|
Calusa Indians
History
by ©Kimberly
Ripley
The Shell People
Caloosahatchee means "River of the Calusa". It served as the
main highway inland to the Calusa Indians. It's waters were filled with
fish and shellfish. It's shorelines were home to an abundance of game.
Calusas could canoe the Caloosahatchee River into Lake Okeechobee and
access other tribal areas by way of the Kissimmee River.
The Calusa Indians were originally called the "Calos" which
means "Fierce People". Also known as the "Shell People"
the later Calusas, from approximately the 1500's to their demise in
the early 1800's, used seashells as foundations. They built their cities
on them. The remainder of their cities can be seen today as several
small islands off the coast of Southwest Florida. One such island is
called Mound Key. Mound Key is believed to have been the Calusa's military
stronghold as well as their ceremonial center. The 125-acre island sits
deep in Estero Bay and is open
to visitors. Guests are treated to views of Calusa Indian canals and
fish traps. Replicas of their tools are available as well. Their excursions
leave the Fish Tale Marina on Fort Myers Beach, and include interpretations
by owner Arden Arrington who is also a local noted auther on Calusas
Mound Key is, in fact, completely artificial. Built with shells by the
Calusas from the sea bottom, the first layer consisted of shells driven
spiral down into sandy or muddy surfaces. Marl, a material much like
clay, was packed around this bottom layer. This became the island's
foundation. Soil combined with additional marl raised the land level.
Likewise, seawalls were constructed of shells and marl. These were followed
by the development of canals and embankments.
The remains of another shell mound are located on Connecticut Street
on Fort Myers Beach. The Mound House, built in 1906, sits on the mound
and provides a beautiful view that overlooks Estero Bay. Tours are available
here as well.
The greatest abundance of Calusa artifacts is found in the remaining
mounds. The Calusas utilized shells as tools, weapons, art, and jewelry.
Archeologists have uncovered tools like hammers and picks made from
shells. Anvils, scrapers, weights for fishing nets, awls, choppers,
and knives created from various shells have been unearthed as well.
Decorative pieces like pendants and necklaces have beendiscovered. These
"Shell People" took advantage of most of this region's various
species of seashells.
My research led to my amazement of how creatively the Calusas capitalized
on these shells. Today we display them in collections and some clever
folks make beautiful jewelry and crafts with them. The area between
Fort Myers and Sanibel Island boasts numerous establishments bearing
wares derived from shells. There are shell museums, shell craft shops,
and even one enormous property known as Shell World. However, in my
visits to these businesses I have yet to find anyone who use seashells
as a means of survival.
The Calusas also made good use of the local hardwood that grew in their
forests. Archeologists have unearthed many wooden carvings and masks.
Among the most famous artifacts discovered was a statue of a panther
or cat discovered in 1896 by archeologist Frank Hamilton Cushing. It
was excavated on Marco Island and a replica may be seen today at the
Key Marco Museum on
the island. Standing a mere six inches high it was carved from dark
brown wood. It appeared to have been varnished. Archeologists today
speculate it may have been repeatedly dipped or washed in the fat of
slain victims, animal or human. Their belief is that this process enhanced
the
preservation of the carving. Other animal head carvings were found as
well including wolves, pelicans, alligators, and sea turtles.
Frank Cushing also unearthed a wooden carving depicting the head of
a doe. He believed the details in the carvings revealed spiritual elements
of the Calusas. He also speculated that the Calusas had the opportunity
to delve into such intricate work due to the abundance of fish, and
thus less time was spent in the search for food. Their villages were
governed by the chief and the priest. Sacrificial worship was commonly
practiced. The chief and the priest demanded complete obedience from
the villagers. Their society was somewhat closed to other cultures.
When the Spanish explorers arrived in the area in the 1500's, they learned
the Calusas had almost no interest in missionary activity. They weren't
a friendly tribe. Many battles between them ensued. They were responsible
for the death of the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon who traveled with
Christopher Columbus on his second trip to America.
The Calusas were sometimes up to four inches taller than most Europeans.
They wore their hair long. Tanned deerskin clouts with belts were worn
by the men, indicating their positions within the tribe. The women's
clothing often consisted of a woven garment of moss and leaves.
The Calusa's language indicated possible travel to Florida from the
outlying islands. They had great sailing abilities. Intricately designed
canoes were carved from hollowed-out cypress logs. They were believed
to have reached Cuba and maybe even Mexico in these vessels.
Alton Martin, a noted artifacts collector from Tyrone, Georgia, owns
several prints of paintings depicting the lives of Calusa Indians done
by artist Dean Quigley. Quigley, a native Floridian, used Calusa artifacts
and based his painting of a Calusa village layout on the results of
actual
archeological investigations. Entitled "Calusa", the print
is one of a limited edition of just 350 signed and numbered prints.
It shows the re-creation of the Calusa settlement on Pine Island. Two
other photos of Quigley's paintings "Solitude" and another
unnamed show the Calusa's
actively engaged in hunting and fishing.
As I stand on the beautiful gulf shores of Fort Myers Beach I can't
help but wonder how an entire heritage can simply disappear. However,
that was the fate of the Calusa Indians. Europeans attempted fighting
them beginning in the 1500's, but the Calusas proved to be mighty warriors.
Unfortunately by the 1700's the Europeans had brought with them diseases
like smallpox, and a great number of the Calusa Indian population was
wiped out. When the Spanish arrived in Florida it was estimated that
there were 20,000 Calusa's in South Florida. By the time the English
gained control in 1763, their numbers had been reduced to a few hundred.
It is reported that the few
survivors followed the Spanish to Cuba.
Despite the physical absence of the Calusas, their heritage lives on
in the remains of the mound cities they created and in the artifacts
archeologists have discovered along Florida's Southwestern coastline.
Every few years more significant pieces in the link to these lost Native
Americans are unearthed. As interest in local and Native American history
peaks and wanes, in Florida's southwestern coastal communities it remains
strong.
From Caloosahatchee to Calusa, my knowledge of Southwestern Florida's
earliest settlers has vastly increased. On my next visit to Fort Myers
Beach, where I hope to one day settle with my own tribe, I will wander
along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, collect a handful of shells,
and
cast them into the crashing waves. I will do this in honor of the civilization
that built their lives with shells, and in honor of the shell mounds
that remain today as beautiful natural reminders of the lives of Calusa
Indians.
Kimberly Ripley is a freelance
writer from Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Take from an article on South West Florida and Fort Myers Beach
[submitted by Norita
Shepherd Moss]
|
