A well respected German soldier and explorer, Hans Staden best known for his voyaged to South America and well thought-out escape from his captivity from the Tupinambá people of Brazil. A well educated men whom had a vast experience in the knowledge of gun fighting, granting him his title of gunner. This came to Staden’s advantage once he decided to enlist in expeditions to travels to the New World. Acquiring a brief amount of knowledge and understanding of the New World from his first voyage to Brazil. In his return to Seville, Staden passed up his second attempt to travel to India and boarded Espinoza’s ship heading towards Rio de la Plata. Due to unfortunate events, the ships sank in a storm where he was than rescued by individuals from…show more content… Go-between's are often used to adjudicate relations in ways where it will eventually benefit the interest of the European world rather than the Indian world. This is why it was essential to gain knowledge of the New World in order to strive in the European world, which is exactly what Hans achieved. Those who served as go-between's often determined the outcome of meetings and encounters. Possibly as to why Hans believed it was his only chance at survival. Physical go-between's were those who connected the two separated worlds being America and Europe. Staden had the empirical knowledge of both worlds, he experienced “the sensory exploration of the new and very different world: he saw, heard, touched, tasted, and smelled.” Born in Homberg, Germany Staden grew up surrounded by Eurocentric ideologies and religion giving him a vast understanding of the European world, his home. Once he arrive in America it was in his best interest to adapt to the new language and culture, not so much assimilate but to understand. Within the book True History, Staden writes accounts of his experience of the New World. “many groups of savages who speak very different languages” “do not have any particular form of government… all their chiefs belong to one tribe, one area, and one government” Hans took time to observes aspects of Native culture including religion, religion, language, arts, forms of government, countries appearances. Through his boundless information on Tupi-Guarani culture and after being taken captive by the Natives, Staden stepped into the world of a transactional
