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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

The Discovery of the Americas in the View Point of the Awaraks

Diego Garcia
University of El Paso at Texas

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

Abstract
During 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail to Asia for the discovery of new
land and for the gold that was said there was. Instead Columbus landed in
another destination, which was the Americas. He traveled to an island that
he later called Hispaniola where more than three million natives live. This
native were called the Arawak. Columbus meets the Arawak and used them
for guidance in the lands. Also, he used them to find the sources of gold that
was in Hispaniola. The Arawaks feeling towards Columbus began to change
when Columbus started to force them to do stuff for his benefit. This created
conflict in between the Spaniards and the natives. As a result, Columbus
killed almost the entire population of the Arawak Indians, leaving only a low
percentage alive. In this essay, we will be looking at the view point of the
Arawak when Columbus discovered the Americas.

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

During the 1490's Christopher Columbus had a mission to travel westward to get to Asia.
Columbus wanted to sail west because of many reasons. One of those reasons was because
Christopher Columbus wanted to explore new lands. Also, to find the riches or gold from these
new lands and bring it to Spain. Instead of arriving to Asia, Christopher Columbus arrived at the
Americas in 1492. This is when Columbus discovered the Americas. In fact, Christopher
Columbus didn't expect to be land in between Spain and Asia. During this time, Christopher
Columbus would make a settlement and look for gold in the Americas so he can return with
something for his queen.
In today's education, many students learn about the discovery of America in the view of
Christopher Columbus. The reason why is because now in days history is written in eyes of the
victor. Because of this, many students never learn both sides of the story and you can say they
don't know the whole truth about what happened during that time-period. In a survey, I
conducted, I asked the people about Christopher Columbus first and what they knew about him
which was the fact of him discovering the Americas. Then I asked about the Arawak Indians, the
results that I got was that the responders didn't know anything about the Arawak. The responders
didn't know who they were or what happened to them, they only knew about diseases that killed
the natives. In todays history textbooks, the history of the discovery of America never mentions
the view point of the Arawak Indians or what they did to them. For this reason, we need to
review these three questions:

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

1. How did the Arawak Indians felt when Christopher Columbus first came to the
Americas?
2. How did the feeling of the Arawak's change during the time which Christopher Columbus
stayed in the Americas?
3. How are the feelings different form the Arawak's and the Spaniards?
These three questions will help understand that maybe some stuff that we learn in history are not
always good in the point of view of the other eyes instead of the "victor". These questions will
also help you understand the discovery of the Americas in the point of view of the Arawak's.
How did the Arawak Indians felt when Christopher Columbus first came to the Americas?
In 1492, Christopher came to the Americas, and arrived in an island called Hispaniola. In
this island about three million natives lived. The natives that lives there where called the Arawak
Indians. During the arrival of Columbus, the Arawak Indians first ran back to the hill and then
returned and "ran to greet them, brought them food, water, and gifts" (Zinn, p.4). The Arawak
greeted Columbus and started trading their stuff with theirs. Columbus reported "that anyone has
seen a people with such kind hearts and so ready to give the Christians all that they possess, and
when the Christians arrive, they run at once to bring them everything"(Casas & Griffin, 2009).
This meant that the Arawak Indians were excited and happy about the arrival of Christopher
Columbus. The Spaniards described the natives as people "who were remarkable for their
hospitality, their belief in sharing (Zinn, p.4). Also, the natives where surprised by the stuff that

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

the Spaniards brought with them. For example, the Arawak found iron interesting because they
had never seen it before. The got Columbus sword by the edge to examine it which resulted the
natives to injured them-self. The feeling of the Arawak's change during the stay of Columbus and
his crewmembers.
How did the feeling of the Arawak's change during the time which Christopher Columbus
stayed in the Americas?
During the arrival of the Spaniards the Arawak Indians greeted them with kindness and
the Spaniards found hospitality among the natives. Everything was going well until Columbus
started making the Arawak Indians his "slaves". Columbus noted in his journal that the Arawaks
"should make good servants" (Stone, pg. 3). Columbus then got some Arawak and took them as
prisoners in his ship and force them to guide Columbus through the land to find the source of
gold. The Spaniards also forced five young women to learn their language so that they could
communicate easier (Stone, pg. 3). The Spaniards slowly started to make the Arawak Indians
their slaves by forcing them to do stuff even though they didn't want to. This made the feelings
of the Arawak change slowly which will become a problem later.
Later, Columbus made his companions to capture women and children to make the
"males captives docile in their slavery" (Stone, pg. 3). Columbus built

a fort called "Navidad" where he instructed his crewmembers to find gold and store it. During
this time, some crewmember and some Arawak Indians got into a fight because the Arawak

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

refuse to trade the number of bows and arrows that the Spaniards wanted, which led to the killing
of two Arawaks by the Spaniards (Zinn, p.5). During the same time Columbus took more natives
as prisoners and put them aboard in his ships. The actions of Columbus had made the Arawak
Indians mad and because of their cruelty, the Arawak killed the reaming Spaniards on the land
(Nies, 1996). The Arawak also destroyed fort Navidad before Columbus came back from Spain.
The Arawak change their attitude toward the Spaniard form kind too hostile.
When Columbus returned to Hispaniola, Guacanagari, a native ruler, explained what the
Spaniards had done while he was gone. Which was that the Spaniards had "enslaved Arawak
men and put them to work panning for gold or working in mines" (Nies, 1996). As a result,
Columbus reacted by sending his soldiers to the villages and gather the Arawak Indians. Some
Arawak were killed and others were sent to Spain to be sale as slaves. During this time period
the Arawak suffered, many of its population was killed by Spaniards and the diseases that the
Spaniard brought from Europe.

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

Source: Casas, B. D., & Griffin, N. (1992). A short account of the destruction of the Indies.
London, England: Penguin Books. Retrieved from https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/originals/64/38/48/643848276c1cdfe5eb8f2cd26a2b1e37.jpg

How is the feelings different form the Arawak's and the Spaniards?
At the arrival of the Spaniards, the Arawak felt excited that some people that they have
never seen before came to their island. Also, they found interesting the things that the Spaniards
had, for example iron because they didn't have any. The Arawak grabbed Columbus sword and
the natives grabbed it by the edge and cut their self (Zinn, p.4). The Spaniards felt surprised of
how kind the Arawak Indians were towards them. Columbus also stated on his journal that these
natives " they are very meek and without knowledge of evil nor do they kill others or steal"
(Stone, pg.3). The
Arawak felt excited and began sharing their knowledge with the Spaniards, while Columbus and
the other Spaniards had only one goal, which was to find the source of gold. During this time

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

both side started to change their feeling toward one another. The Arawak got angry because of
the way they were being treated. Columbus's feelings change when he came back from Spain,
when he was told that the Arawak Indians had killed his crewmembers that he had left to gather
gold. Bartolome De Las Casas described the Spaniards as if "they became like fierce wolves and
tigers and lions who have gone many days without food or nourishment" (Casas, 1992). Because
of this tragedy, the Arawaks suffered a lot and were almost all killed.
Conclusion
Many history textbooks are written in the eye of the victor. Thus, many students don't
really know about the other viewpoint in a certain historical event. One of those viewpoints that
was never mention in textbooks or in history class was the discovery of the Americas in the view
point of the Arawak's. Columbus came to the Americas in 1492 and created a tragedy toward the
Arawak Indians. He forced them to do many things to help him achieve his mission. As a result,
the Arawak and the Spaniards ended in a conflict. This led to some cruel action of Columbus
toward the Arawak.

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

Reference:
Zinn, H. (n.d.). A peoples history of the United States: 1492
Morgan, E. S. (2009). A World Too New. Smithsonian, 40(7), 82-96.
Casas, B. D., & Griffin, N. (1992). A short account of the destruction of the Indies. London,
England: Penguin Books.
Nies, J (1996). Native American history: A chronology of the vast achievements of a culture and
their links to world events. New York: Ballantine Books.
Thornton, R. (1987). American Indian holocaust and survival: A population history since 1492.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press
Stone, E. T. (1975). Columbus and Genocide. American Heritage Magazine

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Running Head: THE VIEW POINT OF THE ARAWAKS

Casas, B. D., & Griffin, N. (1992). A short account of the destruction of the Indies. London,
England: Penguin Books. Retrieved from https://s-media-cacheak0.pinimg.com/originals/64/38/48/643848276c1cdfe5eb8f2cd26a2b1e37.jpg
D. I. Garcia (Survey, 2016). Columbus and the Arawak.