Through the reading assigned for this week, in Peru’s Indian Peoples and the Challenge of
Spanish Conquest: Huamanga to 1640, Steve Stern supports some of the
paradigms that Restall identifies as myths.
At various points throughout the
reading, examples can be found of stern supporting such paradigms. For example,
when Stern observes that the "Spaniards' need to cultivate the loyalty of
local Indian societies to defend the European presence against Inca encroachments"
(Stern 28), one is reminded of Restall’s Myth
of Exceptional Men as Spaniards, such as Pizarro, relied on native alliance
to remain afloat. Surely, without the support of natives who rivaled the Incas,
the few Spaniards in the area at the time would not have been able to survive
in the initial stages of the Conquest. Furthermore, when Stern writes that forming
a coalition with the Spaniards provided Inca rivals with security (Stern 34),
one is reminded of the Myth of the White
Conqueror, as one can deduce that the Conquest in that region of the America’s
was not accomplished by a few white Europeans, instead it required native cooperation. Moreover, when
reading that "miners bent upon achieving riches sought to maximize their exploitation
of native laborers" (Stern 47) caused a second-guessing of Spanish
alliance after discovery of rich mines in the 1560s (Stern 47), the Myth of Native Desolation is echoed, for
if natives felt they were indeed defeated in all senses, they wouldn't have
bothered to complain to the point where reforms were made.
The Millenarianism issue, which touches on the myths
of native desolation, and completion, among others, hasn't even been addressed.
While Stern may not agree on everything Restall thinks, it’s safe to say he
indeed supports some of the paradigms that Restall identifies as myths.
While I think you are right in believing that Stern is falling for some of Restall's myths, Stern does disprove the myth of completion in this book. He points out that it took years and years for the Spanish to conquer the Andean region. He also points out that this was not just the work of a few brilliant Spanish men but that native alliances were important too. I feel like this cancels out Stern's support of other Restall myths since he debunks this big myth.
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