ESTABANICO OF AZEMOUR MOROCCO AND THE INDIANS OF THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA.. A FULL CIRCLE

 I have been very fortunate to be associated with the Native peoples of the USA which is often referred to as Turtle Island. During my conversations with knowledgeable elders, they mentioned of their frequent interactions with the Indians of Cuba long before the Europeans "discovered them,  where they would travel on their canoes. On one such journey they saw strange looking people (the spaniards) and knew that soon they would come to their land, which happened not so soon afterwards . Indians were ready and did dispel the conquistadores/invaders (who came from Spain via Cuba). On this particular expedition under a bungling captain Narvaez, the expedition was an utter disaster.

  Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de la Vaca who was the second in command was sent away to pursue the lands to the west. Of this group who trudged along the coast of Florida and the southern regions and Texas, only four survived which included Cabeza de la Vaca, Dorantes and Castillo , three spanish conquistadores and an african slave, Estabanico, born Mustapha al Azmouri in the important atlantic port of Azzamour in the Moroccan coast.

He was born around 1500 CE and died around 1539 at the hands of Zuni Indians. 

A statue by the late sculptor John Hauser will be displayed in El Paso and also in the Tampa Bay area. The model for the above sculpture was a Berber from the Saharan region of Morocco. There seems to be little doubt that Estebanico was Black African and not a Berber (usually referred as Morros by the spaniards).

`Now it was time to visit Azemour.. in Morocco

A city with a long history, Azama (to the Phoenicians and at the time of Punic wars, a berber word meaning black olives) had been connected to the outside world. The indigenous people were the Berbers who were animists and christian and  included some Berber jews. Islam brought invaders/outsiders from the East and their language and religion.

a mural honouring Estebanico in Azzemour.

A short ride from Casablanca on a wide motorway brings you to the small village 

The fort is visible and imposing. The fort of Azamor (Azemmour) was under Portuguese control between 3 September 1513 and October 1541.

The fort of Safim (Safi) called by the Portuguese as Castelo do Mar or Castelejo was founded by the Portuguese as a  feitoria in 1488. In 1508 the Portuguese built a fortress. The fortress was abandoned by the Portuguese on October 1541.

Once you enter, there is only pedestrian traffic and the magnificence of the yesteryear strikes you .. 

this street used to be in the heart of the jewish area of Azemmour. Most jews have migrated to Israel France and other places and now their history is but a memory.

This is the city where Estebanico was born around 1500 CE. There were jews living here at that time.

He left to go to Florida and here I am, a friend of the original people of florida to pay homage to him.

500 years later life has come a full circle ..