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The Calusa Indians

Also known as the Shell Indians

Monarchy

The Calusa were one of the few tribes who were ruled by a hereditary king. Rather than appointing a chief, the ruler was born into the royal family and assumed responsibility for running the tribe.

Shell Indians

The Calusa are often referred to as the "shell indians." They used shells from their shellfish diet to make tools, jewelry, weapons and utensils. Many of their shell mounds can still be seen today. One of the major shell mound sites is Mound Key at Estero Bay. Archaeologists think this was the site of the Calusa chief town where their leader, Chief Carlos lived.

Sailors

By: Raelynn Owens

Living along the coast, the Calusa became excellent sailors. They traveled by dug-out canoes that were around 15 feet long and made of cypress logs. These canoes allowed the Calusa to travel all the way to Cuba. But, their main route was the Calooshahatchee River.

7 Habits

Religion

Put First Things First: The Calusa developed ways of fishing that saved them a lot of time gathering food for their families. They used this extra time to carve their canoes and also create artwork. Archaeologists have found wood carvings of a deer and an alligator along with bowls and masks. The Calusa "put first things first" by finishing their job of fishing so they could have time leftover for art and other activities.

Begin with end in mind: The Calusa made a complex plan for their village and built a canal network that would help them defend their land and attack other tribes. They used the habit "begin with the end in mind" by making a plan and acting out their plan to get the job done.

The Calusa believed that three supernatural powers ruled the earth. The most powerful ruled the physical world, the second ruled human governments and the third helped with wars and chose which side would win. They also believed that people had three souls. They thought that the three souls were the pupil of someone's eye, their shadow and their reflection. When a person died, they believed that the pupil soul stayed with the body but the other two souls would be passed on to animals.

Location

The Calusa lived along the southwest coast of Florida near modern-day Ft. Myers.

Where did they live?

Engineers

The Calusa were amazing engineers. They dug a network of canals that allowed them to travel and transport their tools and supplies across long distances.

The Calusa indians lived along the southwest coast of Florida, near modern day Lee County. To take full advantage of the coastal breezes, Calusa indians built open-air huts on stilts with palm roofs to live in. Their huts were built up on shell foundations to protect them from high tides. They even planted rows of trees to protect their homes from hurricane winds.

What did they eat?

Because of their coastal location, the Calusa's main food source was the ocean. They did not farm like other tribes in Florida. Calusa men would make nets from palm fronds to catch many different kinds of fish such as mullet and catfish. Calusa women learned to catch conchs, crabs, clams, lobsters and oysters. The men would also use spears to catch eel and turtles. They would use the fish bones to make arrowheads and hunt for deer.

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