in some patterned bottoms and a cape, as
well as a pair of shoes. He has a full head of hair and is looking up rather than
down like the two former illustrations. The fourth illustration shows a man who
is wearing only a loin cloth and a cape while he holds a spear and looks down
at the ground. While he is not as clothed as the man in the previous
illustration, he does have a full head of hair, indicating that these two illustrations
show men from the same tribe as well. A commonality between all these
illustrations is their depiction of Native American bodies as being bulky and robust,
with emphasis being placed on defining their muscles and enhancing them to an
exaggerated degree. They show the physical strength of Native American warriors
through the display of their bodies, while also giving insight into how the
French viewed the Native Americans.
As much as descriptions help
to give readers a sense of the relations between Native Americans and settlers,
the actual physical depictions of Native Americans can do so much more to help
gain a better understanding of these relations and viewpoints. De Bry’s
illustrations, for example, only help to gain a better understanding of Native
Americans for those who read Columbus’ diary. Although no passages are provided
with Du Creux’s illustrations besides the basic information, they still manage
to portray a lot through the way the warriors are drawn. Art is something not
commonly studied in the literary canon, and so by introducing more
illustrations to it there is more of a chance to go in depth when studying
Native American life in pre-colonial America. Instead of just looking at the
words of someone, pictures help to further immerse readers into the time of the
illustration while also leaving readers to ask themselves questions that can
then be answered with texts. Adding more pictures to the literary canon can
then only help in the study of learning about the evolution America went
through in its views of Native Americans.
Works
Cited
Columbus, Christopher. “From
The Diario of Christopher Columbus’s
First Voyage to America 1492-1493.” Ed.
Carla Mulford. Early American Writings
(2002): 28-40. Print.
De
Bry, Theodore. “Christopher Columbus arrives in America.” Digital Image. Publicdomainreview.org.
Public Domain Review. Web. 24 March 2016.
Du
Creux, Francois. “Warrior 1.” Digital image. Wisconsinhistory.org.
American Journeys, 2003. Web. 20
March 2016.
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“Warrior 2.” Digital image. Wisconsinhistory.org. American Journeys,
2003. Web. 20 March 2016.
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“Warrior 3.” Digital image. Wisconsinhistory.org. American Journeys,
2003. Web. 20 March 2016.
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“Warrior 4.” Digital image. Wisconsinhistory.org. American Journeys,
2003. Web. 20 March 2016.
Wallace,
W. Stewart. "Francois Du Creux." The Quebec History Encyclopedia. Marianopolis University. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
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| Warrior 1 |
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| Warrior 2 |
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| Warrior 3 |
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| Warrior 4 |
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| Christopher Columbus arrives in America |
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