In what ways, in your opinion, did the crew’s interactions with the indigenous peoples help or hurt their ability to survive?
Obviously trying to rape the indigenous women led to their hasty departure and ultimately the crew’s loss of their assistance with finding food. Stupid men!
Agree with Elizabeth. The Kawesqar were definitely their salvation and they threw it away in drunken attacks on the women.
So interesting how NASA studied these people later. We have so much to learn from others.
Totally agree with Elizabeth!!
Agree with Elizabeth as well. Being from Alaska, I’m totally aware of how early European colonizers viewed Indigenous peoples, and treated them badly.
If the sailors had treated the indigenous people humanely then those people (in their innocence) would have helped the sailors survive. That phrase “treat others the way you would want to be treated” was not something the sailors believed in. These British sailors did not honor or respect indigenous people.
Clearly initially, their contact with the Indigenous people showed them how those folks were able to survive in these harsh conditions. But they ruined the chance of their help to escape by their behavior. Captain Cheat would not have made it home without them.
I felt like the others, the men really hurt their changes of survival by disrespecting the indigenous people. They needed their help to survive.
Sadly, they like many of their era, did not value these people or what they were willing to do for them. I think if they had, more of the crew would have survived.