While tied to a stake about to be burned to death, Hatuey was told that in order to get to Heaven, he would need to accept Christ. He replied “do Spaniards go to Heaven?” and when the clergyman told him yes, he said that if there were Spaniards in Heaven, then he would go to Hell.
If you (or any interested readers) have not seen the film Tambien La lluvia (Even The Rain) you absolutely owe it to yourself to do so. It is the story of a Spanish film crew trying to make a movie about Hatuey and unintentionally but very realistically re-embodying the colonialist dynamics. It’s brilliant and a must-see for anyone interested in colonial dynamics, past and present.
It can have a huge emotional impact and you should give yourself some recovery time if you find those subjects impactful.
