Saturiwa

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the chief also known by this name, see Saturiwa (chief).
Saturiwa
Timucuan language, Mocama dialect
Religion
Native
Related ethnic groups
Timucua

The Saturiwa were a

Huguenot settlers at Fort Caroline in 1564 and later becoming heavily involved in the Spanish mission system
.

The Saturiwa are so called after their chief at the time of contact with the Europeans,

infectious diseases and warfare through the 17th century. They disappear from the historical record by the start of the 18th century; surviving Saturiwa likely merged with other Timucua and lost their independent identity.[1]

Area

The main village of the Saturiwa was located in present-day

Little Talbot Island. Another village, Alimacani, was located on Fort George Island across the river from the main village.[4] There were additional villages located along the coast to the south, including Seloy, which later became the site of the Spanish colony of St. Augustine.[5]

To the north of the Saturiwa were other Mocama-speaking peoples, including the Tacatacuru. The main village of the Tacatacuru was on Cumberland Island in what is now Georgia, and they evidently controlled other villages on the coast.[4] Farther up the river to the southwest, in an area extending from roughly Palatka to Lake George, were the Utina, another Timucua group who were often at war with the Saturiwa.[6] The area between Jacksonville and Palatka was relatively less populated; it is possible that this region served as a buffer between the Saturiwa and the Utina.[6]

History

The history of the Saturiwa prior to contact with Europeans is obscure. The area had been inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years; there is evidence of pottery dating to 2500 BC.[7] Like other Mocama, the Saturiwa participated in the Savannah archaeological culture,[8] and also the St. Johns culture.[9]

Athore, son of the Timucuan king Saturiwa, showing Laudonnière the monument placed by Jean Ribault.

The Saturiwa met the

Huguenot expedition under Jean Ribault when it explored the area in 1562, though the French did not record any name for them at that time.[1] Two years later, the Saturiwa again met the French when they returned to the area to found Fort Caroline.[1]

Chief Saturiwa forged friendly relations with the French settlers, trading and exchanging gifts with the newcomers and allowing them to establish Fort Caroline in his territory.[1] He offered to assist in the construction of the fort; the colony's governor, René Goulaine de Laudonnière took up the offer, and the Saturiwa provided a palm-thatched roof for the barn. Saturiwa intended for this pact of friendship to compel Laudonnière to aid him against his enemies, the Utina, who lived upriver to the southwest. Laudonnière, however, refused to join an assault against the powerful Utina, which soured relations between the two parties. The French eventually repaired the relationship with the Saturiwa, but in 1565 Fort Caroline was sacked by Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who had recently founded St. Augustine.

The Saturiwa initially resisted the Spanish. In 1566 they joined the

Dominique de Gourgue in an assault on Spanish-held Fort Caroline. Eventually, however, the Saturiwa submitted to the Spanish, who founded some of their first missions in Florida in their territory. The principal mission of the Saturiwa was San Juan del Puerto, located near Alicamani on Fort George Island, where Francisco Pareja undertook his works on the Timucua language.[1]

The Saturiwa became the primary tribe in the Spanish mission system, but their fortunes declined markedly through the 17th century. By 1601, they were subject to the head chief of "San Pedro" (Tacatacuru), according to Spanish records.[10] They were severely affected by outbreaks of disease that wracked Florida in 1617 and again in 1672. Their missions are mentioned in lists in 1675 and 1680, though the lists indicate a dwindling population. After this they disappear from the record. It is likely that any surviving Saturiwa merged with other Timucua groups, and lost their independent identity.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Swanton, pp. 138–139.
  2. ^ Milanich, p. 48.
  3. ^ Deagan 1978
  4. ^ a b Milanich, p. 49.
  5. ^ Hann, p. 38–39.
  6. ^ a b Milanich, p. 53.
  7. ^ Soergel, Matt (18 Oct 2009). "The Mocama: New name for an old people". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  8. ^ Milanich, p. 51.
  9. ^ Worth, p. 20–21.
  10. ^ Deagan, p. 91.

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saturiwa&oldid=1032083977"