BARTOLOMÉ DE LAS CASAS (1474-1566) was the first European resident in the Americas, and was appointed as the "Protector of the Indians". His writings deeply influenced the stop of the mistreatment or atrocities committed by the Spanish colonizers against the Indian natives. Although there are many opposite claims against the Casas, Casas is a true "Protector of the Indians", because his “conscience” of Spanish colonization and commitment to stop the mistreatments.
Casas was the “conscience” of Spanish colonization, and the first advocate on human rights . With more than 50 years of Casas’ life, he convinced the Spanish colonization to stop violent abuse on slavery. Casas was the first settlers from Europe in the Americas. Initially, he committed the atrocities with the Spanish colonization against the Indian slaves. However, as the “conscience” of Spanish colonization, he realized that such violent abuse on slavery was wrong. Therefore, he eventually opposed his initial actions. In 1515, he even gave up the Indianencomienda and slaves, and fought for the rights of the natives.
The extensive writings from the Casas showed the “conscience” of Spanish colonization. The masterpiece A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies and Historia de Las Indias focus on thesavage act from the Spanish colonization. At that time, such publication shall be regarded as the strong opposition towards the Spanish colonization. As the first settlers from Europe in the Americas, the Casas shall have the ownership of encomiendaand Indian slaves. However, he gave up, and even wrote articles to oppose it. Therefore, it reflected the “conscience” of Spanish colonization from the Casas.
The other masterpiece from the Casasis theMemorial de RemediosparalasIndias, which was written in 1516. The motive to write this publication was stated clearly at the purpose section, “The remedies that seem necessary in order that the evil and harm that exists in the Indies cease, and that God and our Lord the Prince may draw greater benefits than hitherto, and that the republic may be better preserved and consoled”. Since Casas was afraid of the increase in exploitation, he believed that immediate action is necessary to stop the annihilation. The first remedy from the Casas was the complete stop to use Indian slaves, until regulations will be implemented in the future. Such approach helps to reconstitute the Indian population and give time for the Indians to survive. The second remedy was to eliminate the right only the colonist could own the specific Indians. Therefore, no person has the right to own such labor .
Casas actively challenged on the popular notion that the Indians regarded European conquerors asdivine gods. In 1510, the Dominican friar’s team arrived in Santo Domingo. They were surprised by the injustices of the slaveowners against the Indianslaves. Based on this reason, the Dominican friars team, including Casas denied the confession right from the slave owners . In 1511, Father Fray Antonio de Montesinospreached “Tell me by what right of justice do you hold these Indians in such a cruel and horrible servitude? On what authority has you waged such detestable wars against these people who dealt quietly and peacefully on their own lands? Wars in which you have destroyed such an infinite number of them by homicides and slaughters never heard of before. Why do you keep them so oppressed and exhausted, without giving them enough to eat or curing them of the sicknesses they incur from the excessive labor you give them, and they die, or rather you kill them, in order to extract and acquire gold every day". Casas argued actively against the justice of the colonists and encomienda, and even raised a complaint against the Dominicans to the King.
In addition, the Casas challenged on the popular notion that the Indians regarded European conquerors asdivine godsin many other ways.For example, in 1522, he even tried to launch the new peaceful colonialism at the Venezuela coast. However, such venture was failed. The Casas was not defeated by the failure. When he was back to Spain, he started to recruit missionaries in order to lobby the abolishment on encomienda. From the above discussion, it is understood that his approach to challenge on the popular notion that the Indians regarded European conquerors is at a high level, even at the government level.
The depiction of the Indians from the Casas as not worshiping their conquerors was realistic with explanation. From the masterpiece, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, he described the mistreatment against the indigenous peoples of the Indian natives in colonial times. It was the first attempt to show the depict examples on unfair treatment against the Indian slaves in the Greater Antilles under Spanish conquest. His account illustrated the extensive use of murder, mutilation and even torture against the Indian natives.
The major opposite claims against the Casas’s depiction is the Cabeza de Vaca. As one of the big explorer from Spain, he travelled across the Southwest of the US in eight years. Before the reconnection with the Spanish colonization, he was the trader, shaman and slave for many Native American tribes. In 1537, he returned to Spain and published the La Relación. The Account described the journey of Cabeza de Vacabetween 1528-1536, which was the chronicles about the Spanish colonization in North America. Cabeza de Vaca included most first descriptions of the inhabitants and lands, and the extraordinary effort to explore the New World. Therefore, the depiction of the Indians was rude, and required the Spain to supervise or monitor. Compared with the Cabeza de Vaca, the Casas’s depiction is more realistic with criticism against the Spanish colonization. Although the description from the Cabeza de Vaca was true, the Account never mentioned that why Spain have the right to mistreat against the indigenous peoples of the Indian natives in colonial times. On the other hand, the Casas stated clearly the rationale why he against such mistreatment. He also proposed remedy actions against the mistreatment.
Casas is a true "Protector of the Indians", because his “conscience” of Spanish colonization. He gave up his encomienda andIndian slaves, which was the “rights” from other European settlers in the Americas. He even opposed the Spanish colonization by writing publications and committed to stop the mistreatments. Although he was afraid of punishment from the Spain, he still insisted to publish the masterpiece, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. The writing describes the record of events on atrocities committed by the Spanish colonization against the Indian slaves. Compared with the major opposite claims, the Casas was willing to criticize the mistreatment and even proposed remedy actions against the mistreatment.
Works Cited
Baptiste, Victor N. Bartolomé de las Casas and Thomas More's Utopia:Connections and similarities. Labyrinthos, 1990.
Beuchot, Mauricio. Los fundamentos de los derechos humanos en Bartolomé de las Casas (in Spanish). Anthropos Editorial, 1994.
Casas, Bartolome de Las. Witness: Writing of Bartolome de Las casas. ed and trans by George Sanderlin . Orbis books, 1993.
Wagner, Henry Raup and Helen Rand Parish. The Life and Writings of Bartolomé de Las Casas. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
—. The Life and Writings of Bartolomé de Las Casas. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
