American Indian Culture and Research Journal

When the explorer Christopher Columbus-eternal hero, famous admiral, courageous discoverer, or fortunate fool-”lost” his way and rediscovered the Western Hemisphere, legends and history books inaccurately claimed that he had achieved a great feat. In actuality, the initial meeting of two very different worlds had transpired. Life had developed differently in the opposite hemispheres of the world, reflecting different values, cultures, and evolutionary progress. Since the sixteenth century, historians, scholars, and writers have made the romantic claim that the encounter of East and West was a historical miracle-the arrival of the European savior bringing ”civilization” to the so-called New World. This bias provokes rather interesting questions to ponder. What did Columbus and the first Taino Indians he met think of each other? What were their impressions? Did they think and react in economic or political terms? Did the Indians really believe that a “white” stranger had been sent to bring them a better way of life, i.e., Christianity and civilization, as written history (the non-Indian perspective) has claimed? Some prophecies of certain tribes tell of “white” looking strangers coming to their lands-the Hopi, Wintu, Acoma Pueblo, and Oglala Sioux. The tribes did not anticipate Christianity, but spiritual advisors suggested that the ”white man” had different ways and different ideas: Most likely, both Columbus and the Taino Indians were awed by the sight of each other. During the initial encounter, each saw a very different looking person, and each responded instinctively from his or her own cultural experience and knowledge. How they viewed each other is very important.