“The scenario of discovery is theatrical indeed.” (Taylor 56) This quote by Diana Taylor has been the common thread for the past four readings. From Columbus’s first letter, to Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gomez-Pena’s performance piece called Two Undiscovered Amerindians; the question of “what does it mean to discover,” plays a huge role in these readings.
In the Christopher Columbus piece, Columbus states how the islands he landed on were very fruitful of people. Yet, he still uses the word “discovers” several times. If there are people on the land wouldn’t he think that the land was already theirs? But instead, he believes the land he has “discovered” is in God’s plan in which now Spain owns.
In the Spanish Requirement of 1513, Spain used the story of St. Peter in order to justify the natives becoming slaves. Even though they know they have their own way of life (which is documented in Columbus’s first letter). Yet, still Spain enforces an encomienda in order to disrupt their way of living, because the Spanish believe they “discovered” them.
To conclude, Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gomez-Pena’s performance piece called Two Undiscovered Amerindians, highlights how people in 20th and 21st century still react to the meaning of “discovery.” Instead of seeing this piece as a way to understand and acknowledge other cultures, many viewers saw the show as a way to see other people who have not been “civilized” or discovered by European standard as barbaric and a joke.
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“The scenario of discovery is theatrical indeed.” (Taylor 56) This quote by Diana Taylor has been the common thread for the past four readings. From Columbus’s first letter, to Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gomez-Pena’s performance piece called Two Undiscovered Amerindians; the question of “what does it mean to discover,” plays a huge role in these readings.
In the Christopher Columbus piece, Columbus states how the islands he landed on were very fruitful of people. Yet, he still uses the word “discovers” several times. If there are people on the land wouldn’t he think that the land was already theirs? But instead, he believes the land he has “discovered” is in God’s plan in which now Spain owns.
In the Spanish Requirement of 1513, Spain used the story of St. Peter in order to justify the natives becoming slaves. Even though they know they have their own way of life (which is documented in Columbus’s first letter). Yet, still Spain enforces an encomienda in order to disrupt their way of living, because the Spanish believe they “discovered” them.
To conclude, Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gomez-Pena’s performance piece called Two Undiscovered Amerindians, highlights how people in 20th and 21st century still react to the meaning of “discovery.” Instead of seeing this piece as a way to understand and acknowledge other cultures, many viewers saw the show as a way to see other people who have not been “civilized” or discovered by European standard as barbaric and a joke.