Morals

            The "whole truth" of history is a lost cause to those who weren't present during the time of the event. History is gathered from human personal experience, which is altered by emotion, heritage, morals and values. This is the case in Cabeza de Vaca's Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America. The entire story is Mr. de Vaca's words. He describes his experiences in America as well as his relationship to the Native Americans through his own perspective without getting any output from them. Though Cabeza de Vaca's book is written in first person point of view, the reader can still learn about: the different ways in which Native Americans got food, the tribes" hospitality toward the Christians, and the spiritual beliefs of Native Americans about higher power.
             During the Spaniards" exploration, they were exposed to many different tribes of Native Americans from the east coast to the West. Each tribe, depending on the region in which they lived, feasted on a variety of different foods and obtained it in different ways. In the southernmost region of the eastern states, the Yguace and Mariame basic diet consisted of three kinds of root, which were particularly bitter (even after roasting for two days) and griped the stomach when swallowed. It was common for the Yguace to eat spiders, pupae, worms, lizards, salamanders, snakes, poisonous vipers, earth, and wood. When food was scarce, they would even eat the bones of the animals (such as deer or fish) that they had feasted on. Seldom, but as often as it was available, the Mariame would eat buffalo, fowl, deer, and any other beasts present - which was not very often - during the season of hunting. Those who lived north of this region - in the mountainous area - often feasted on prickly pears: Tularosa, Susola, some Mariame, Malicone, Cutalchulche, Avavare, and Anagado tribes. Those who lived in the southernmost area of this upper region were agricultural and feasted on a variety of crops.