1645-1711

Spanish priest and explorer who introduced Christianity and Spanish influence into northern Mexico and present-day Arizona. Sent to Mexico in 1681, he established missions in many native villages and made at least 40 expeditions in Arizona, exploring extensive areas including the Rio Grande, Colorado, and Gila rivers. Father Kino was a compassionate man. He opposed the use of natives as forced labor in the mines, and he improved native agriculture by introducing wheat and cattle farming.