Calusa Indian Tribe
History
Calusa.
Said by a Spaniard, Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, who was a captive
among them for many years, to mean "fierce people," but it is perhaps more
probable that, since it often appears in the form Carlos, it was, as
others assert, adopted by the Calusa chief from the name of the Emperor
Charles V, about whose greatness he had learned from Spanish prisoners.
Connections
From the
place names and the few expressions recorded by Fontaneda, I suspect that
the Calusa were connected linguistically with the Muskhogean stock and
particularly with that branch of it to which the Apalachee and Choctaw
belonged, but no definite conclusion on this point is as yet possible.
Location
On the
west coast of the Peninsula of Florida southward of
Tampa Bay and including the Florida Keys. The Indians in
the interior, about Lake Okeechobee, while forming a
distinct group, seem also to have been Calusa.
Subdivisions
Unknown,
except as indicated above.
Villages
In the
following list the letters S and I indicate respectively
towns belonging to the seacoast division and those of
the interior division about Lake Okeechobee. Beyond this
allocation the positions of most of the towns may be
indicated merely in a general manner, by reference to
neighboring towns.
Abir (I), between Neguitun and Cutespa.
Alcola (or Chosa), location uncertain.
Apojola Negra, the first word is Timucua; the second seems to be
Spanish; location unknown.
Calaobe (S).
Caragara, between Namuguya and Henhenguepa.
Casitoa (S), between Muspa and Cotebo.
Cayovea (S).
Cayucar, between Tonco and Neguitun.
Chipi, between Tomcobe and Taguagemae.
Chosa (see Alcola).
Comachica (S).
Cononoguay, between Cutespa and Estegue.
Cotebo, between Casitoa and Coyobia.
Coyobia, between Cotebo and Tequemapo.
Cuchiyaga, said to be southwest from Bahia Honda and 40 leagues
northeast of Guarungube, probably on Big Pine Key.
Custavui, south of Jutun.
Cutespa (I), between Abir and Cononoguay.
Elafay, location uncertain.
Enempa (I).
Estame (S), between Metamapo and Sacaspada.
Estantapaca, between Yagua and Queyhicha.
Estegue, between Cononoguay and Tomsobe.
Excuru, between Janar and Metamapo.
Guarungube, "on the point of the Martyrs," and thus probably near
Key West. Guevu (S).
Henhenguepa, between Caragara and Ocapataga.
Janar, between Ocapataga and Escuru.
Judyi, between Satucuava and Soco.
Juestocobaga, between Queyhicha and Sinapa.
Jutun (S), between Tequemapo and Custavui.
Metamapo (S), between Escuru and Estame.
Muspa (S), between Teyo and Casitoa.
Namuguya, between Taguagemae and Caragara.
Neguitun, between Cayucar and Abir.
No or Non (S).
Ocapataga, between Henhenguepa and Janar.
Queyhicha, between Estantapaca and Juestocobaga.
Quisiyove (S).
Sacaspada (S), between Estame and Satucuava.
Satucuava, between Sacaspada and Judyi.
Sinaesta (S).
Sinapa (S), between Juestocobaga and Tonco.
Soco, between Judyi and Vuebe.
Taguagemae, between Chipi and Namuguya.
Tampa (S), the northernmost town, followed on the south by Yegua,
and probably on Charlotte Harbor.
Tatesta (S), between the Tequesta tribe and Cuchiyaga, about 80
leagues north of the latter, perhaps at the innermost end of the
Keys.
Tavaguemue (I).
Tequemapo (S), between Coyobia and Jutun.
Teyo, between Vuebe and Muspa.
Tiquijagua (?).
Tomo (S).
Tomsobe (I), between Estegue and Chipi.
Tonco, between Sinapa and Cayucar.
Tuchi (S).
Vuebe, between Soco and Teyo, possibly the same as Guevu.
Yagua (S), between Tampa and Estantapaca.
History
Most early navigators who touched upon the west coast of
Florida must have encountered the Calusa but the first definite appearance
of the tribe historically is in connection with shipwrecks of Spanish
fleets, particularly the periodical treasure fleet from Mexico, upon the
Calusa coast. These catastrophes threw numerous Spanish captives into the
hands of the natives and along with them a quantity of gold and silver for
which the Calusa shortly became noted. Ponce de Leon visited them in 1513, Miruelo in 1516, Cordova
in 1517; and Ponce, during a later expedition in 1521, received from them
a mortal wound from which he died after reaching Cuba.
Most of our early information regarding the Calusa is obtained from
Fontaneda (1854), who was held captive in the tribe from about 1551 to
1569. At the time when St. Augustine was settled attempts were made to
establish a post among these Indians and to missionize them, but the post
had soon to be withdrawn and the missionary attempt proved abortive. The
Calusa do not seem to have been converted to Christianity during the
entire period of Spanish control. While their treatment of castaways was
restrained, in every other respect they appear to have continued their
former manner of existence, except that they resorted more and more to
Havana for purposes of trade. Outside of a steady diminution in numbers
there is little to report of them until the close of the Seminole War. The
Seminole, when hard
pressed by the American forces, moved south into the Everglade region and
there came into contact with what was left of the Calusa. Romans (1775)
states that the last of the Calusa emigrated to Cuba in 1763, but probably
the Indians who composed this body were from the east coast and were not
true Calusa. The Calusa themselves appear about this time under the name
Muspa, which, it will be seen, was the designation of one of their towns.
On the movement of the Seminole into their country they became involved in
hostilities with the American troops, and a band of Muspa attacked the
camp of Colonel Harney in 1839 killing 18 out of 30 men. July 23 of the
same year Harney fell upon the Spanish Indians, killed their chief, and
hung six of his followers. The same band later killed a botanist named
Perrine living on Indian Key and committed other depredations. The Calusa
may have been represented by the "Choctaw band" of Indians, which appears
among the Seminole shortly after this time. The Seminole now in Oklahoma
assert that a body of Choctaw came west with them when they were moved
from Florida, but the only thing certain as to the Calusa is that we hear
no more about them. Undoubtedly some did not go west and either became
incorporated with the Florida Seminole or crossed to Cuba.
Population
Mooney's (1928) estimate of 3,000
Calusa Indians in 1650 is probably as near the truth as any estimate that could
be suggested. No census and very few estimates of the population, even of the
most partial character, are recorded. An expedition sent into the Calusa country
in 1680 passed through 5 villages said to have had a total population of 960,
but this figure can be accepted only with the understanding that these villages
were principal centers. In the band that attacked Harney in 1839 there were said
to be 250 Indians.
Connection in which they have
become noted
When first discovered the Calusa
were famous for the power of their chiefs, the amount of gold which they had
obtained from Spanish treasure ships, and for their addiction to human
sacrifice. Their name persists in that of Caloosahatchee River and probably also
in that of Charlotte Harbor. Another claim to distinction is the adoption by
their chief of the name of the great Emperor Charles, if that was indeed the
case. The only similar instance would seem to be in the naming of the
Delaware Indians, but
that was imposed upon the Lenni Lenape, not adopted by them.
Notes About the Book:
Source: The Indian Tribes of North America, by John R. Swanton, 1953, Bureau of
American Ethnology, Bulletin 145, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC.
Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and then ocr'd. Minimal editing
has been done, and readers can and should expect some errors in the textual
output.
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