Calusa

/kəˈluːsə/ noun

Definition

A member of a Native American people who inhabited the southwestern coast of Florida before European contact.

Etymology

From the Calusa people's own name, first recorded in Spanish colonial documents in the 16th century; the exact meaning in their language is debated.

Kelly Says

The Calusa were sophisticated mariners and builders who constructed sophisticated canals and settlements—they didn't farm like other tribes but thrived on seafood and created their own unique civilization.

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