Calusa - General
What was the peak population of the Calusa tribe?
50,000 people
What was a fancy name for trash?
What three features made the Calusa different than most native Indians?
1. Tall
2. Tan
3. Straight hair
When a person dies, he is transformed into a creature. This creature exemplifies what?
Marco Cat
In addition to providing transportation, the canals served what for the people?
Watercourts for fish
What state did the Calusa tribe live in?
Florida
What were the three forms of diet the Calusa people ate?
Seafood, turtles, and ducks
What feature enabled the Culusa to migrate there?
The land bridge
Where in FL is the seat of government in the Calusa territory?
Estero, FL
The commoners clothing reflects their what?
Status
What does the “the Calusa” mean in the tribe's own language?
Fierce people
What did men and women wear?
Loincloths and palmetto skirts
Why were the origins of the Calusa unknown?
No DNA trace in their ancestry
What did the Calusa put the exclamation point on thier beliefs?
They killed the missionaries
What four activities did the commoners enjoy their free time doing?
Games, songs, dances and public ceremonies
What were the Calusa canals lined with?
Oyster shells
What were the Calusa people into big time?
Shells
What century did the Calusa settle?
14th century
What did the Calusa nobles provide to keep the tribe on course?
Directions and protection
What lessons did the Calusa teach in history?
Water management
What is the "River of the Calusa?"
Choosahatchee River
Although the Calusa tended to gardens, what were they not used for?
Food
What three forms of disaster lead to the decline of the Calusa?
Disease, war, and slavery
What were the three godheads?
One universal, one governmental and one for war
The commoners labored on that two forms of work?
Public works and to provide for food the nobles