Don Luis facts for kids

Don Luís de Velasco, also known as Paquiquino, was a Native American from the area now called Tidewater, Virginia. He was likely from the Kiskiack or Paspahegh tribe. In 1561, a Spanish expedition took him away. He traveled with them to Spain, Cuba, and Mexico. There, he was baptized as Don Luís de Velasco and received an education.

Don Luís returned to Virginia in 1571. He served as a guide and interpreter for a group of Jesuit missionaries. It is believed he was involved in a later attack on these Jesuits. This happened when the region was suffering from a severe lack of food.

Native Americans in Virginia

During the 1500s, the Native Americans in Tidewater Virginia spoke Algonquian. They lived in towns and villages along the rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay. These communities were led by chiefs, known as weroances. Many of these groups were part of the powerful Powhatan confederacy.

Spanish Explorers Arrive

In the early 1500s, Spanish explorers found the Chesapeake Bay. They were looking for a famous water route called the Northwest Passage. The Spanish named the land that is now Virginia "Ajacán".

After several tries, the Spanish successfully started colonies in the New World. In 1565, they built St. Augustine, the first European city in what would become the United States. Smaller settlements then spread north into Georgia and the Carolinas. The farthest north Spanish outpost was Santa Elena in what is now South Carolina.

Don Luís's Early Life

Spanish ships continued exploring north into the Chesapeake Bay area in the late 1500s. In June 1561, a ship called the Santa Catalina entered the Chesapeake. This trip was ordered by Luís de Velasco, a Spanish leader in New Spain. While in the bay, two young Native American boys were taken. One of them was likely the son of an Algonquian chief. His village was Kiskiack, located on the Virginia Peninsula.

The Spanish first called this boy Paquiquino, meaning "little Francis." In September 1561, he arrived in Seville, Spain. He then traveled to Córdoba and Madrid, where he met with Philip II of Spain. In August 1562, Don Luís arrived in Mexico City and became ill. After he recovered, he was baptized as Don Luís de Velasco. He then received an education from the Jesuits. In 1566, Don Luís joined a Spanish trip to the Delmarva Peninsula. This trip was a failed attempt to start a new colony.

The Ajacán Mission in Virginia

In 1570, Juan Bautista de Segura, a Jesuit leader from Havana, wanted to start a mission in Ajacán. He wanted to do this without any soldiers, which was unusual. Soldiers often caused problems and made it hard to convert Native Americans to Christianity. They could be bored and cause trouble. Despite worries, Father Segura got permission to create the new "St. Mary's Mission."

In August 1570, Father Segura, Father Luís de Quiros, and six Jesuit brothers left Havana. They planned to build their new mission in Ajacán. A young Spanish boy named Alonso de Olmos, also called Aloncito, went with them to help with church services. Don Luís also joined them as their guide and translator. On September 10, Don Luís and nine Spaniards landed in the area now known as the Virginia Peninsula.

Mission Location and Abandonment

The mission may have been built at Queen's Creek on the north side of the Lower Peninsula, near the York River. Newer discoveries suggest it might have been on the New Kent side of Diascund Creek, close to the Chickahominy River.

Don Luís likely tried to find his native village, which he had not seen in ten years. A small wooden hut was built there, with a room for church services. Soon after the ship left, Don Luís left the Jesuits. He said he was going to find his uncle and get supplies.

Attack and Aftermath

Days and then months passed, and the eight Jesuits realized they had been left alone. To make things worse, the mid-Atlantic region was going through a long period of famine. The food they brought was running out. They quickly became dependent on the Native Americans for food.

They successfully traded for some food, but it became harder to find as winter arrived. Around February 1571, Don Luís returned with other Native Americans. They took all the Jesuits' clothing and supplies. The Native Americans then killed both priests and all six brothers. Only Alonso de Olmos, the young servant boy, was spared.

Survivor and Spanish Response

In the spring of 1571, after the attack at the Ajacán Mission, a Spanish supply ship arrived. The crew found Native Americans wearing the missionaries' clothes and items. They captured two Native Americans and questioned them. These captives told the crew about the attack.

In August 1572, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived from Florida with thirty soldiers and sailors. He came to respond to the attack. At first, Menéndez de Avilés thought Don Luís's uncle was responsible. He tricked several Native Americans onto his ship with gifts and held them hostage. From them, Menéndez de Avilés learned that Alonso de Olmos had survived. He was able to get the boy back. After hearing the full story from Olmos, Menéndez de Avilés tried to use other Native Americans as hostages. He wanted to trade them for Don Luís. However, Don Luís did not surrender to the Spanish.

Before leaving the bay, Menéndez de Avilés had the remaining Native American hostages baptized. He then had them killed. During this trip, 20 Native Americans died. This failed mission ended Spain's attempts to colonize the Virginia area. Don Luís is not mentioned in historical records after this time.

Was Don Luís Also Opechancanough?

When the English first settled Jamestown in 1607, a strong Native American warrior named Opechancanough was the brother of Wahunsonacock. Wahunsonacock was the chief of the Powhatan Confederacy. Opechancanough's name meant "He whose Soul is White" in the Algonquian language.

Some historians have wondered if Don Luís and Opechancanough were the same person. However, Paquiquino (Don Luís) was from the Paspahegh Tribe, while Opechancanough was from the Pamunkey and Powhatan Tribes. They were not from the same group of people. Both men are thought to have been born around the same time. Both were also known for strongly opposing European settlers. Some historians suggest that Opechancanough was more likely Don Luís's nephew or cousin.

Could Don Luís Be Powhatan's Father?

Another idea is that Don Luís might have been the father of Wahunsonacock, also known as Chief Powhatan. When discussing a treaty, an English writer named Ralph Hamor wrote that Powhatan's father came to Virginia from the Spanish West Indies. This is interesting because it matches parts of Don Luís's life. Hamor wrote:

"Thirdly they should at all times be ready and willing to furnish vs with three or foure hundred bowmen to aide vs against the Spaniards, whose name is odious amongst them, for Powhatans father was driuen by them from the west-Indies into those parts..." - Ralph Hamor, A TRVE DISCOVRSE of the present estate of Virginia, and the successe of the affaires there till the 18 of Iune. 1614.

Based on this, some believe Don Luís's experience with Spanish rule helped him unite six tribes into the Powhatan Confederacy. This would have happened before his likely death around 1583-1585, when Wahunsonacock would have taken over.

However, the idea that Don Luís was Wahunsonacock's father doesn't fit with the timeline. Paquiquino was a young person when the Spanish took him. He is thought to have been born between 1540 and 1550. The Spanish liked to capture young people who could easily learn Spanish but still remember their native language. Wahunsonacock is believed to have been born around 1547. So, Wahunsonacock was either older than or the same age as Don Luís.

Also, the Powhatan people had a matrilineal society. This means leadership passed through the mother's side of the family. Wahunsonacock told the English that he inherited his right to rule from his mother. He also said his siblings, not his own children, would become chief after him. Because of this, it is believed that the chief before Wahunsonacock was likely his uncle, not his father.

Don Luís in Modern Times

Today, descendants of the Powhatan Confederacy still live in Virginia. They live in many places, including two reservations in King William County. The Catholic Church's Richmond Diocese has named St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in New Kent County as the new Shrine of the Jesuit Martyrs.