OCR Text |
Show 81 of their cultures untouched. Through the perfectly feasible reconstruction of ancient Mexican and Andean cultures, it is possible to appraise the changes that have come about and the processes involved. In general, contact between two cultures of the same technological level, viz: Indian and Negro, ended in fusion without social disruption. But contact of high level European and low level Indian cultures, produced the destruction of the weaker native tradition, or the physical enslavement or elimination of the Indian groups involved. Indian reaction to European acculturation was in general one of geographical withdrawal or of rapid acceptance of western values. In particular, however, there are a few variants of this pattern. In the Andean area, for example, the situation is far more complex. Here we had a well developed social and political organization that proved quite resistant to the new state of affairs. The Spanish conquerors succeeded only in replacing the upper levels of society, that had been formed by former conquerors; the whole system of taxation and forced labor of the lower classes was otherwise left untouched; Christianity replaced the higher native religious forms; but shamanism, magic and superstition continued to prevail among the masses. Native craftsmanship suffered a similar rearrangement; its higher types, those destined to the native clergy and aristocracy disappeared, leaving only the branches catering to purely utilitarian needs. In the communities remaining within the European dominated areas, two phenomena are observable: that of "passing" of individuals from their ethnic group to a proletarian class necessary to colonial economy and, group resistance to wholesale acculturation. The latter is characteristic of Andean rural communities. Here, an inferior kind of native culture has been kept very much alive, with relatively few western traits being accepted. Assimilation of convenient European traits by these communities has been limited to those complying with the following pre-requisites: that they adapt themselves to the native milieu, that they make no great additional demands of effort, nor change the native life-rhythm and routines. The Independence of the American Republics did not automatically bridge the chasm between the European or Europeanized elements and the Indians, on the contrary; the pride of modern state responsibility achieved by the former, carried the risk of increasing discrimination against the backward natives. The more primitive Indian tribes in the jungles and the savannas of South America, either disappeared or withdrew to inaccessible regions. Their rudimentary culture provided no shield against European intrusions, |