Caupolicán (meaning ‘polished flint’ (queupu) or ‘blue quartz stone’ (Kallfulikan) in Mapudungun) was a toqui or war leader of the Mapuche people, who led the resistance of his people against the Spanish Conquistadors who invaded the territory of today's Chile during the sixteenth century. His rule as Toqui lasted roughly from 1553-1558 AD. Biography According to the poetic work La Araucana the primary known wife of Caupolican was Fresia, although she is also named Gueden or Paca by other authors. His only known child was named Lemucaguin, or Caupolican the younger. According to tradition and the writings of Fernando Alegria, Caupolican was of a grave countenance and was blind in one eye from childhood. First years Caupolican fought from his youth on against the Spanish Conquistadors helping to achieve the freedom of his people. He was elected Toqui of the Mapuche people, as Lautaro’s successor (although Alonso de Ercilla states he was elected previously and that he was a secret candidate for this office chosen by Colo Colo to conduct the War of Arauco). It appears that Caupolican was a member of a very respected family in Mapuche society, seeing as he and his brothers were always in the group of military leaders who planned battle strategies for the tribe. The Mapuches are a people who resisted the Spanish conquistadors of southern Chile. Together with Lautaro, Caupolican was one of the leaders of the Mapuche people in the wars of the sixteenth century. Caupolican cooperated with Lautaro in the Battle of Tucapel and the subsequent hostile takeover of the Tucapel fort, in which the Spanish army was defeated and their commanding officer Pedro de Valdivia was killed. The execution of Pedro de Valdivia is attributed to Caupolican by the historian Jeronimo de Vivar. The name Caupolican became a symbol of Native American resistance, and his life and acts were collected by Alonso de Ercilla - one of the military captains in the army of Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza y Manrique - in his epic poem La Araucana and by Ruben Dario in his poem Caupolican. The primary conflicts of the Arauco War in which Caupolican participated were: The Battle at Lagunillas as a soldier, and the Battles of Millarapue and Cañete as Toqui. The Battle at Lagunillas After the death of Lautaro, the Mapuche people were left without an effective leader to guide them into battle; evidence is shown of