Calusa,
North American Indian tribe
that inhabited the southwest coast of Florida from Tampa Bay to Cape Sable and Cape Florida, together with all the outlying keys. According to some authorities their territory also extended inland as far as Lake Okeechobee. Their linguistic affiliation is not certain.
What were the Calusa known for?
Known as the “Shell Indians”, the Calusa are considered to be
the first shell collectors
. Unlike other tribes, the Calusa did not make any items from pottery. Shells were used to make items like jewelry, utensils, and tools. … The Calusa travelled by dugout canoes, which were made from hollowed-out cypress logs.
Does the Calusa tribe still exist?
The Calusa
tribe died out in the late 1700s
. … Many Calusa were captured and sold as slaves. In addition, diseases such as smallpox and measles were brought into the area from the Spanish and French explorers and these diseases wiped out entire villages.
Where are the Calusa tribe today?
Their descendents may still be living in
Cuba today
. Other Calusas survived the epidemics and ultimately joined the Seminole tribe. The Calusa language and culture have been lost, though.
What did the Calusa tribe believe in?
Calusa beliefs included
a trinity of governing spirits
. Rituals were believed to link the Calusa to their spirit world (Art by Merald Clark.) Artist's conception of town chief at the Calusa town of Tampa (present day Pineland) (Art by Merald Clark.)
Who discovered the Calusa tribe?
Descriptions of the principal town of “Calos,” probably located on Mound Island in Estero Bay (roughly 50 kms north of Key Marco), were first recorded by
Spanish missionaries
in 1586. According to these accounts, the Calusa had a head chief named Carlos who lived in Calos and received tribute from surrounding villages.
What food did the Calusa tribe eat?
The Calusa tribe lived along the Gulf Coat and inner waterways; their homes were built on stilts with roofs made from Palmetto leaves; these homes had no walls. They fished and hunted for their food and would catch things like:
mullet, catfish, eels, turtles, deer, conchs, clams, oysters, and crabs.
Are the Seminoles a Native American tribe?
Seminole,
North American Indian tribe of Creek origin
who speak a Muskogean language. In the last half of the 18th century, migrants from the Creek towns of southern Georgia moved into northern Florida, the former territory of the Apalachee and Timucua.
Which tribe lived in a house on stilts?
Seminole Indians
lived in a home called a Chickee. A chickee was a house built on stilts usually about three or four feet above the ground. A chickee was usually about nine feet wide and sixteen feet long, with a wooden platform which served as the floor and a thatched roof.
What is the Timucua culture?
The Timucua were a group
of Native Americans
who lived in current-day southern Georgia and northern Florida. The Timucua all spoke dialects of the same language, although they were not united politically, living in different tribes with their own territory and dialects.
How did the Timucua travel?
Our Living History Interpreters will help you to understand what day to day life was like in the village, how the Timucua hunted, fished, made fine pottery and shell tools, and how they finally slipped away into history. The Timucua in this area
used canoes to travel by water
.
What houses did the Calusa tribe live in?
And, rather than the traditional tent-like shelters many Native American tribes adopted, the Calusa chose to live in
stilted huts with no walls and a roof made of Palmetto leaves on the
coast along the inner waterways.
Who did the Calusa tribe trade with?
The Calusa also journeyed to
Cuba and other Caribbean islands
, trading in fish, skins, and amber. During the 16th century they defended their shores from a succession of Spanish explorers.
What food did most Native American tribes in Florida gather from waterways?
Fish and shellfish
were collected from both fresh and salt water. Fishing technology was very similar to the tools we use today.
What did the natives call Florida?
The 1770s is when Florida Indians collectively became known as
Seminole
, a name meaning “wild people” or “runaway.”
What language did the Calusa tribe speak?
Calusa Indian Language (Caloosa)
Calusa is an extinct Amerindian language of Florida. No records of the language remain other than a few place names in Florida, so it is unknown which language family Calusa might have belonged to.
