Fall 2005

ANT 384M • The Inquisition: Ethnicity/Gender

Course Description

The Iberian Inquisition had religious, social, political, and economic consequences and these factors brought to the New World specific ethnic groups intent on evading the scrutiny of the institution. In northern Mexico, the Inquisition effectively changed the processes of conquest, the balance of power, and the practice of religion particularly among conversos who were given large land grants they subsequently lost because of accusations of Jewish practices. Native American groups, normally considered outside of the Inquisitorial reach, encountered the Inquisition as shamans and witches. This seminar explores the impact of the Inquisition on Native American populations, as well as on the colonizers. It addresses the consequences of the Inquisition in the conquest and development of northern Mexico, and its differential practices in terms of gender and ethnicity. We will also examine Iberian practices related to folk religion, magic, and witchcraft and their influence and interplay in the inquisitorial treatment of native populations in the New World.

Permission of instructor is required.

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