Alvar Nunes Cabeza de Vaca (oct 27, 1527 – apr 30, 1536)

Description:

A Spanish native, joined a mission in 1527 to explore America, specifically La Florida and the city of gold. Some travelers decided to stay in Florida but were never heard from. Rest of crew landed at Galveston, TX during a hurricane (had to eat their own horses and built huts out of their wrecked ships). While there, they were taken hostage by Galveston Natives. While at first they were enslaved, natives were confused by their praying and interpreted them to be medicine men. After performing an exorcism on a native man, they were released to travel across the country and performing healing rituals. In 1537 he returned to Europe. In 1540 he took up a guard position in Argentina. Upon being there, he witnessed the abuse hurled towards the natives and began to become an activist on their behalf and in 1542 he was asked to resign from his governor position and retired back to Spain and died in Seville in 1560.

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