The Calusa and Their Legacy

A journey into the history and cultural traditions of the Calusa people of south Florida



The
Calusa were a powerful native people on the Gulf coast, their influence
spanning south Florida and lasting well into the European invasion. The
Calusa and Their Legacy tells the story of the Calusa in relation to
the unique environment that sustained them with abundance. This
fascinating history is enhanced with illustrations created by artists at
the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, where an
exhibition has interpreted this story since 2002.



Locating
the keys to Calusa prosperity in the mudflats, sea grass beds, and
mangrove forests of Florida’s Gulf coast estuaries, archaeologists
Darcie MacMahon and William Marquardt explore the world of the Calusa in
vivid detail, from single-celled algae, oyster bars, and southern
stingrays to remnant fishing nets, pottery, and woodcarvings. Linked
closely to their extraordinary and plentiful ecosystem, the Calusa
survived for centuries as an artistic and complex people defeated only
by the ravages of disease, wars, slavery, and displacement.



Calusa
traditions survive to the present day among the coastal fisherfolk and
the vibrant cultures of Native Americans in south Florida—the Seminole
and Miccosukee peoples. The Calusa and Their Legacy with encourage the appreciation and stewardship of south Florida’s multicultural history and ecology.



A volume in the series Native Peoples, Cultures, and Places of the Southeastern United States