Indigenous tribes in Tampa Bay

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