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Cabeza De Vaca Dbq

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They started with 5 ships and hundreds of men. Nine years later, there’s only four men and no ships. One of those men was Cabeza de Vaca. He survived the trek from Florida, to Texas, and finally to Mexico City. With the odd against him, how could Cabeza make it to Mexico City alive? Due to his communication skills, his wilderness skills, and his Shaman status, Cabeza de Vaca was able to make it to Mexico City.

One reason why Cabeza de Vaca survived was because of his communication skills. A chart compiled with Cabeza’s survival accounts, stated that he learned 4 Indian languages and sign language (doc B). This helped him survive because he was able to communicate with the tribes that he crossed paths with. Also, it made the Indians respect him more because he knew their languages. Lastly, he would be able to reason with the Indians since he knew what to say in their language.

Another reason why …show more content…
Cabeza would have to hunt for his own food and find a way to give himself some kind of shelter in order to live. Also, the torches were in the shape of a cross, to remind him of his Christianity and to keep him sane. If he didn’t have any wilderness skills, then he most likely would not have made it to Mexico City.

Finally, Cabeza de Vaca survived because of his healing skills. An excerpt from Cabeza’s narrative stated how he performed surgery on a Native American and ended up saving his life (doc C). This was very important because it’s what allowed Cabeza to cross the lands and not get attacked by the tribes. The Indians respected him, since he saved one of their own. He also gained the Indians trust. If the Natives hadn’t warned him first, Cabeza would have crossed unfriendly Indian territory on his way to Mexico City and would have most likely

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