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 will encourage the appreciation and stewardship of south Florida’s multicultural history and ecology.