Wichita is a Nahuatl sorceress and crossbowwoman of the New World, a companion of the company, whose family died and whose betrothed was killed by the Spanish. Her Nahuatl chanting is taken by the Spanish authorities as evidence of witchcraft.
| Type | Character |
| People | Nahuatl |
| Spanish entry | Wichita |
Appearance
“A tall Indian woman” with “dark hair, very bristly, reaching to her waist”, straw-like, that “with a little breeze moves like a bush”. She wears yellow with fringes, boots, necklaces, “a black headband too, with a feather”, and a cowboy hat on top. Her dress is sewn with “a lot of tiny little pouches” for “her little stones and her little things”. She carries a satchel, two small daggers and a crossbow slung on her back. The crossbow “clearly is not from this part, but it is Spanish”: small, light, European, “which she evidently stole from someone at some point”.
Sorcery
She makes “strange chants” in Nahuatl, alongside another, unnamed practitioner who “cast a spell”. The Guardians treat the foreign language as evidence of witchcraft. The chant’s effect is not recorded.
History
“Her whole family died… the Spanish killed her betrothed.” Neither is named.
Conflicting accounts
- “A yellow dress with fringes” versus “a beautiful armor, yellow with fringes”.
- A skirt “rather long” versus a miniskirt; the miniskirt became fixed, though the other testimony stands.
Open questions
- Her specific people and how she reached the Spanish zone; what the little stones are; whose crossbow she stole.