The mission San Xavier del Bac is located just south of Tucson, Arizona. It is not the church that Father Kino built. Historians do not know the exact location of Father Kino’s small church. Father Kino started many missions, or churches. Two of these, Mission San Xavier del Bac and the Mission Tumacacori, are located south of Tucson. They are special places and are open to visitors. Why were gold and silver important to Spain? For many years, Spain was involved in wars in Europe. The Spanish government needed gold and silver to pay for the wars. In 1736, silver was discovered in an area known as “Arizonac,” not far from Nogales. Arizonac was thought to be the Spanish way of speaking two Indian words: “Ali” meaning “small” and “Shonak” meaning “place of the spring”; Ali-Shonak, “place of the small spring.” Most historians now believe that the name Arizona came from the Indian words Ali-Shonak. Miners came from Spain to search for silver. The King of Spain sent Captain Juan Bautista de Anza and a band of soldiers to the Arizonac area to protect the King’s share of the silver. But by the time the men got there, the silver and the miners were gone. The Pima Indians were not happy with the arrival of the new Spanish miners and settlers. In 1751 a war began between them. More soldiers were sent from Mexico City to build a presidio, or fort. In 1752 the Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac was established. Tubac became the first Spanish settlement in Arizona. 58  Chapter 5 • The Second People: Explorers and Settlers