La Malinche and the fall of the Aztec Empire: Heroine or Traitor?

In the early 16th century Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors defeated the great Aztec Empire, built a new city for colonists from Spain and took control of vast lands stretching from today’s south-western U.S. down through most of Central America. A story not often told, however, is that one of the reasons for the success of this conquest was the invaluable help of a woman, Princess Malinalli, known today as La Malinche. Born around 1500 to noble
parents, after the death of her father and re-marriage of her mother, she was sold into slavery to Mayan traders who in turn sold her to the Spanish invaders. Her facility with languages brought her to the attention of Cortés, who used her as a translator and confidante. She was known to the Spanish as Doña Marina and was the mother of Cortés’ first son, Martin. La Malinche is often described as the embodiment of a new culture, one in which the mixing of races, Spanish and Aztec, created a new world. This view is not shared by all Mexicans, however. For some, La Malinche is the symbol of a great betrayal that led to the death of millions of her fellow indigenous people.