Description
The Agua Dulce or Agua Fresca (Freshwater) were a Timucua people of northeastern Florida. In the 1560s, Agua Dulce villages were organized into the chiefdom of Utina, one of the region's most powerful and prominent forces in the early days of European colonization in Florida. Utina had dealings with the French colony of Fort Caroline, and later allied with the Spanish of St. Augustine, who established several missions in its territory. The main body of the tribe withdrew south along the St. Johns River, and were known as the Agua Dulce to the Spanish. This chiefdom was largely abandoned by 1680. Additionally, a group of Christianized Agua Dulce migrated east towards St. Augustine, and became known as the Tocoy, but this small chiefdom disappeared by 1616. The Acuera, who spoke a different dialect but appear to have been part of the Utina confederacy in the days of French settlement, also broke away and established their own chiefdom.
Language
They lived in the St. Johns River watershed north of Lake George, and spoke a dialect of the Timucua language also known as Agua Dulce.
Culture
They grew crops, but were less dependent on agriculture than the northern tribes. The people living in the coastal lagoons may not have farmed at all. One of the peoples the French noted as part of Chief Utina's alliance, the Aquera encountered the expedition of the conqueror Hernando de Soto in 1539. De Soto stole the corn. Aquela while camping in the nearby town of Okare. By the time Franciscan missionary activity began in the area in the 1590s, both the number of villages remaining in the Agua Dulce area and the population had dwindled considerably. Although there were no permanent monks from 1597 to 1605, the population of Agua Dulce plummeted to about 200-225 people. Anthropologist John E. Worth suggests that the transfer was apparently part of the succession of the deceased Chief Antonico. By 1640, the population had dwindled, and Aquera was incorporated into the province of Ibiniuti, along with Agua Dulce and Mayaca. By 1655 two more missions had been established, the main village of Santa Lucia de Acuela and the Erocuale of San Luis de Erocuale. Both of these were abandoned by 1680 and, like Agua Dulce, the Acuela Department was merged into the larger Timucua Department. Survivors may have emigrated to near St. Augustine, possibly Puebla de Timucua, and lost their independent identity.