ZAPATA, Juan Ortiz de (thah-pah'-tah), Mexican
author, born in Castile about 1620; died in Chihuahua about 1690. He became a
Jesuit, and was attached to the missions of northern Mexico. After learning the
Indian dialects he was vicar of the parish of Santa Rosa de Cusihuiriachie,
where he labored for about thirty years. He wrote in 1678 a valuable "Relacion
de las Misiones que la Companía de Jesus tiene en el Reino y la Provincia de la
Nueva Vizcaya," which has appeared in the state publication, "Documentos para la
Historia Mexicana" (6 vols., Madrid, 1860). Zapata's work is also mentioned in
Father Bernard of Bologne's "Bibliotheca Societatis Jesus" (1715): in the "
Bibliotheca Scriptorum Societatis Jesus" (Pisa, 1729-'45); and in Bancroft's
"Native Races" (San Francisco, 1883).
Edited Appletons
Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 StanKlos.comTM