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Tampa Bay has a rich history of Indigenous tribes that populated the area:
• The Tocobaga – known for their body art, extensive tattoos and intricate jewelry – lived near the northern end of modern Tampa from 900 to the early 1500s.
• The Mocoso spoke their own language, painted their bodies red and wore plumes that cascaded from their hair.
• The Uzita people were superior hunters, living off seafood as well as local reptiles. They could supposedly release four arrows before a Spanish crossbowman fired a single shot.
• Seminoles popularized chickee-style homes – palmetto thatch roofs over log frames – and welcomed runaway Black slaves.
– Eve Lederman, The 100 Companies