What if people believed you were a god…?
...What would you do with that power?
It happened 500 years ago to one man and his comrades: They were perceived to have power over life and death.
Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions—Alonzo, Andres and Esteban—were believed by Native Americans to be gods on Earth.
These four were the only survivors of 300 armored conquistadores, foot soldiers, friars and slaves who had landed in La Florida seven years earlier. They had been led by the blind ambition and lust for gold of Pánfilo de Narváez, a cruel and merciless man. With firearms, steel and horses, his small army boasted their intention to exploit the riches of the unknown lands and rule over the mysterious natives. Narváez’s foolish decisions had tragic reversals and deadly consequences for all but a few.
Cabeza de Vaca’s odyssey ended after years of slavery and abuse at the hands of tribes of the Southwest and a daring escape. In time, as they crossed vast tracts, they became medicine men. They were so phenomenally successful that heralds ran ahead in every direction to tell of these strange men—three Spaniards and a black man—who were coming. Throngs rushed to meet them, present them with gifts, and witness their storied powers to heal and even restore life to the dead.
How had these men from across the sea come to experience such an incredible series of changes in fortune?
This is the impossible true story of Cabeza de Vaca. Based on years of extensive research and known facts of the era, "Children of the Sky" recounts the saga of his remarkable journey with three comrades, who became the first Europeans to cross North America.
