HOW DOES INTERCULTURAL CONTACT IMPACT THE WORLDVIEWS OF SOCIETIES?

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7�The influence of geography

• During the age of exploration, the Europeans worldview was that it was perfectly natural for a European country to feel ethnocentric when it came to interactions with the Indigenous people they encountered in their explorations.
• The Spanish and Aztecs were both relatively strong and sophisticated with their military powers. However, they had completely different worldviews.
• When the Spanish sailed to the Caribbean and went on to explore what is today Mexico, their interactions with the Aztecs was the origin of Mexican society today.

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CHAPTER 7�The influence of geography

• How does Geography affect the lives of the people living in your community?
• The Spanish and Aztec cultures were also affected by geography.
• Canada is the world’s second largest country. It is so vast that the geography and climate vary a great deal.
• Even though the area where the Spanish and the Aztecs lived was much smaller than Canada, they had to deal with variations in Climate and geography.
• Aztecs lived in present day Mexico, but their civilization did not cover the entire area that Mexico covers today. The borders of present-day Mexico were established long after the Aztec civilization existed.

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Chapter 7

Pre-columbian Meso-American

• The aztecs inhabited the central basin of what is today, Mexico. This basin was surrounded by lakes, the biggest being lake Texcoco (Taysh-Koe-Koe). Unfortunately, this lake and the land surrounding it was saline (high salt content) and not useful for agricultural needs.
• The valley of Mexico became the centre for civilization. Cities evolved around the lakes with small agricultural areas around them. This affected the social systems as the nobility and elite lived in the cities while the farmers lived in outlying areas and met the needs of the city dwellers.

The Physical Landscape

• For the Aztecs, a mountain was more than a physical site. They also saw mountains as a sacred or holy site, one that through its height, brought people physically closer to the gods.
• For the Aztecs, the world consisted of two landscapes, the physical and sacred that were closely connected.
• The temples that Aztecs built to worship their gods were pyramids in the shape of mountains.
• The Aztecs believed their god Huitzilopochtli had led them to the place where they lived.
• Religion was a powerful force in Aztec society, and the idea that their god had sent them to this site gave the Aztecs the determination to survive there.

Chapter 7

Iberian Peninsula

• Spain occupies about 80% of the Iberian Peninsula.
• Spain's location to the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic Ocean greatly increased its prowress to increase its wealth and prestige.
• In its history, Spain was divided into many kingdoms, often divided by the mountains and the rivers.

Chapter 7�Aztecs nomadic lifestyle

• Migration
• Various organisms in the animal kingdom. Birds, animals, and fish migrate seasonally.
• The Aztecs migrated too, but their migration was a one time event. Birds, animals and fish migrate in response to seasonal changes, but the Aztecs migrated for a different reason. They decided to migrate upon the command of one of their gods named Huitzilopochtli.

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Chapter 7�Aztecs nomadic lifestyles

• The Aztecs led a semi-nomadic life during their migration. This means they would settle in one spot for several years and then move on.
• What problems could arise if they settled on or near lands where others were already living?
• The Aztecs went on a journey from the deserts of northern Mexico to the valley of Mexico. In the valley of Mexico, they built a city on an island in the middle of a shallow lake. The name of the city was called Tenochtitlan. (see map).

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The Power of Mountains

• The mountains that surrounded Tenochtitlan gave the Aztecs a sense of security.
• Mountains protected them like a wall from invaders.
• The mountains that protected them also caused problems for them.
• Mountains caused flash floods in low lying areas because of steep mountains and heavy rain.
• Aztecs engineers built an earthen dam across the lake to the east of the city.
• Mountains can also keep out clouds that bring rain to the area.
• To make sure they had plenty of clean drinking water even in times of drought, the Aztecs built an aqueduct. This structure brought in fresh water from underground springs outside of the city.

Chapter 7�Spanish history and worldview

• The Aztecs were a relatively small group of people who travelled intermittently for 200 years before settling on an island in the middle of a lake. The Aztecs flourished and developed into an advanced civilization. Religion played a big part in Aztec history and culture.

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• Spain had quite a different history. Before it became a unified country, the land now covered by Spain and Portugal had been a group of smaller kingdoms. Through the years it was ruled by several different groups. Just like the Aztecs, Spain’s history affected its worldview.

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Chapter 7�Spanish history

• In Europe it was common for a monarch to expect citizens to have a particular faith. Sometimes a King or Queen would decide to change religions and all “good” citizens were expected to do the same.
• Over the centuries, the Christian kingdoms became more powerful and struggled to take back lands occupied by Muslims. Generally, one religion was followed by all and Muslims and Jews were often not accepted in Europe because they weren’t Christians.
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• In 1200 years, Spain went from being ruled by Romans (who had a number of gods), to being Christians, to being Muslim, and back to being Christians.
• The monarchs who decided that Christianity would be the only religion allowed were King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. They were so firm in their beliefs that they executed any non-Christians. They also hired an Italian Sailor named Cristoforo Columbus to sail to new lands and convert indigenous peoples to Christianity.

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How did the history of Spain affect its worldview?

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• Aztecs worldview was influenced by the environment in which they lived. This is true for the Spanish as well. Another factor that influences worldviews is the people whom a group comes into contact with.
• Examine the Iberian Peninsula and Spain. Note its proximity to Northern Africa. For almost 700 years most of the Iberian Peninsula was controlled by the Moors. They came to Iberia from Northern Africa. They introduced the Muslim culture.

• The Muslims introduced the Islamic faith to the area. While most of the people followed the Muslim faith, others were Christians and Jews. The Muslims were tolerant of non-Muslims, so the followers of the three religions co-existed.
• The Moors were great believers in developing the human mind, so they encouraged the development of the arts, literature, science, mathematics, and architecture.

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How did the history of Spain affect its worldview?

The Spanish Inquisition

When was the Spanish Inquisition, and who started it?

• Established in 1478 under the reign of Ferdinand II of Aragon and his wife Isabella I of Castile.

Who did the Spanish Inquisition target?

• Non-Catcholic “Heretics” (Jews, Muslims, Protestants)

Were people really tortured?

• Yes. Women, children, the sick and the aged were not exempt.

How did the Spanish Inquisition end?

The Spanish queen regent María Cristina de Borbón issued a decree abolishing the Spanish Inquisition on July 15, 1834, 356 years after it started! The Queen at the time was Queen Isabella II, who was 3 years old.

Today’s Reading

Spanish Inquisition: Torture Devices

The Spanish inquisition torture devices.

Research the device, how it was used and what it looked like.

The Pillory

The Rack

The Iron Maiden

The Bastinado

The Gossip’s Bridle

The Jougs

The Scavenger’s daughter

The Iron boot

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Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous artists of the twentieth-century. Why? Because he was brilliant at drawing. People really loved his doodles. What do you think of the drawing above? Look at how he has used colour…how many colours can you see? What objects are in the picture?

Even as a child he was better at drawing than many adults. He could draw and paint just about anything, and in any style. He liked to experiment and try out new ideas, which is important if you are an artist, because the world is always changing. Picasso helped us see the world in new ways

One of his most famous periods is the cubist period. The paintings below are some examples of his cubist pictures. Cubism was a revolutionary new approach to representing reality invented in around 1907–08 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. They brought different views of subjects (usually objects or figures) together in the same picture, resulting in paintings that appear fragmented and abstracted.

Pablo Picasso

Picasso was born in Malaga in Spain in 1881, but in 1904 when he was 23 he moved to Paris. This is because Paris was the capital of the avant-garde, which means cutting-edge and very cool. Picasso became friends with lots of artists and writers, like Georges Braque who he invented cubism with; and a writer called Gertrude Stein who collected art wrote a cubist book. He became interested in art from other continents too. You can see some of these influences in his paintings.

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Pablo Picasso Cubism

Create a profile picture of yourself using the cubism method!

The Aztec rise to power

• How are leaders chosen in Canada?
• In the past it was common for leaders to inherit a position. Usually the oldest son of a King became the next King. There are remnants of that system still existing today. The Queen of England, and many other countries is Queen Elizabeth II. She inherited that title from her father King George VI. After her death, her oldest son, Charles, was bequeathed the throne.
• The leaders of the Aztec were an inherited position. Recall that the Toltec(245,7)were highly respected by the Aztecs and many other Mesoamerican societies. The Aztec leaders used this fact to establish themselves as a powerful force in the region. This lesson tells how they did this and how they controlled and expanded their empire.

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• In some countries today and in most countries long ago, marriages were arranged. Love had little to do with anything. Marriage was a way to form alliances between two families. The Aztecs arranged marriages. They used an arranged marriage to gain the respect of neighboring groups.
• By claiming to be direct descendants of the Toltec, the Aztecs gained the respect of other groups in the area. But they also had clever ways to conquer and control other groups.
• TRIBUTE is a term that refers to valuable gifts and taxes collected by the Aztecs from a conquered group or city.

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Aztec Gods

• The Aztecs believed that the gods controlled every aspect of their world.
• They looked to the gods for signs on how to live.
• Aztecs had many gods but each one had a different power.
• They believed some gods were greater than other gods.

• According the legend, the fifth will be destroyed by earthquakes who is Tonatiuh
• He is in the center of the calendar with his tongue sticking out means that he needs blood

Measuring Time: The Aztec Calendars

• The Aztec calendar was based on close connections between the gods and human beings
• Two calendars – the solar(physical) and sacred calendar

• Stone calendar was carved and dedicated to Huitzilopochtli
• Showed how the world began and how will end

• Believed there were four eras
• The first was destroyed by jaguars, the second by hurricanes, the third by fiery rain, and the fourth by a flood

How were arranged marriages advantageous?

• The Aztecs used arranged marriage to gain power and respect in Mesoamerica. A similar situation happened in Spain. The marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon with Isabella of Castile was a way for the two already powerful kingdoms to unite and become extremely powerful. In many ways, this marriage was the beginning of the unification of the smaller kingdoms of Spain.
• Ferdinand and Isabella proved to be very shrewd in the decisions they made. They were fearless. They were responsible for making Spain the wealthiest country in Europe.

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Spain's rise to power

To maintain power, ferdinand and Isabella were determined and to do this, they:

1. Centralized the government
2. Created a more efficient government
3. Imposed new taxes
4. Took control of the catholic church
5. Began the Spanish Inquisition
6. Forbid any faith but Roman Catholic

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The monarchs also reduced the powers of the aristocrats but to compensate, gave them huge tracts of land and exempted them from paying tax on the land.

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Conquering new societies

Life in Aztec society developed around a culture of war. Goals in battle were two-fold:

1. To seek an honourable defeat for the enemy and then make them pay tribute and provide labour to the empire.
2. To gain soldiers for human sacrifice to the god huitzilopochtli

The aztecs had an effective military strategy to conquer weaker societies around the stronger and then to attack the weakened and isolated altepetl (city-state). After defeating the city-state, they took hostages, attacked the temples, and negotiated tribute. Those conquered were required to worship the aztec god. They did not however leave a garrison (troop assigned to a military post) behind, but if orders were not obeyed, an imperial force was sent to brutally put down any disobedience.

Expanding through War

• By the time the Spanish arrived in 1519, the Aztecs controlled an empire larger than any in North America.
• The Aztecs firmly believed that the group-their society- was much more important than the individuals within it.
• Every Aztec was prepared to sacrifice his or her own life for the good of the group.

Human Sacrifice: Why?

• The hardest to understand
• Part of their religion
• To give the god strength and nourishment
• If not fed it would grow sick and die
• If they didn’t feed blood to the gods, they believed the world would come to an end
• A religious event called “new fire” was celebrated every 52 years. They would watch the fire die out near Tenochtitlan and then later would take the fire and put it in everyone’s home

Tenochtitlan: The Centre of the World

• Aztec philosophers thought the earth was round, flat disc divided into four sections. In the middle was Tenochtitlan
• The city itself was divided into four sections
• They believed the gods lived in the skies
• The mountain top was closer to the gods and heaven
• Tenochtitlan itself had hundreds of temples.

Read page 253

• 3. Label the graph to show the hierarchy of leaders in Aztec society.

( Chief of Internal Affairs, Tlatoque, Tectutin, Emperor).

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Assignment

• Create 5 questions (record answers) having to do with how the Aztecs and the Spanish became the most powerful societies in the Area. Exchange questions with a partner. Once the questions have been answered, return them to the original owner for marking.

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• Complete questions p.253 # 1,4,6.

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• Also:

1. What three things were the conquered city-states required to do?

2. Describe the responsibilities of the each of the following: Emperor, Chief of Internal Affairs, Tlatoque, Tecutin, and Priest.

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Creation story

Read p. 258-9

*In a group of 2 or on your own, compare and contrast using a venn diagram, this creation story to our story.

Was Christopher Columbus a Hero or a Villain?

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Christopher Columbus is one of the most controversial figures in history. By some, he is viewed as a grand explorer who opened up new areas for European conquest and profit. But by others, he is viewed as a butcher, who brought disease, and whose actions began the destruction of an entire continent's population.

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Debate!!!

• Step 1: record reasons why Columbus was a hero or a Villain.

Textbook pages:105,238-239,303,324

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• Step 2: Split into groups of 3-4 and combine solid argument points FOR or AGAINST.

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Debate format:

1. Arguments for Colonization (Hero)
2. Arguments against Colonization (Villain)
3. Rebuttal for Colonization (Hero)
4. Rebuttal against Colonization (Villain)

What are your thoughts? Create a position paper that addresses the question.

*5 paragraphs with examples and “proof”

* cite sources

*organization, content, edit

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Consider:

*exploration

*economics

*effect on indigenous peoples

*exploitation

*Romanticism of Columbus

*pressure from Spain

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A position paper is an essay that presents an arguable opinion on a topic. The goal of a position paper is to convince the reader that the author's opinion is valid and worth considering.

What is Persuasion?

• The art of convincing others to see things your way.

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• Present in advertising, writing, debates, discussions, and everyday decisions.

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Why Words Matter

• Persuasion can inform, influence, and inspire.

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• The choice of words affects the effectiveness of a message.

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