#calusa

[bastrod]

Royal portrait of king Caalus II

[peyton317]

How could I NOT make Native American skins come on now...

Although I am not indigenous in any way, I still love and appreciate indigenous culture ❤️ it's SO cool and I'm shocked I haven't seen ANY native rep in the DW community. So, here it is!!

Coal's skin is about the bison, a very important animal to the Plains Native Americans! Probably one of the most recognizable symbols of indigenous culture.

Razzle and Dazzle's skin is about the Iroquois myth of creation, known as The World On the Turtle's Back! A very interesting story I think you should look into.

Sprout's skin is about the Blackfoot nation! As well as the Virginia Wild Strawberry (Fragaria Virginiana), a strawberry relative known to them.

And finally, Shelly's skin is about the ancient Calusa tribe of Southwest Florida!! Perhaps the most personal one to me because they lived in my home region!! (Speaking broadly... I live in SouthEAST Florida but not SouthWEST haha-)

Aaaaaaand that's it! If you happen to be native in some way I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on em ❤️

[baebeylik]

Calusa chief. 1500s to 1700s CE. Florida.

The Florida Museum of Natural History.

[studdedblurb]

[adiraofthetals]

I always liked a belief that one of the Florida tribes called the Calusa had.

It was the belief that after you die you turn into something smaller like a bird then when you die again you turn into something even smaller like a fish. Every time you died you would turn into something smaller until you were nothing.

For some reason growing up I always liked that belief when we were learning about the Calusa in school. Still like it today.

[magicaguajiro]

I have a question? Let’s say if a Cuban spiritualist was from Pinar del Rio and they have indigenous ancestry however sources say the Ciboney Taino inhabited Pinar del Rio and other sources say the Guanahatabey inhabited Pinar del Rio and other sources say both inhabited land, then which source should that person trust? And do we have information on the Guanahatabey spirituality?

Hey! This will be a long answer about Indigenous Caribbean Identity so check below the cut for more!🌺🌴🐠🦜🌀🦩🥭🍋‍🟩🥥

This is a complex question. I would say the biggest thing to remember is that the term “Taíno” is an umbrella term to reference many different ethnicities of Arawak-Speaking Indigenous Caribbeans. There were many types of Taíno people, including Timucua and Tequesta in Florida, Lucayo in the Bahamas, Ciguayo in Kiskeya and Igneri in Boriken.

As for the term Ciboney, some say it was a separate tribe but the general consensus is that they were a Taíno ethnicity with a separate but mutually intelligible language. They were connected culturally to groups from Jamaica, Florida, Bahamas and modern day Haiti, where as Taínos of the eastern Caribbean were closer in culture. They also had language connections to the Macorix and Guanahatabeys being Waroid languages, aka where we get the term Guajiro. So the Ciboney are a Taino-Arawak group that had ancestrally mixed with the Waroid Guanahatabeys but still maintained moslty Taíno culture.

There were also many other groups who weren’t Taíno. The most well known is the Kalinago, but the Guanahatabey is one from Cuba that is also known to actually have been in Cuba BEFORE the Taínos got there. They had a culture very similar to the Calusa of Southwest Florida. And this is all pre-Colonization, so these groups were already interacting and moving around for thousands of years.

Then with colonization, many Native groups were transported to other places, and in Cuba specifically we have Taíno migrations from the East to the West very early on. We also have Natives from Florida and Mayans from Mexico, and more natives being brought in to cuba and intermarrying with other ethnic groups. These migrations all affected indigenous communities and led to alot of cultural exchange and mixture, as well as loss.

As for Indigenous Cuban Identity, I claim Taíno or Ciboney Taíno because after colonization any remaining Guanahatabeys were assimilated to Taíno Cimarron (maroon/runaway) groups. I consider Guanahatabeys part of my ancestors but I choose to identify as Taíno or simply Indigenous Caribbean. My family all identify as Guajiros, as do I, which is more a lifestyle but definitely has ties to the Classic Taino, Ciboney and Guanahatabey traditions passed down.

As for trusting sources, I would say read EVERYTHING with a grain of salt. Academics often lack cultural nuance and understanding, which can mean alot of their inferences are flat out wrong so try to stick with confirmed info. It is confirmed the Tainos and Guanahatabeys and Ciboneys all moved around and lived in the same parts of the Island at the same time and separately. As for non-academic sources, just be aware that much of what is passed off as Taino or Indigenous Caribbean culture is actually just Pan-Indigenous or straight up a different culture.

Trust yourself, use your intuition and discernment and always be committed to improving and striving for a culturally authentic, fulfilling and respectful practice that is well rounded in both Spirituality and Community! Whether that is with a yukayeke, with the Indigenous tribes you live near locally or with your own indigenous family and friends! So many Yukayekes in the Modern Taíno community try to claim superiority or that they have all the secrets knowledge and the only correct beliefs. You should be weary of anyone trying to restrict you when their own elders often are reconnecting or were just scholars before becoming pop-up Caciques.

If you go to the Cuban version of Wikipedia, when it is active, you can find better information on the Guanahatabey and Ciboney than on American wiki. Try researching the terms ‘Guayabo Blanco’ and ‘Cayo Redondo’ for information on Ciboney culture and beliefs, and how even within this sub-group there were MORE sub-groups. As the Guanahatabeys were not a ceramic culture, we have very little info on them academically. Try researching Calusa beliefs as they had similar environments and were connected through trade routes.

If you have any more questions I would love to answer them but you should ask them on insta or in chat so I can link easier and answer in more depth!!

My asks are always open still tho :)

Luz y progreso

[henryskat2014]

Take my hand...we'll do this together! 👙 : @pourmoiltd #tradition #calusa #calusabeach #bahiahonda #bahiahondastatepark #takemyhand #beachshot #beachday #sunseaandsand #plussizeswimwear #PourMoiAmbassador #PourMoiLoves #PourMoi (at Calusa Beach In Bahia Honda Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChE8v95upVX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dailyhistoryposts]

Calusa mask. Dating from 750 to 1513 CE