El Cuilón, also known as Juan Rodrguez (born about 1680) was a leader of the

Ervipiame The Ervipiame or Hierbipiame were a Native people of modern Coahuila and Texas. Beginning in the 16th century Spanish settlement in what is today Northern Mexico and the accompanying diseases and slave raiding to supply ranches and mines with Nativ ...

during the 18th century and, at least by Spanish standards, the overall leader of the Rancheria Grande, a large and numerous collection of Native American tribes between the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

and the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

in what is today eastern

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. El Cuilón was born in what is today

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

, probably between the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

and the Rio Salado. He spent some time at

Mission San Francisco Vizarron Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

in about 1699 before moving north-eastward to join other Ervipiame who had already migrated to eastern Texas. El Cuilón was given a baton of command by

Martin de Alarcón Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

in 1719, indicating that at least the Ervipiame held him in high respect. In 1721 El Cuilón was the lead negotiator for the Rancheria Grande tribes with the

Marques de Aguayo Marques or Marqués may refer to: * Marques (grape), another name for the Spanish Portuguese wine grape Loureira * Bark ''Marques'', a tall ship People *Marques (surname), a Portuguese surname * Marqués (surname), a Castillian and Catalan surn ...

. In 1722 El Cuilón was the leader of the Ervipiame and associated tribes who settled at

Mission San Francisco de Najera Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

, in the general vicinity of modern

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

Sources

*Barr, Juliana. ''Peace Came in the Form of a Woman: Indians and Spaniards in the Texas Borderlands''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2007. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cuilon, El 1680s births Native American leaders Year of birth uncertain Year of death missing