CaliforniaMissionsandThingsFallApart

ByRobinAlarcon

ThemissionariesinCaliforniacametorecruitnewfollowerswhichwerethe
nativesandtheyusedvarioustechniquestocolonizethenatives.Although,the
techniquesandbeliefswereallsomewhatcouldberelatedtothebookThingsFall
Apart.Thereweretheoppressorswhichwerethemissionaries,theOppressedwhich
werethenatives,andthenthereweretheoneswhofightbackwhichweretherebels.

Themissionswerethefirsteffortinattemptingcolonizationofthenatives.These
missionswereestablishedbyoneparticularcatholicpriestandtheyreonlygoalwasto
colonizethenatives.Oneofthewaystheytriedtoreelinfollowerswerebybringing
newfoodsandtechnologyasoffersoffriendship.Nowthemodesofcontrolthatthe
missionariesusedwastheirofferingsoffoodsandideasbutthemainonewasBaptism.
Baptismwasthekindofthingthatsealedthenativesinandiftheydidnotshowupto
theirdutiesthentheywouldbesearchedforbutifnotfoundthenthatrunawaywould
beanenemy.Although,beforebeingbaptisedyoumustlearnthemissionaries
languagealongwiththeirteachingsinordertogetahintthatthepaththenativesare
choosingistherightwaytogo.Thewaythemissionariesbroughtinthenativesand
theirwaysofcontrolareverymuchalikelikehowinthebookThingFallApart.

Nowinthebook,thereweremissionarieswhocametotheclantryingtofind
groundfortheirmissions.ThepeopleofMbataseemedgullibleastheybelievedthat
mr.Kiagaandhispeoplewereharmless.Oncegrantedlandintotheevilforest,they
builttheirmissionsandquicklybeganattemptingtodrawfollowersandspreadtheir
religionbyconvincingthattheirreligionwillsendthemtoheaven.Inadditionthey
eventuallyprovedtothepeopleoftheclanthattheirreligionisholyandrightbecause
theoncebelievedevilforestthatkillsanyonethatlivesinitdidntkillthemissionaries.
Butthenasthenumbersofconvertsgrewinsizeandstrength,theycameandstarted
tellingtheclanthattheyneedtoconvertorelsetheirscredshrinewillgetburneddown.

Afterthemodesofcontroltheyusedonthenatives,therewasobvious
progressionofacceptancebutastheprogressionwasgettingbiggerandbigger,the
nativesdideventuallyturnoneachotherandbeganquestioningwhosreligionisright
alongwithunderstandingthatthereshistoryintheirreligionandpeople.Eventually,the
missionarieshadhundredsoffollowersandthosewhobelievedthatthenativesreligion
wasright,theyfledinordertoescapetheothers.Thenprettysoonafter,familiesbegan
breakingapartandclansbegantoendbecausenoteveryonewasonthesamepage.

TheninTFA,Theprogressionofacceptancedidgrowasmanypeoplebeganto
converttochristianitybutthereweremajorconflicts.Theconvertscametoforcethe
peopletochangetheirreligionbutthepeoplerefusing,theybeatthembadtoshowthat
theresnochancetheywilllisten.Thevillagersgatherandrecommendonkillingthe

convertsbuttheycouldntdothatsinceitwouldbeconsideredexile.Toaddon,one
convertendedupkillingoneofthesacredpythons.Intheend,Okonkwotriedtosolve
theseissueswithviolencebuttheeldersjustwouldntlethimandtheeldersbegan
beingscaredandtellingthepeoplethatthenextgenerationoftheMbatapeoplemay
abandontheirhistoryandteachingsforthechristians.Inconclusiontheoppressorsin
TFAandcaliforniamissionsareverycloserelatedbuttherewasalsotherewasthe
oppressedwhodifferquiteabitbuttheiractionsaresimilar.Thebeliefsfortheiboisthat
theybelieveinmanygodsbutthebiggestgodofthemallistheChukwuonlybecause
theybelievehecreatedtheworldandalltheothergods.inaddition,thepeoplehad
ceremoniestheydolikewhenawomendies.Toaddon,theirreligionissosacred.

OnthearrivaloftheoppressorboththenativesandthepeopleinMbatawere
inquestiononwhattodoaboutit.Forone,Theydidntknowhowmuchofathreatthe
oppressorwasbutthenagaintheysawsomethingstheyliked.Thenativessaw
clothing,ideas,newfoodsandtechnology.InTFA,thepeoplesawthosethingsoobut
inaddition,newopportunitiesalthoughtheywouldbeabandoningtheirreligionthathas
muchhistorybehindit.Forsomepeoplethosenewopportunitieswerewhatthey
wantedandsotheytookadvantageofthembutforothersitwasatrickandakindof
attackontheclan.Sotherefore,aftertheoppressedmettheoppressors,theysurely
didnthaveallagoodrelationshipbuttheytriedtheirbesttodosomethingaboutit.At
firstinTFA,Mr.Kiagashowedrespectbynotgettinginthewayoftheclanandoffering
thingsforland.Ashegothislandandtriedtobuildastrongerrelationshipwiththe

people,itdeclinedmainlybeingbecauseheprovedthepeoplewrongabouttheirgod
andtheevilforestandkeptmakingattemptstoconvertthemintochristianity.

Nowduringthemissionperiod,thenativesdidntknowwhattothinkofthenew
comersbuttheybecameveryattractedwithwhattheybrought.Soonaftertheybecame
manipulatedandfellintothemissionariesarmsoncetheywentthroughbaptism.After
beingbaptised,thenativeswerecalledNeophytesandwereputtowork.Theyhadto
reporttoworkearlyandworkfor6hoursadaywithlunchbeingaroundnoonand
endingthedaywithprayersandoftheyearwasfreedaysforthenatives.Women
hadadifferentrolethanthemendid,havingtostayinthenunneryuntilamanbasically
choosesherandtheyseesheisreadyformarriage.Thensheisabletoleaveandgo
intoafamilyhutforotherreasons.Soinconclusiontothat,iftheyevertriedtorunaway
thentheywillbesearchedfordays,evenweeksuntilfoundandiffoundthentheywill
betakensomewhereandwhipped.

TheNativeswereforcedtomigrateandworkforfreesothemissionscouldbe
profitablewhereasinTFA,theyhadtolivewiththemissionaries.Nowtheproblemwas
thatOkonkwodidtrytodosomethingaboutthemissionariesbuttheeldersdidntlet
himbecauseitwouldendupbeingexile.Sooverallthepeopleletthemissionaries
convertandbreakthemapartbutabigreasonwasthatitwasbecausetheywere
gettingoutnumbered.Butforthenativesthereisnotmuchtousetofigureoutiftheylet

themissionariestotakethemover.Myguessisthattheydidletthemcontrolthem
becauseitsshowedthenativesbecamemanipulated.

Soinconclusion,TheoppressorsbothinCaliforniaMissionsandinthebook
ThingsFallApartcametotospreadreligion.althoughtheyweredifferenttargets,the
missionariesstillusedsimilartechniquestoreelinnewfollowersandconvertthemto
neverbeabletoleave.Theoppresseddidntnoticethatandtheotherconsequences
untilitwastoolateandeventuallyregrettedconverting.Thenativesdidntknowwhatto
dowhenthemissionariesarrivedbutquicklygotperceptionsofonlythegoodsthings
butovertimetheirclansbegantogetsmallerandsmaller.Theoneswhodidntconvert
didalltheycouldtofightfortheoppressedandgettheirpeoplebackbutintheendit
justwasntenoughandtheyalwaysendedupbeingoutnumbereduntiltheyhadtogoto
sacrifice.