Description
Tacatacuru was a Timucua chiefdom located on Cumberland Island in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was one of two chiefdoms of the Timucua subgroup known as the Mocama, who spoke the Mocama dialect of Timucuan and lived in the coastal areas of southeastern Georgia and northern Florida. The Tacatacuru were among the first native tribes to meet French explorer Jean Ribault's expedition in 1562. They appear to have interacted amicably with the French when they people established Fort Caroline in present-day Jacksonville, Florida, in 1564. By 1675, they had abandoned Cumberland Island and relocated south, where they merged with other Timucua peoples and lost their independent identity.
Language
Mocama
Culture
A semi-agricultural people that ate many foods native to North Central Florida. They planted maize (corn), beans, squash and various vegetables as part of their diet. In order to plant, they used fire to clear the fields of weeds and brush. They prepared the soil with various tools, such as the hoe. Later the women would plant the seeds using two sticks known as coa. In addition to agriculture, the Timucua men would hunt game including alligators, manatees, and maybe even whales, fish in the many streams and lakes in the area; and collect freshwater and marine shellfish. The women gathered wild fruits, palm berries, acorns, and nuts; and baked bread.