History 140, Personal Journal 2, Terry Onley

I followed the adventures of Father Leforge in “The Black Robe” with great interest. Never did get to see

Metis, although I did get to see his inception! (Conception?) Definitely want to get the disc on NetFlix on

that one. A most interesting story of what happens when one culture meets another, and tries to make

them over in their own image… as we said the other day, things could have gone very differently. If it

had not been for the (generally) unintentional introduction of European diseases to the New World,

they probably would have.

Bequer! What a stinker! (murderer, philanderer, con artist, false priest, bully, general jerk) The list goes

on and on. One wonders exactly how he was allowed into the priesthood, since his credentials were

unclear. Mucho mordida! No doubt, whoever’s palms were greased lived to regret their turpitude in the

whole affair, he was a most embarrassing addition to the clergy. Like so many folk, he sheltered himself

behind his official position. If one believes in a literal hell, there must be a special place reserved for

hypocrites who shield their misdeeds behind the name of God… I’m sure it’s well-populated!

Diego Vasicuio… they had trouble spelling in 1671, I can understand, it still doesn’t look right. A good

Catholic man and priest of Sorimana, the corn god, I believe. That didn’t go over all that well when the

village priest (Catholic) found out about it. Kind of tickled me when, after the Inquisition applied enough

pressure, the no doubt penitent followers of Sorimana gave up their god… apparently over twenty of

him! The Spanish finally gave up and released Diego. I guess they figured that twenty pet rocks were

enough, and decided that at that point things just ought to be let go.

“The Spanish invasion of Mexico” was most informative, probably one of the better balanced accounts

of that time that I have read. The author made a real attempt to show all sides in the conquest with

clarity and sympathy. Most interesting that, had Cortez not been such a good politician, he probably

would have been overcome a dozen times by overwhelming native forces in ambush. Cannot stress too

strongly the role of the steel weapons of the Spaniards, without them, there would have been no

conquest, just a bunch of dead Spaniards. We might all be speaking Nahuatl now!

Speaking of politicians, how about that Red Shoes? He danced his way through the maze of French-

English-Indian relation like he had his high-heeled sneakers on! Of course, like most politicians, he

vigorously played all sides, but he did to such an extent that he aroused the ire of the French. They put a

price on his head, and he was murdered for it.

Again, I was really caught up by the Jesuit’s role in the colonization of the New World. I had no idea that

they had been such a force in molding the world we live in today. Makes you look around at some of the

other NGOs that are extant today, and wonder what impact they will have on the future. Probably not

as much as the Jesuits did back then, different circumstances, but what will people be saying about the

Peace Corps in 200 years? Or the Mormon missionaries who are out there? Food for thought…

Terry Onley