Book Talk: The Other Slavery by Andres Resendez

Wonderful History Project folks (I'm on the far right next to Andres Resendez)

       


       A few years ago, I was attending a presentation for the UC Davis History Project. One of the speakers was Andres Resendez, author of the book: The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America. I had never heard of Indian enslavement in my history courses or readings, and I wondered why I hadn't. Why is such an important part of our history omitted in education?

      When my fifth grade students share their previous knowledge about Native Americans of California, they often talk about building missions and other points of contact between the Europeans and tribes. They rarely mention the enslavement or abuse that the Native Americans suffered. Some students talk happily about how they placed the model of a Native American in a field to harvest crops when they added finishing touches to their missions.

     I know that educators have to balance age appropriateness with the material, but I can't help but feel we are missing out on opportunities to teach the full truth. I think that students can understand the hurt inflicted by oppressors and understand how they attempted to erase cultures. Students need to understand the complexities of history and how they impact our world today. It isn't enough to say that the numbers of Native Americans were reduced and that they moved to live and work at missions. The current protests and removal of statues offer educators an opportunity to connect history to the present. We have an obligation to take a closer look at all the actions and impacts of historical figures.

         One point that Resendez highlights is the continued existence of slavery in today's world. When I mention this to my 5th grade students, they are shocked. They can't believe that it still exists. By making them aware of slavery's presence today, we can show them that unethical leadership isn't limited to our history. We need our current leaders to make good decisions to ensure equity and equality.

         I like how Resendez points out that most people's image of slavery is solely of African Americans. The truth is, as people moved to the Western territories they realized that Native People were also enslaved. Resendez talks about the Indian Act of 1850 and notes that "...the arrest of 'vagrant' Natives who could be then 'hired out' to the highest bidder." (p. 2). He goes on to talk about how their children could also be indentured. In 5th grade, I teach about the shift from indentured servants to slavery in the original 13 colonies. This gives them another perspective about how people are enslaved and forced to work against their will.

        Some people used the argument that enslaving Native Americans could educate them to save their souls. Teaching multiple perspectives is important, and by teaching children that there were multiple reasons enslavers used to justify their actions, we can show a more meaningful portrait of this time period.

      Most of the enslaved African Americans were adult males, while most Native Americans that were enslaved were women and children (p. 6). It is important for students to think about how that would impact the family structure for both enslaved groups, and to talk about how that might change a culture and impact families today.

     In my undergraduate coursework at UC Davis, I learned about the belief in humors: people were either fundamentally hot and dry, or wet and cold. This concept was used to argue that women, as fundamentally cold and wet, could not think as clearly as men who were hot and dry. A few women were believed to change into the stronger sex by becoming hot and dry in character. In Resendez's book, he mentions that during the Age of Discovery there was a belief that a persons location in terms of latitude would determine their characteristics (p. 21). This ties into accounts further discussed about how Christopher Columbus viewed the people living in the Caribbean. 
I always read the books Morning Girl and Encounter with my class as we start the year learning about the Taino people. This will be a much needed addition to the mind frame that Columbus had in justifying the kidnapping of Native Peoples. I highly recommend reading The Other Slavery by Andres Resendez.