The tequestas were an indigenous tribe of indians that lived in the Miami area as early as 1200 A.D. They were semi-nomadic, occupying the Florida Keys and the area around Biscayne Bay at times.

They usually placed their villages at the mouths of rivers or streams and had strong connections to their neighbors, the Jeaga, who were allied with them in many European accounts.

Some fascinating things about the tribe include . .

1) Only 10 words of the tribes language are known today, as any other records of their translated tongue are not known to exist.

2) Seafood was a staple of their diet, which included Manatees, Stingray, Shark and Marlin. Manatee was a delicacy only consumed by important cheifs.

3) Their diet consisted of coontie, a root that is toxic. The Tequestas were able to remove the toxin and grind the root into flour.

4) To avoid the horrific Florida mosquitoes, villages would re-locate to barrier reefs were the insects were less apparent.

5) The Tequestas were reported to have practiced human sacrifice, as witnessed by Spanish missionaries.

6) They would use shark teeth to carve out canoes. Their canoes were ocean-worthy vessels.