El Turco (guide)
El Turco, or The Turk, (died August 5 1541) was a Native American (either Wichita or Pawnee) guide and slave of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado along with Big Eyes and Ysopete.[1] He was nicknamed El Turco by the Spaniards because of his similar appearance to Turks.[2] He was held captive at Cicúique near contemporary Pecos. In spring 1541, he led the Spaniards to the city of Quivira which was said to hold gold, silver and rich textiles.[3] After the Spaniards reached Quivira, they were disappointed to find out the stories were false[4] and that El Turco had lied and conspired with the Quivirans to kill the Spaniards and their horses. As retribution, Francisco Vazquez de Colorado ordered his men to have him garroted before leaving Quivira on August 5, 1541.[5] Today El Turco is regarded as an Indigenous hero in a display at Albuquerque's Indian Pueblo Cultural Center because his disinformation led Vázquez de Coronado onto the Great Plains and thus relieved the beleaguered pueblos of Spanish depredations for at least a few months.
References
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- ^ "El Turco and Ysopete". www.nanations.com. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
- ^ "Searching for "Nuevo México"". myText CNM. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
- ^ "National Park Service: Kiva, Cross, and Crown (Chapter 1)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
- ^ "Coronado Expedition | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
- ^ Association, Texas State Historical. "The Story of El Turco: The Turk of Coronado's Expedition". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2025-06-09.