Name:____________________________________________
Emissaries Project
During this project, we will re-examine the meeting between Cortes and his men and Moctezuma II and the Aztec of Tenochtitlan. Rather than encountering each other on the road into the city, though, our humanities classes will attempt to summarize and present the biases of each group to each other in a creative way.
Examining and Summarizing Bias
Class will be divided into two societies, the “Spanish” society and the “Aztec” society.
The Spanish society will review readings from Columbus’s journals and letters, and on the excerpt from Bernal Diaz’s Conquest of New Spain. The Aztec group will reread the “Native Views of the Conquest of Mexico,” pages 73-78.
After reading these primary sources, and discussing them and the other secondary sources we have used, each society will attempt to articulate the cultural assumptions, prejudices and biases of it’s own culture, and think of ways to present these biases creatively. Each society will be asked to make a short presentation on each of these three facets of their culture’s view of the meeting of the Spanish and
Aztecs:
 Goals: Hopes and Fears: What are the goals of Cortez and his men, or of
Moctezuma II and his city? What hopes do either side have for this meeting?
What are their fears?
 Beliefs and Assumptions: What beliefs does each group have about themselves and the group they are meeting? What do they assume about themselves and the people they meet?
 Strengths & Weaknesses: What advantages and disadvantages do each group possess as they encounter each other?
Presentation
 Members of the larger “Spanish” and “Aztec” culture will find ways to creatively present each of these three facets of cultural bias to the other culture (which they are supposedly meeting for the first time.) There are a number of possible ways to present, for instance, the goals of Cortes and the conquistadores. The
Spaniards, for example, may choose to write and deliver a speech in which they outline their goals to the Aztecs. The presentation should be creative, should last no longer than 15-20 minutes for all three cultural facets,. The presentation
Period:__________

should be based in information drawn directly from the readings about the cultural biases, beliefs, and aims of each group. It is important to use SIGNS
AND SIGNIFIERS TO CONVEY YOUR MEANING (Think of the crown/tiara that Columbus and Guacanagarix exchange.)
Some other possible ways to present these aspects include:
 To create and present an infograph that helps explain one of the four facets.
 To present and explain artifacts and signifiers, such as ceremonial clothing and costumes, tools, weapons.
 Artistic presentations, featuring music, dance, religious symbols, painting or sculpture.
The Voyage:
The Spanish emissaries from each section of humanities will then leave their room, journey to another section of humanities, and will present their cultural biases to the “Aztec Culture” of another section of humanities. The “Aztec” sections of each class will greet the incoming “Spanish” emissaries, listen to its presentation, and ask questions of the visitors. The “native” Aztec sections will each then present their own goals, beliefs, hopes and fears, and strengths and weaknesses before hearing questions from the visiting “Spanish.”
Process:
A few words of advice:
 Review and discuss the first person accounts of this encounter.
 Try to come to a consensus about the cultural bias(es) of your group.
 Divide each of the three facets among your group members and have each
“sub-group” develop its own presentation.
 Be prepared for questions.
You will have a total of two periods to develop your presentations, including reading the first-person accounts, so make decisions quickly and use your time wisely.
Periods 3-4 will present during fourth period on Thursday; periods 7-8 will present during Eighth period on Thursday.