Calusa Cornell Notes

  Calusa Podcast:

Questions:                                 Notes:

Who were the Calusa?                    The Calusa were one of the oldest tribes of Native Americans that lived in                                                            Southwest Florida. Their name translated to "Fierce People", which was                                                            fitting because they were a fierce and warlike tribe.

What were the Calusa known         They were known for killing the man who first recorded the discovery of

for?                                                  Florida, Ponce De Leon. They were also known for their lack of trust for                                                             the Europeans who tried to come to Florida, which was mainly why not                                                             much is known about them.

What is known about the                They were one of the few people who were able to stay in one place and     Calusa?                                           grow as a society without the use of heavy agriculture. This was because                                                             of the environment that they called home. They lived near the estuary                                                                 where the Everglades exited into the sea. They also kept the physique of                                                             the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, further evidence of this lack of agriculture. 

What was life in their tribe             The Calusa tribe was a hierarchical society that had state-like features.   

like?                                                features include, a large population, suzerainty (influence of powerful over                                                          the less powerful) over other Florida tribes and classes. For example,                                                                   nobles and warriors were exempt from things others were required to do, as                                                         well they had access to foods that others did not. In addition, nobles                                                                    were like governors to other parts of the tribes while the head chief was                                                                like the president of the whole tribe. 

How do we know this?                  From eyewitness statements written by Europeans that butted heads with them,                                              as well as physical archeological evidence.

Where did the name "Calusa"        The name Calusa came from the name that the tribe's leader referred 

originate?                                        to himself as (Calus) and what he referred to his people (Calusa). This was                                                         the official European version of the name that was given because that is                                                               was the Spaniards heard the chief call his people this and it stuck, but it is                                                            believed the people had a name that they gave themselves that was                                                                        completely different, as Calus and Calusa were just titles, such as a King                                                            and his subjects.

Calusa government?                        It was believe The top chief was said to be a mystical being                                                                                who had a connection to the spiritual realm. The head chief had two                                                                    people who were just below him, the spiritual advisor and the war chief.                                                               It  is also believed that the top chief had multiple wives, one from each                                                                branch of the tribe. 

Spiritual Beliefs?                           They believed that the body had 3 souls, one that was seen in the eye, one                                                           that was seen in the shadow and one that was seen in the reflection in the                                                           water. The Calusa believed that after death, 2 of these souls were                                                                           transferred on while one stayed with the body. On top of this, they believed                                                        that the 2 souls that departed into a chain of animals that continued to get                                                           smaller and smaller until they got to the smallest animal. Calusa also                                                                   participated in rituals that did include human sacrifice at times. 

Environment and food?                The Calusa lived in coastal southwest Florida. This includes the 10000                                                                  islands and possibly the Florida Keys.                                                                                                                  Their environment included the estuaries of   the Everglades, which had                                                              freshwater and saltwater. Due to this, the Calusa had all the food they                                                                  needed, shrimp, manatee, fish, sea turtles and other wildlife. This                                                                          abundance is what led to their non need to begin agriculture. However, what                                                       they did need from agriculture, such as fruits and veggies, grew within their                                                       habitat and were easily foraged for when needed.

What were their buildings           The Calusa used shell and bone to create their tools, such as spoons and 

tools like?                                    knifes. They also were like plains natives in the fact that they also used ever                                                        part of the kill, such as teeth, bone and organs. On top of this, they were also                                                        masters at the use of nets. They used nets very efficiently and used them for                                                        a great amount of tasks. It was also found that they used the oyster shells                                                            from their dinners and mounded them into creating artificial hills around                                                            their villages. These were used to escape the storm surge during hurricanes                                                        and used as general housing when not in the midst of a hurricane. With the                                                        trees around them, they would carve out canoes and boats. 

Did the Calusa trade?                     It was found that the Calusa did trade, main evidence for this is jewelry                                                               found that had materials in them not found in Florida, such as gold.

Did they have art?                          The Calusa have been found to have various forms of artwork, made from                                                            shells and other materials. As well, they did a lot of body painting, not                                                                just for tattoos, but for the sake of keeping the bugs away. 

What happened to them?               After a possible run-in with Spaniards before Ponce De Leon, the Calusa                                                           were geared up ready to fight whoever came their way. This led to their                                                               aggression towards De Leon. The Calusa eventually killed Leon, but a few                                                           generations later, the Calusa have a big party for Spanish conquistador,                                                               Pedro Menendez, which led to the Calusa and the Spanish having a sort of                                                           okay relationship, which would prove fatal for them, as a war would break                                                           out between the 2 groups. Over the next hundred years or so, their power                                                           waned with the introduction of diseases and some slavery practices.

Summary:

The Calusa were a intricate native group in Floridian history. Not only were they one of the few groups of people to be able to settle down without agriculture, their population and culture grew without it. This was largely in part to their environment, which was full of life and food that allowed them to not need to travel far to follow food, as well as travel far to forage for food. This caused the Calusa to settle down, develop a culture, a religion, and a mini state-like infrastructure. This was all brought to an end by Spanish conquistadors being relentless and attempting to invade the Calusa, generation after generation until they were extinct.