The Indian’s most likely did not understand why the catholic priest was there. They crucified him because he tried converting them to be Catholics. The Indians did not understand the intentions of the first Catholic priest; they did not know that he was there to help them. He most likely tried to force his ideas upon the Indians and they rejected them in a violent way. They also could have viewed the priest as another Indian slave trade. One could speculate that the Indians thought the first priest was going to capture them and take them away from the waterfall. The Indians crucified the first priest out of protection for themselves. They sent him down the waterfall as a sign that they do not want to be bothered.
2. How does Father Gabriel earn the acceptance of the Guarani? Father Gabriel plays his oboe to the Guarani people to earn acceptance. Most of them enjoy the music at first, until one Guarani breaks the oboe and walks away. Another Guarani takes the broken oboe out of the water and chants something to the other and they chant back, which one can speculate that they like the music. Father Gabriel continues to seduce them by playing the oboe, and they gather around him as a sign that they like it. The Guarani’s have a positive reaction toward the music because music is traditional in indigenous groups. They link music with health and find it essential in the healing processes in rituals. Father Gabriel plays music to relax the Guarani people, and not to provoke war but bring peace to the people and show that Father Gabriel does not want to harm them.
3. What is it that Mendoza straps to his back and what does it represent? Mendoza straps a bunch of armor and boulders to his back because it is a symbol of his past life, of when he was a slave trader and used armor as his protection. The reason Mendoza brings his armor up to the waterfall is because it was part of his penance for killing his brother and trading Indian slaves.
4. Why are the Indians laughing as Mendoza cries in the last scene, and why is this significant? The Indians are laughing because it makes them see Mendoza as a real person. When Mendoza first arrived at the waterfall people gave him weird looks and saw him as a different person, which he was. They probably saw Mendoza as a powerful political figure that is strong, and with him crying after loosing his armor was funny to the Indians because it is he breaking down after hitting rock bottom. Also the Indians laugh at Mendoza because the last time that they saw each other Mendoza was more powerful because he has horses and weapons to help capture the Indians and use them as slaves. Now that they are meeting again, and they see this once powerful man on his hands and knees, and tired after his climb up the waterfall the Indians laugh. Mendoza’s worked hard and the Indians took it all away by cutting the rope and this was the Indians freeing Mendoza of his sins.
5. Why does Mendoza refuse to participate in the Guarnani’s killing of the pig? Mendoza refused to participate in the Guarnani’s killing of the pig because Mendoza killed his brother. Even though at the time he might have thought killing his brother was the right choice, we now see how hard Mendoza worked on his penance to be forgiven. Mendoza has already killed his brother and does not want to suffer again with the guilt and penance if he kills a pig. Mendoza sees the pig as a living creates and all living creates deserve a chance at life.
6. What does the trial say about the views of the colonists towards indigenous peoples? The outcome of the trial reports that the colonists view the indigenous people as different and un-human. The colonist’s people do not respect the Indians; they view them as a source of free labor to make a profit. The colonists do not care about how well an Indian can sing; rather they view it as anything can learn to sing, including a chimpanzee. Father Gabriel views the Indians as humans, he believes that he can convert them to Christianity and save them from slavery. The colonists do not want them to become Christians because they agreed in a contract that they would not use Indians that believed in a religion for slavery.
7. Compare and contrast the actions of Father Gabriel and Mendoza at the trial. Father Gabriel was more calm and focused on being logical during this trial. Father Gabriel uses a hymn to petition the Church on behalf of the Guarani and preserve the missions so that they have a refuge against the slavers. Though unlike him, Mendoza was raged and accused the colonist without having evidence, he even called them liars. Although they have differences both priest have the same idea in mind, they both are thinking in the best interest for the Guarani people and how they can save their lives from slavery.
