August 2023 by Juan Zuñiga
In 1538, King Charles I of Spain and V of Germany approved the expedition to the North of Fray Marcos, a trustworthy man, an expert in cosmography and things of the sea, as well as in theology, and the viceroy, Don Antonio de Mendoza, gave careful instructions to the religious to treat the Indians well and to be very careful to look at the people, whether they are many or few, and whether they are scattered or live together. You should look at the quality of the land, the climate, the flora and fauna. The orography, the metals...and just in case you will find a piece of sea inland.At the end of 1535, Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andres Dorantes de Carranza and Alonso de Castillo Maldonado appeared in the Rio Grande after crossing the entire perimeter of what we today call the southwestern United States. With them came a Moorish servant named Estebanico. The three Spaniards and the African were the only survivors among 300 Spanish shipwrecks in Florida. Although captives of the Indians and heroes of many hardships, they were able to find the Spanish after eight years and three months of wandering lost through the nation of cows. On their way they had heard the Opatas talk about the products they had exchanged with sedentary people who were dressed in chamois and lived in houses many stories high.After learning of their feat, these cities grew in imagination and wealth among the Spaniards, so that Estebanico, the Moor, was in charge of guiding the expedition led by Brother Marcos.Estebanico, who had beaten him to it, decided to act on his own and abuse his privileges. Dressed luxuriously, he pretended to be a sorcerer and had his food served on green china. He demanded gifts from the Indians and abused their women and their hospitality. On his way he sent news to the friar who followed him very slowly. He said that in this province there are seven very large cities, the smallest ones with one roof and a roof on top, and others with two and three roofs, and the lord's with four, all together in order and on the portals of the main houses many turquoise stone work... and the people of these cities are very well dressed. These kingdoms were called Marata, Acus and Totonteac.The Indians that Fray Marcos met told him about the seven cities of Cebola and so that he would believe them, they took earth and ashes and poured water on it and showed me how they placed the stone and how they climbed to the top of the building, then they took a stick and placed it. over the head and they said that there is more than enough height for that height.Estebanico's end was near. His magical medicine, his strange bells, his abusive behavior, attracted the distrust of the natives. They killed him and distributed his body. In the first towns their amulets, their turquoise, their greyhounds and their green earthenware were abandoned. When the news reached Brother Marcos, he could only observe the place of his death from afar. The friar, fearful for his life, returned in double marches without seeing more of the country.When he arrived in Mexico, his fantastic trip was believed and the expedition of Don Francisco Vazquez de Coronado was in charge of proving that the Zuñi, the town where Estebanico was killed, were a poor and crowded people. The Zuni still remember the sad figure of Estebanico in their traditions. They point to the ruins of Kiakima on Thunder Mountain and say that that was where the black Mexican died.With the Coronado expedition, the Pueblo Indians were able to observe for the first time the rhythmic gallop of horses, their smell, their neighing. Those Spanish centaurs were dressed in metallic armor and carried thunder in their hands. A new life appeared for the Indians of the West.A soldier from Coronado, Captain Alvarado, began his journey and in about three days of marching he arrived at the town of Acuco located on a rock. It was a town that caught the attention of the Spanish because it was built on a high rocky plateau. The city on its summit is today called Acoma, inhabited by the Pueblo Indians.
