Big Eyes (Wichita woman) facts for kids
Big Eyes was a Wichita woman who lived around the 1500s. She helped a Spanish explorer named Francisco Vázquez de Coronado find his way through what is now the southwestern United States.
Big Eyes was known for the two lines tattooed under her eyes. This was a common custom for Wichita women at the time.
Big Eyes' Journey
In 1535, Big Eyes was captured by the Tejas people. They later traded her to the Tiwa Puebloans, who lived in what is now Arizona.
Captured by Coronado
In 1540, Coronado's group fought the Tiwa people in a conflict called the Tiguex War. Big Eyes was captured during this time and became a slave to one of Coronado's officers, Juan de Zaldívar.
Because she knew the land well, Big Eyes became a guide for Coronado's journey. She guided alongside a man called El Turco. El Turco claimed to know where the legendary Seven Cities of Gold were.
When Coronado reached a place called Quivira in 1541, it was clear the golden cities didn't exist. Coronado executed El Turco. Big Eyes managed to escape from the Spaniards and went back to her own people.
Meeting de Soto's Expedition
In 1542, another Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto, arrived in the Mississippi Valley. He had traveled all the way from Florida on the Atlantic coast.
De Soto's friend, Luis de Moscoso Alvarado, heard stories about a woman who had been with Coronado. He looked for Big Eyes to learn what had happened during Coronado's trip.
Big Eyes told Moscoso about Coronado's journey and even drew a simple map in the dust. Moscoso's soldiers copied this map onto parchment. This map eventually made its way to Europe, helping others understand the geography of the new lands.
Not much more is known about Big Eyes after her meeting with de Soto's group in 1542.
