Journal of a Cowboy

Healing from the Cortés-Malintzín liaison

“How long has there been suspicion between American Natives and European transplants?” Jean-Luc asked the old medicine man.

“It was from the very beginning,” he replied. “Ever since the first contact, over 300 years ago. Malintzín was a Native Mesoamerican woman from a Nahual tribe. She was born in the early 1500s to an Aztecan chieftain,” said the old medicine man slowly. “He sold her to a Mayan chief in Tabasco, Mexico who, in turn, sold her to Hernán Cortés upon his arrival at the Yucatán

Peninsula in 1519. She was fluent in multiple Native languages, and she became a trusted adviser and translator to him. Her guidance proved instrumental in his takeover of the Aztec civilization. Malintzín’s linguistic skills helped her to interpret Native languages for the Spanish newcomers.

“When Cortés arrived in Tabasco, a Mayan chief there offered a group of women to him and his men,” the old medicine man continued. “Malintzín was among those women. Cortés decided to distribute the enslaved women as war prizes among his captains, and Malintzín — she was awarded to Captain Alonzo Hernández Puertocarrero.”

The old medicine man paused to recall what the ancient legends had said. He took up his story again: “At the same time, Cortés and his men made their way across the peninsula in search of an abundance of silver and gold in the Aztec empire. They slaughtered hundreds of tribal warriors and robbed the Natives of their resources along the way, and the Spanish baptized her under the more European name of ‘Doña Marina.’”

Jean-Luc could discern a pattern developing, as the old medicine man continued his telling of this history: “After Alonzo Puertocarrero returned to Spain, Cortés took her back under his possession. She quickly became a crucial part of Cortés’ conquest of the powerful Aztec empire. In correspondences to the Spanish monarch, Cortés mentioned Malintzín a couple of times in her role as an interpreter.

“She repeatedly saved Cortés and his men from Aztec attacks by gathering information from the local tribes. In one instance, La Malintzín befriended an old woman, who told her about a plot concocted by the Aztec King Moctezuma II to invade the Spaniards. The incident became known as ‘The Sad Night.’ When La Malintzín relayed this information to the conquistadors, Cortés made plans to evade the attack.”

The old medicine man paused again, before adding: “She also gave birth to his child, a baby boy whom she named ‘Martín Cortés,’ who was among the first-known mestizos, or Spanish children born of mixed Indian race.

“What many people agreed upon, however, is that in 1521, Cortés’ army invaded Tenochtitlan in the final siege that marked the destruction of the Aztec empire. During her time by Cortés’ side, La Malinche was, in part, respected by native tribes because of the influence she wielded as the bridge between the Spaniards and indigenous people. Indeed, the Aztecs named her ‘Malintzín,’ which is the name ‘Malinche’ with the honorary addendum, ‘tzín’ attached as a nominative suffix.”

Jean-Luc responded: “I believe that is extraordinary that a cohort of Native women have taken a bold stance throughout the known history of the people in the United States, despite the danger of becoming objects of derision or even pariahs, by coming to the aid of new settlers,” he concluded.

“These ladies, written out of history books, have really been the leaders in some of the most important episodes,” he added, and caressed his horse, Aspermont, fondly.