Isabel Moctezuma was born in 1509 in Tenochtitlan and was the daughter of the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II. After the Spanish conquest, she was recognized as Moctezuma's heir and married 5 men, supporting the Catholic Church while being respected by her tribe and the Spaniards. Francisca was born around 1705 in the Manao tribe, was enslaved, and petitioned unsuccessfully for freedom, surviving smallpox and speaking Tupian. Damiana da Cunha was a member of the Calapo tribe, aided in settling relatives in Maria Primeira, and strived for 20 years to lead her tribe from an outpost to a civilized village.