The Tequesta Tribe
The Tequesta was a small, peaceful native American tribe. They were the first tribe in south
Florida and they lived in Biscayne bay which is now present day Miami dade county and half of
Broward county they also had some small island in the Miami keys. They built many villages at the
mouth of the Miami River and along the coastal islands. The chief lived in the main village at the
mouth of the Miami River. The Tequesta lived in Huts.
like many other tribes in Florida the houses
were built with wooden posts, raised floors, and roofs thatched with palmetto leaves. during the year
the main village relocated to barrier islands or to the Florida Keys during mosquito season which
lasted about three months. They wore light clothing The men wore a sort of loincloth made from deer
hide while the women wore skirts of spainsh or plant fibers hanging from a belt.
The Tequesta native American tribe were hunters and gatherers. They relied mainly on fish,
shellfish, nuts, and berries for food. The men caught sharks, sailfish, sea cows which is a manatee.The
Tequesta men also consumed cassina known by the black drink which drunk on important
rituals. while the women and children gathered clams, conchs, oysters, and turtle eggs in the shallow
waters. The manatee was considered a delicacy and served mainly to the chiefs and other important
leaders. In the Everglades, they hunted bear, deer, wild boar, and small mammals.The Tequesta used
shells and sharks' teeth for a variety of tools. These included hammers, chisels, fishhooks, drinking
cups, and spearheads. Sharks' teeth were used to carve out logs to make canoes
The Tequesta language may have been closely related to the language of the calusa of the
southwest Florida coast and the Mayamis who lived around lake okeechobee in the middle of the
lower Florida peninsula.The Tequesta were once thought to be related to the Taino, the Arawakin
Florida and they lived in Biscayne bay which is now present day Miami dade county and half of
Broward county they also had some small island in the Miami keys. They built many villages at the
mouth of the Miami River and along the coastal islands. The chief lived in the main village at the
mouth of the Miami River. The Tequesta lived in Huts.
like many other tribes in Florida the houses
were built with wooden posts, raised floors, and roofs thatched with palmetto leaves. during the year
the main village relocated to barrier islands or to the Florida Keys during mosquito season which
lasted about three months. They wore light clothing The men wore a sort of loincloth made from deer
hide while the women wore skirts of spainsh or plant fibers hanging from a belt.
The Tequesta native American tribe were hunters and gatherers. They relied mainly on fish,
shellfish, nuts, and berries for food. The men caught sharks, sailfish, sea cows which is a manatee.The
Tequesta men also consumed cassina known by the black drink which drunk on important
rituals. while the women and children gathered clams, conchs, oysters, and turtle eggs in the shallow
waters. The manatee was considered a delicacy and served mainly to the chiefs and other important
leaders. In the Everglades, they hunted bear, deer, wild boar, and small mammals.The Tequesta used
shells and sharks' teeth for a variety of tools. These included hammers, chisels, fishhooks, drinking
cups, and spearheads. Sharks' teeth were used to carve out logs to make canoes
The Tequesta language may have been closely related to the language of the calusa of the
southwest Florida coast and the Mayamis who lived around lake okeechobee in the middle of the
lower Florida peninsula.The Tequesta were once thought to be related to the Taino, the Arawakin