Calusa - The original shell Indians
The Calusa Indians were a tribe that was established in Southwest Florida for thousands of years. The tribe died out in the late 1700's but descendants had lived in the area at least a thousand years before European contact. They were considered the Caloosahatchee culture and maintained residence along the west coast from what is now Charlotte and Lee counties, down through Glades county.
The Calusa tribe sustained themselves primarily on fish and shellfish. Because they lived on the coast of Florida, the tribe did not farm like many other Indian tribes. The men and boys of the tribe busied themselves making nets from palm tree webbing that they would use to catch small fish. Women and girls would go their part by collecting shell fish such as conch, crab, oysters and lobster. The shells that were collected from these shell fish were then used to create arrow heads and other tools used for hunting as well as utensils and jewelry. This is how the Calusa received their name The Shell Indians.
The Calusa tribe constructed their homes on stilts. They used palmetto leaves to construct roofs however, didn't construct any walls for their dwellings. Their homes were largely communal. The chiefs house was known to be the largest with some saying the house was big enough to hold 2,000 people. It was also used as a council house.
Some interesting facts about the Calusa tribe was their form of travel. The tribe became great sailors and defended themselves by waterway. The tribe died out in the late 1700's when northern tribes from Georgia and South Carolina, raided their lands. The Calusa were pushed south but eventually died out. The Calusa wore little clothing. Men wore deerskin and it is said that the women wore Spanish moss. While the tribe painted their bodies regularly, there is no documentation of them tattooing or wearing excessive jewelry.
THE CALUSA TRIBE MUST NOW COMPLETE THE WORKSHEET LOCATED ON THE 'ACTIVITIES TO DO' TAB