Da Gama’s pilot Malemo Cana. Malinché. Squanto. These intermediaries are all major figures in recent historical accounts of European expansion, but we don’t always fully grasp their significance. Yes, they helped Europeans learn about and ultimately gain control of their home societies. But more was going on than that. They offered access to the system of pathways and trade networks constructed entirely by the indigenous peoples long before the arrival of the Europeans.
