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Lautaro was the son of a Mapuche lonko (a chief who holds office during peacetime) and was born in 1533. In 1550, he was captured by Don Pedro de Valdivia and he became his personal servant. Don Pedro de Valdivia was a Spanish conqueror of Chile and later became its captain general. Lautaro learned the military ways and skills of the Spaniards' army by observation. He was witness to atrocities committed by the Spanish on captive Mapuche warriors.

Lautaro was the son of an Ionko (chief who holds office during peactime) called, Curiñancu (Kurüñamku in the Mapuche language, Mapudungun, ‘ aguilucho   negro’ meaning ‘black harrier’). He lived a normal life until in 1550 ,when he was about 17 years old, he was captured by the Spanish and forced into servitude. According to several historians, in the immediate vicinity of what is now the city of Concepción, Chile, Pedro de Valdivia ordered his men to cut off the toes of every Mapuche warrior under the command of Curiñancu, for resisting Spanish colonization, among them Curiñancu and his wife, Lautaro’s parents, so that the Mapuche couldn’t follow the Spanish. It is said that because of Valdivia’s command to cut off the toes of the Mapuche warriors, the Spanish soldiers named the place “El Valle de La Mocha”, whose name has been maintained over time. A great hatred of the Spanish and particularly of Pedro de Valdivia was born in the young Lautaro because of this incident. After his capture they made him a Yanakuna, meaning a “black slave” in Quechua. He remained a prisoner of the Spanish for three years. Because he kept his personal hatred of Valdivia hidden, Lautaro soon became his personal page. Since it was difficult for the Spaniards to pronounce Lautaro’s original name, Leftraru, they gave him the name of Felipe Lautaro.

Among his daily tasks as a page, he was in charge of taking care of Valdivia’s horses and always accompanying them into battle and military exercises. This is how he learned not to fear horses and even become a good rider himself. Furthermore, he learned Spanish military tactics as he observed Valdivia.

During this period he had a certain level of friendship with one of Valdivia’s principal captains by the name of Marcos Veas, who taught Lautaro how to use different kinds of weapons and cavalry tactics. This was a typical practice because as a yanakuna Lautaro was responsible to serve as an indigenous assistant during battles.