The legend of the Cacique Foyel

The aborigines who lived in these lands, have been famous for their brave chiefs who intended to guide them through years to a prosper future. Their military tactics were envied by the members of other tribes and by the white men who tried for a long time, in vain, to conquer them. Anthological chiefs have walked over this land, such as Calfucurá, Namuncurá, Inacayal, Saihueque and many other. However, the most representative of them was the cacique Foyel, who ruled over the southern part of the Nahuel-Huapi Lake.

On top of being one of the best hunters of the zone, Foyel was a charismatic and open-minded chief, a rare quality among these tribes. This gave him the possibility to have good connections between other tribes, including the Argentinian army. As a result, during his ruling, his tribe lived a pacific and safe life.

How he managed to gather such an incredible fortune, as he had, is still a mystery. Some people claimed that he managed to get into the lost city of the Cesares, which is, according to the legend, built in gold. Only a few managed to enter into this city, but only Foyel managed to get out of it alive.

Where he was buried with all his treasures, remains as a total mystery as well. For the explorers, it is clear that he was buried somewhere in the Mount Fortaleza , named this way for its difficulty for climbing. A large number of explorers have tried to find his body, but they have all failed, or never returned.

The only one who claims to have found the body is Martin Sheffield (famous for being a big landowner and a big liar). According to his tales, we was riding his horse high up in Mount Fortaleza, when suddenly he saw a golden glint in the rocks, and when he checked it out it was gold. He put a shovel to mark the zone, and went back for help, but when he came back, the shovel had disappeared and he couldn’t find the exact place ever again.

However the family of the Cacique, didn’t have such a good luck. After his death, his wife and son were captured by the Argentinean army, taken to Buenos Aires, and shown in the National Museum. After 10 years of suffering they both died.

Juan V.