The Elusive Conquest of Queen Califa: California History Revisited

It was then that John and I were slapped awake by the brilliant color and majestic presence of our hosts. The walls and ceilings that gave us shelter by night had, in the morning’s light, come alive with the vivid forms of men, deer, mountain lion, bighorn sheep, birds and rabbits, all superimposed within a great mural.

The Indigenous peoples of Baja California have long survived the unforgiving conditions of the desert by adapting to nature. But everything changes when the Spanish conquistadors start arriving and the missionaries are deployed. With no written language, the Indigenous shamans paint their people’s history into murals on the walls of mountain caves. As suggested by one such mural, Califa, a clever Cochimi healer, and her shaman husband, temporarily trick the Spanish invaders into retreat. But nothing can keep the massive galleons away forever, and over the next centuries, the Native peoples either acquiesce to the missionaries out of hunger or die from illnesses introduced by the Europeans.

Nearly three hundred years after the establishment of the first Spanish mission, three young American men set out to backpack the length of Baja California. They follow the Camino Real along the trail of the Jesuits, seeking out the Indigenous rock-art sites and what remains of the missions. Along the way, they are frequently aided by descendants of the first colonists and the original Native peoples, though these ranchers, vaqueros, and other hard-working people aren’t exactly sure whether these backpackers aren’t crazy. As they make the 1200-mile, 110-day trek, the Americans encounter many of the same dangers and challenges faced by the Indigenous peoples and their conquerors, while also thrilling to the beauty of the landscape, the generosity of the people, and the mystical enchantment of the cave paintings.

A thoroughly engaging blend of history, historical fiction, and memoir, The Elusive Conquest of Queen Califa brings history to life both as it happened and as it’s being reflected upon in the midst of a great adventure undertaken by three intrepid young men hundreds of years later.