Description
Chicora was a legendary Native American kingdom or tribe sought during the 16th century by various European explorers in present-day South Carolina. The legend originated after Spanish slave traders captured an Indian they called Francisco de Chicora in 1521; afterward, they came to treat Francisco's home country as a land of abundant wealth and natural resources. The "Chicora Legend" influenced both the Spanish and the French in their attempts to colonize North America for the next 60 years. In 1521, Spanish slavers embarked on an expedition to the Southeastern United States. On June 24, they sighted what is thought to be the area around the mouth of the Santee River; they named their discovery the Land of St. John the Baptist. For the next 22 days they explored the river and nearby Winyah Bay and made contact with the locals, including, they claimed, a town or people called Chicora. Ultimately, the slavers compelled around 60 Indians to board their ships and then sailed off without warning, intending to sell the captives into slavery in Hispaniola.
Language
They had no written language, and likely to have spoken a Siouan language, but that traditions and tales were passed down from father to son
Culture
The Chicora were traditionally a coastal tribe living near Pawleys Island, South Carolina. They grew corn, tobacco and beans in their gardens and domesticated animals like deer and chickens. Because of their location, the Chicora may have been some of the first Native Americans to see the Spanish explorers arrive in the 1520s. A peaceful tribe, the Chicora traded gifts with the Spanish. But the Spanish explorers to the "New World" had few good intentions. The Chicora people grew corn, tobacco, gourds, squash, and beans in their gardens and domesticated animals like deer and chickens. They fished the rivers and salt water marshes of the area as well as sea fishing.