Posted by Margaret on March 23, 192003 at 21:03:06:
For some background details I turned to the Mexican historian Enrique Krauze’s Mexico: Biography of Power which gives a succinct history of Mexico from the 19th century on. In 1836, Texas (which had been populated by Anglo-Americans) seceded from Mexico, and the Mexican President at that time, Antonio López de Santa Anna, was unable to hold onto the territory. Until 1845, when Texas was admitted as a US state, it functioned as its own republic (as we see with the reference to President Mirabeau Lamar in the introduction to the play). Not only was it a republic, but apparently it was a republic with its own sense of Manifest Destiny and expansionist urges, which underlie the incursion of General Hugh McLeod into Mexican territory in 1841. However all this territory (which is now the US states of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and California) was lost by Mexico in 1848, under the terms of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ended the Mexican-American War. Interesting, then, that according to the discoverers of this manuscript, Los tejanos was written after 1848, when the Mexican territory that is successfully defended in the play had actually been turned over to the US. The play celebrated a victory that was soon undone by later historical events.
In Los tejanos the triumphant narrative of the Anglo Texans is subverted by an Indian and a Spaniard, Jorge Ramirez. In the previous play we read from this region, Los comanches, the Indians and the Spanish were pitted against each other, and the Spanish were victorious. Now they are on the same side and are working in allegiance to Mexico and the governor of Nuevo Mexico although they do not identify themselves as Mexicans. It is curious that these two characters with conflictive roles in the new nation of Mexico are the heroes who trick the Texans. (In the same way, Navarro may also be seen as having a conflicted identity; he has a Spanish last name but maintains allegiance to the Texans and General McLeod.) It is strange that there are no Mexican characters in this play .
The representation of the Indian is reminiscent of US frontier narratives. When he speaks, he makes mistakes in Spanish that were perhaps considered typical (“muncho hambre traigo” “dirá todito el verdad.”) He doesn’t have a name; it is as if he were a “generic” Indian. Navarro addresses him condescendingly (“Indito” little Indian; “hijito” my little son, etc.). The Indian in turn addresses Navarro as his superior, “Tata” (“father”). He’s offered tobacco because, as Navarro explains, that’s what these people need in order to talk. It is the Indian who corrects him and to a certain extent directs the gift giving or bribing process, requesting he be given a shirt and pants (European apparel which will enhance his prestige in his village), and it’s only after he puts them on that he begins to disclose information. (The watch he’s offered later when more precise information is needed seems like one of those stereotypical gifts known to “amaze” Indians.)
McLeod’s advice to Navarro about the Indian is to “Handle him most gently. . . and perhaps by this sly tactic/He might tell us the whole truth.” The words “La verdad/Truth” are repeated over and over in the dialogue: it’s what the Texans want and it’s what the Indian promises to give; truth is always at issue. Given their condescending approach towards the Indian, the Texans McLeod and Navarro would hardly suspect that he could be capable of setting them up for an ambush. If I follow the stages of the trickery correctly, the Indian (after being threatened with death) lets the name of Ramirez drop, and as this name was disclosed under duress the Texans believe it is the key and became more and more insistent on knowing Ramirez and being taken to him. McLeod needs information about his enemy and this is what makes him vulnerable to deception. He underestimates the cleverness of the Indian and loses his own sense of caution (why would someone in hiding sing a beautiful song unless he wanted to be discovered?). Also McLeod’s desire for power allows Ramirez to entice him to go through a mountain pass (“When, at Santa Fe arriving/you’ll receive upon that stead/two authorities: armed forces/and political renown”). The double meaning of this prediction is instantly clear when McLeod is outnumbered by the Mexican army, and achieves fame as the deceived loser.