Dakotah Stackhouse
AMH2070 ONLINE CORNELL NOTES |
MODULE NUMBER: 1
TOPIC (book chapter, video title, etc): Calusa Podcast
QUESTIONS
What does Calusa mean? What are the normal heights of Calusa people? How did their hierarchy work? How were nobles and warriors treated? What made the head chief of the Calusa so important? Who were the right hand men of the chief? What did the Calusa believe in? What makes the Calusa different from other natives? How did they get food and what did they eat? How were the Calusa and the Native Americans similar? How did they catch their fish and what else did they make? What did Juan Ponce de Leon do and what happened to him? What did Pedro Menénendz do and what happened to him? What caused the extinction of the Calusa and when did it happen?
| NOTES
Fierce people. The Calusa were native warriors who lived in Southwest Florida. They were one of the first mainland North American tribes. The Calusa, although sedentary, did not grow short in stature, or develop diseases like sedentary people do and had the bodies of hunters. Men almost always reached six feet in height. The Calusa practiced suzerainty rather than sovereignty. Nobles and warriors were exempt from work and got food that many commoners were denied. The society’s head chief/ king claimed to have connections with the supernatural, and whenever something happened, ties would be made to the supernatural. Many citizens decided that whatever was good for the king was good for them. The chief had two right hand men. One could be described as the secretary of war and the other could be described as the top religious leader. Their religion: Each person has three souls: One in the eye, one in their shadow, and one in the image of your reflection in the water. They believed that upon death, two souls would leave the body, but one would stay. Many natives converted to catholicism, but the Calusa never did because the leader drilled their religion into their citizens’ heads. Common people believed in the power of the leader/king. They were fascinated with the power of the king and his abilities with the supernatural. The Calusa didn’t have agriculture, but formed a complex sedentary culture. Their society was the most complex in southern Florida. They grabbed food from the everglades and several lakes. Fish were common. Water was very important to the Calusa because that’s where they got their food. While other groups got food shortages, the Calusa never did. The majority of food was smaller fish. They consumed over fifty types of fish. Berries, nuts, fruits. They ate those too, and used plants for medicine. They didn’t use agriculture, except for small gardens. Calusa were similar to Native Americans when consuming animals. They would use most of the shark's parts for food, and other things, like weapons, or decoration. Fish traps and nets were a common creation for the Calusa. They used animal parts to make traps, and mosses to make nets. They used shells to make mounds, which kept people safe during storms. Their buildings were made of wood and could hold thousands of people. They wore minimalist clothes and used face paint that repels mosquitoes. They wore bling. They made carvings of bone for art. Calusa were hostile towards the Spanish people (with Juan Ponce de Leon) immediately, forcing their Spanish group to retreat. Juan Ponce de Leon returned eight years later and lost again. He gets wounded in the thigh by an arrow, and poison (Calusa was good with poisons) and dies on his way back to Spain. They killed the conquistador (conqueror) Juan Ponce de Leon, who discovered Florida. Pedro Menéndez discovered St. Augustine and traveled to where the Calusa was. The chief of the Calusa, Carlos, threw a party for the Spanish. Although it seemed as if there was an alliance, it didn’t take long for a fight to happen. The soldiers left behind by Pedro tried to seize food and killed the leader and a few nobles of the Calusa. The Calusa died out from illness. Mid to late 18th century, the Calusa were extinct.
|
SUMMARY The Calusa were an important tribe of people in the early history of Florida that not many people have or know information about. They were the most advanced tribes and survived in ways that other tribes couldn’t, while maintaining a sedentary life. They were unique in their way of gathering food and making weapons. They were a warrior race that unfortunately died from illness. They are truly a fascinating group of people with interesting beliefs.
|
Comments
Post a Comment