Harsh Environment Dbq

The Struggles in Harsh Environments
Hook. After just two months after the Narvaez expedition, the treasurer of the Narvaez expedition, Cabeza de Vaca, landed on Galveston Island along with 250 other castaways. Their dreams of colonization and riches had morphed into a quest for survival. However, the real question is: How did Cabeza de Vaca survive? Cabeza de Vaca survived because of his wilderness skills, his success as a healer and his respect for the Native Americans.
First of all, the military veteran persisted the harsh environment through his vast knowledge of survival skills. For example, “Cabeza drank water stored out in hollowed-out horse-leg containers” (Document B). The sailor made an improvisation of a naturally unavailable. In this case, Cabeza used the remnants of a horse as a cup for drinking purposes, most likely because his prior knowledge told him that horse-legs are sturdy and hollow. By making use of his environment along with his mastery in the arts of survival, Cabeza de Vaca could now create materials that would increase his chances of living.

In “The Relación of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, 1542, Cabeza notes, “And two days later, I removed the two stitches from the Indian and he was healed. And this cure gave us a very great reputation among them [Indian Tribes] throughout the whole land” (Document C). Word quickly spread about 37-year-old castaway’s triumphant performance in the operation. Cabeza de Vaca gained trust, and gradually, an amicable relationship among the Native American groups in the vicinity. The Indians now accepted him and treated him as among themselves, providing him the necessities for