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"Timucua" (from "Thimogna") was originally the term used by the Saturiwa (of the area near present-day Jacksonville) to refer to the related people living north of the Santa Fe River between the St. Johns River and the Suwannee River. The Timucua Province of the Spanish mission system originally was this area.

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The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida, where they formerly held the southwest coast from about Tampa Bay to Cape Sable and Cape Florida, together with all the outlying keys, and extending inland to Lake Okeechobee. They also claimed authority over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral. They were farmers to a limited extent but were better noted as expert fishers, daring seamen, and fierce and determined fighters, keeping up their resistance to the Spanish arms and missionary advances after all the rest of Florida had submitted.

They practiced human sacrifice of captives, scalped and dismembered their slain enemies, and were repeatedly accused of being cannibals. They first encountered Europeans in 1513 when, with a fleet of 80 canoes they boldly attacked Ponce de León, who was about to land on their coast, and after an all-day fight compelled their enemy to withdraw. Even at this early date, they were already noted among the tribes for the golden wealth which they had accumulated from the numerous Spanish wrecks cast away upon the Keys in the passage from the south. Two centuries later they were regarded as veritable pirates, plundering and killing without mercy the crews of all vessels, excepting the Spanish, so unfortunate as to be stranded in their neighborhood.

In 1567 the Spaniards established a mission and fortified post among them, but both seem to have been discontinued soon after, although the tribe came later under Spanish influence. About this time, they numbered nearly 50 villages, from one of which the city of Tampa takes its name. By the year 1600, they were carrying on regular trade with Havana, Cuba.

By the constant invasions of the Creek and other Indian allies of the English, they were driven from the mainland and forced to take refuge on the Florida Keys. More were evacuated to Cuba, where many of them died. When Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain in 1763, the last remnants of the tribes of South Florida went to Cuba. Those few that remained on the mainland were absorbed into the Seminole tribe; however, their language and culture survived up to the close of the Second Seminole War.

Compiled by Kathy Weiser-Alexander, updated July 2018.
Also See: Florida Main Page Index of Tribes Native Americans - The First Owners of America Native American Heroes & Leaders

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The Calusa people were an important tribe of Florida, where they formerly held the southwest coast from about Tampa Bay to Cape Sable and Cape Florida, together with all the outlying keys, and extending inland to Lake Okeechobee. They also claimed authority over the tribes of the east coast, north to about Cape Canaveral.

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The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey

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When the Spanish began arriving in America in the 16th century, the Apalachee were one of the most influential people they encountered in present-day Florida. This powerful tribe was initially hostile to the newcomers, but they eventually formed an alliance and established a common cultural center at Mission San Luis. When the settlement fell to the British-Creek alliance in 1704, the Apalachee dispersed, and most relocated to Rapides Parish, Louisiana, where some 250 to 300 of their descendants live today.

European Contact

Spanish conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez was the first European to contact the Apalachee, who occupied the area south of the Georgia sate line to the Gulf of Mexico and west from the Aucilla River to the Ochlockonee River. There were probably as many as 60,000 Apalachees prior to European contact, and de Navarez noted that they appeared well-proportioned and strong -- to him, they looked like giants. They were known and respected by neighboring tribes, whom they frequently attacked, for their fierceness as well as for their advanced culture and prosperity,

Apalachee Village Life

The land on which the Apalachee lived featured fertile, loamy soil, and they subsisted primarily through agriculture and foraging, although the men also hunted bear, deer and small game. The crops they grew included corn, beans and squash, and their supplies of corn and other food in their villages were abundant, according to a member of the exploration party of Hernando de Soto, who arrived 10 years after Narvaez. The Apalachees built ceremonial mounds in their villages, some with structures on them. The largest was probably reserved for the chief of the village.

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Language and Customs

The Apalachee spoke a Muskeogan language, possibly related to Hitchiti or Creek, but no one speaks it today. When the men went into battle, they covered their bodies with red ocher and put feathers in their hair, a fact noted by the Spanish explorers. They played a ceremonial game with a clay ball about the size of a golf ball. One village would challenge another, and each team might have as many as 100 members. The teams would propel the ball toward the other team's goal with their feet. They dedicated the game to the gods to ensure rain for their crops.

Mission San Luis de Talimali

Despite the hostility with which they first received the Spanish, the Apalachees eventually formed an alliance, and in the 17th century, many of them converted to Catholicism. Together with the Spanish, they established Mission San Luis de Talimali, which stood on the site of present-day Tallahassee. Approximately 1,500 Apalachees occupied the settlement. In 1704, the settlement fell to the British, aided by the Creek confederacy, and the Apalachees dispersed and essentially disappeared. Historians considered the tribe extinct until descendants of some who moved to Louisiana came forward to demand government recognition of their Indian heritage.

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When the Spanish began arriving in America in the 16th century, the Apalachee were one of the most influential people they encountered in present-day Florida. This powerful tribe was initially hostile to the newcomers, but they eventually formed an alliance and established a common cultural center at Mission San Luis.

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The Timucua, like other Native Americans, were skilled hunters and fishermen. The men made tools for hunting and fishing. They used spears, clubs, bows and arrows, and blowguns, to kill their game. Some of the game that they used for food included bears, deer, wild turkey, and alligators.

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Kids learn about Native American Indian Seminole Tribe. Their history, language, clothing, food, homes, fun facts, and government.

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Indian languages Indian tribes Indian artifacts
Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people in search of Apalachee information for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students and teachers to visit ourApalachee language and culture pages for more in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with Apalachee pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.

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Apalachee Tribe

How do you pronounce the word "Apalachee"? What does it mean?
Apalachee is pronounced "APP-uh-LATCH-ee." It means "people on the other side" in Hitchiti, the language of a neighboring tribe. Sometimes you will see this name spelled Apalachi, Appalachi, Appalachee, or Apalache instead.

Where do the Apalachees live?
The Apalachees are original residents of northwestern Florida. But their descendants do not live in that location anymore. The Apalachees were nearly destroyed by war in the early 1700's, and most of the survivors fled to Alabama and Louisiana, where the remaining Apalachee people are living today.
How is the Apalachee Indian nation organized?
In the past, the Apalachee tribe was led by a chief, called the
holahta in the Apalachee language. This chief was chosen by a tribal council made up of all the important men in the tribe. Although he was the leader of the tribe, the Apalachee chief still needed to listen to the opinions of the tribal council-- otherwise they might choose a new chief!

The Apalachee tribe is notfederally recognized in the United States. That means Apalachee people today do not have a reservation or their own government. But the Apalachees do have a community in Louisiana where they continue to practice their culture.What language do the Apalachees speak?
The Apalachee people speak English today. In the past, they spoke their native

Apalachee language. If you'd like to know a few easy Apalachee words, here is aWhat was Apalachee culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here is the homepage of thevocabulary list.

How do Apalachee Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Apalachee children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have Mission San Luis museum and cultural center in Tallahassee, Florida. On their site you can find information about the Apalachee people from ancient times until today.

dolls, toys and games to play with. Ballgames were popular sports among teenage boys as they were among adult men. Apalachee mothers, like many Native Americans, traditionally carried their babies incradle boards on their backs--a custom which many American parents have adopted now.

What were men and women's jobs in the Apalachee tribe?

Apalachee men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Apalachee women were farmers and also did most of the child care and cooking. Only men became Apalachee chiefs, but both genders took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and traditional medicine.

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The Apalachee Indians lived in rivercane huts thatched with palmetto or bark. Each family had its own small house. The Apalachees also built larger council houses in the same style. Here are some pictures of areconstructed Apalachee council house, showing how it was built, and here is a websitecomparing different types of Indian housing. Some Apalachee villages also had a special ball-playing field with high benches for spectators. Today, these old-fashioned buildings are only used for educational purposes, not as shelter. Apalachee people live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.

Apalachee men worebreechcloths. Apalachee women wore wraparound skirts made of woven fiber. Shirts were not necessary in the Apalachee culture, but both genders wore cloaks in cooler weather. The Apalachees also woremoccasins on their feet. Here is a webpage with pictures oftraditional Southeastern Native American dress, and here are some photographs and links aboutIndian clothes in general.

The Apalachees didn't wearlong headdresses like theSioux. Apalachee men usually shaved their heads in theMohawk style and tied feathers on top.. Apalachee women usually wore their long hair wound into buns on top of their heads. Here is a website with pictures of theseIndian hairstyles. Apalachee men, especially warriors, often decorated their bodies withWhat was Apalachee food like in the days before supermarkets?
The Apalachees were farming people. Apalachee women did most of the farming, harvesting crops of corn, beans, and squash. Apalachee men hunted deer, wild turkeys, and small game, and they fished in the rivers and along the coast. Apalachee dishes included cornbread, soups, and stews. They also ate berries, nuts and fruit. Here is a website with more information abouttribal tattoos and painted themselves bright red before battles or dances. Apalachee women didn't tattoo or paint themselves, but they liked to wear long strings of shell jewelry.

Today, some Apalachee people still wear moccasins, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance.

Yes--the Apalachee Indians made dugout canoes from hollowed-out cypress logs. Here is an article withdugout canoe pictures. Over land, the Apalachees used dogs as pack animals. (There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.) Today, of course, Apalachee people also use cars... and non-native people also use canoes.

Native Indian food.

Apalachee hunters used bows and arrows. Fishermen usually used fishing spears. In war, Apalachee men fired their bows or fought with spears or wooden clubs. Here is a website with pictures and more information aboutNative American weapons.

The Apalachees were known for theirAmerican Indian baskets andpottery. Here is a website showing photos of ancientApalachee and other southeastern Indian pottery.

What about Apalachee religion?
Religions are too complicated and culturally sensitive to describe appropriately in only a few simple sentences, and we strongly want to avoid misleading anybody. You can visit this site to learn more aboutWhat other Native Americans did the Apalachee tribe interact with?
The Apalachees traded regularly with other Muskogean tribes of Florida and Georgia, such as theCreek andMiccosukee tribes. But when the Creeks became allies of the British, they fought with the Apalachees and helped drive them out of Florida.Can you recommend a good book for me to read?

There were many traditional Apalachee legends and fairy tales. Storytelling was very important to the Apalachee Indian culture. Here is a story aboutthe origin of fire. This is a Hitchiti legend, but the Apalachees told the same story.

the beliefs of Southeastern Native Americans or this site aboutNative American spirituality in general.

The Apalachee Indians and Mission San Luis is a good book with history and pictures of the Apalachee tribe. A more complex book on Apalachee history isHere They Once Stood. For younger readers, Journeys with Florida's Indians is a great kids' book about Florida tribes in general, with a good section on the Apalachees. You can also browse through our reading list of recommendedAmerican Indian books in general.

You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. The authors' names are Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is Native Languages of the Americas. We are a nonprofit educational organization working to preserve and protect Native American languages and culture. You can learn more about our organizationhere. Our website was first created in 1998 and last updated in 2015.

Thanks for your interest in the Apalachee Indian people and their language!

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Apalachee Indian Tribe
An overview of the Apalachee people, their language and society.

Apalachee Language Resources
Apalachee language samples, articles, and indexed links.

Apalachee Culture and History Directory
Related links about the Apalachee people past and present.

Apalachee Indian Words
Apalachee Indian vocabulary lists.

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Facts for Kids: Apalachee Indians (Apalachees)

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Indian languages Indian tribes Indian artifacts Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people in search of Apalachee information for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students and teachers to visit ourApalachee language and culture pages for more in-depth information about the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by children, with Apalachee pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.

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Seminole Tribe of Florida - The Official Home of the Florida - Seminole Indians.

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Seminole Tribe of Florida official homepage is dedicated to the rich history, culture, and services of the Florida Seminole Indians.