Juan Ortiz (captive)

Juan Ortiz was a Spanish sailor who was held captive and enslaved by Native Americans in Florida for eleven years, from 1528 until he was rescued by the Hernando de Soto expedition in 1539.

After first landing at Uzita, de Soto and his men heard of a Christian living in a neighboring chiefdom.

While searching for Ortiz, de Soto's men encountered ten or so Native Americans, and started to attack them.

Ortiz was with the group being attacked, but he managed to make the Spanish understand that he was a Christian (one account says he did so by calling out "Sevilla", which was his home town).

[12] The Inca's version of the story of Juan Ortiz and the daughter of Chief Hirrihigua has grown into a legend.

[15] A children's book, Uleyli- The Princess & Pirate: Based on the true story of Florida's Pocahontas, was released in 2018 in both a black-and-white illustrated chapter book version and a full-color illustrated, abridged, junior graphic novel version.

In these versions, the chief's daughter's name became "Princess Uleyli of Ucita in Hirrihigua Province" and the story is told from her perspective.