Overview

A journey into the history and cultural traditions of the Calusa people of south Florida This history, rich with photographs and colorful drawings of the remarkable Calusa people who controlled all of south Florida when Europeans first arrived, presents a vivid picture of the natural environment that sustained the Calusa—the teeming estuaries along Florida's coasts, which have supported people for thousands of years. The Calusa were the last of Florida's Indigenous people to succumb to colonization, but by the mid-1700s they had disappeared entirely. This book describes the artifacts they left behind and the plants and animals that inhabited the landscape and the underwater world of their ecosystem. It also discusses their traditions that survive to the present day among modern fisherfolk and the vibrant culture of Native Americans in south Florida—the Seminole and Miccosukee peoples. Looking at both culture and environment, the authors of this book argue that culture affects every aspect of people's existence and that to understand a culture, one must first appreciate the environment in which it develops. By learning about both, today's readers will be better equipped to make the right decisions for wise stewardship of the earth. The Calusa and Their Legacy will inspire readers to value south Florida's multicultural history and ecology. It is written for a broad audience of all ages and all educational levels. It will be enjoyed by environmentalists, eco/heritage tourists, and everyone interested in understanding a sense of place in the natural world. The book's dramatic and authentic illustrations of Calusa life were created by artists working at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, where a major permanent exhibition has interpreted this story since 2002.

Full Product Details

9780813080925

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""This is a book that makes the Calusa come alive.""--American Archaeology  ""In The Calusa and Their Legacy, the world of the Calusa is presented as intricately interconnected, and each part was important to the whole.""--Fort Myers News-Press  ""The authors deftly combine the history and environment of the Calusa before the arrival of Europeans. . . . Beautifully and copiously illustrated.""--Charlotte Sun  ""Will introduce the Calusa to those with little or no knowledge of them in a way which will also give an appreciation of the environment which has been passed on to us.""--Sanibel Islander  ""Eloquently demonstrates the rich cultural diversity that has been characteristic of south Florida peoples throughout (pre)history.""--Florida Anthropologist"

Author Information

Darcie A. MacMahon is assistant director of exhibits at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. William H. Marquardt is curator in archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History and also associate director of the University of Florida Institute of Archaeology and Paleoenvironmental Studies.

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