In order to trace the early history, it is necessary to go back as far as possible to the beginning. From at least A.D. 1000, a group of farming Indians was living in northwest Florida. They were called the Apalachees. Other Florida Indians regarded them as being wealthy and fierce. Some think the Apalachee language was related to Hitchiti of the Muskhogean language family. Prior to European contact, there were probably at least 50,000-60,000 Apalachees. They were a strong and powerful chiefdom living in widely dispersed villages. Their leaders organized their work, and much of their social, ritual and political life as well. Other tribes respected the Apalachees because they belonged to an advanced Indian civilization, they were prosperous, and they were fierce warriors. As with other Native Americans, they attacked their enemies in small raids and ambushes, and scalped their enemies. For food, they grew corn, beans and squash. Men prepared the fields and women tended the crops. Men also hunted bear, deer and small game, while women gathered nuts and berries. Traditionally the men wore deerskin loincloths and women wore Spanish moss skirts. When preparing for battle, the men painted their bodies with red ochre and put feathers in their hair.

1539, Hernando de Soto wintered in Apalachee Province. His expedition members stayed in the sixteenth century Apalachee capital village called Anhaica. Both groups of Spanish intruders received a hostile reception and were under almost constant attack from the Apalachees. The European presence eventually took its toll on the Apalachees from continual skirmishes and, eventually, contagious diseases that were introduced by the explorers.  Most of the Apalachees from Mission San Luis moved westward in 1704, accepting an offer to live in French-controlled Mobile. In 1763, most of these Apalachees relocated to Rapides Parish in Louisiana. Today, 250 to 300 of their descendants still live there. They are the only documented descendants of any of Florida's prehistoric native populations.

Mission San Luis has an ongoing program of archaeological and historic research, and is also in the process of developing a living history program. The 60-acre park is gradually being transformed into Florida's only recreated 17th century mission. The Lake Jackson Mounds State Archaeological Site, on Lake Jackson, is also owned by the State of Florida. It was the Apalachees' prehistoric capital and originally consisted of at least six platform mounds and a village. It is one of Florida's most important archaeological sites and is open for visitors to hike and explore. Tallahassee's Mission San Luis was once home to 1,500 Apalachee Indian and Spanish residents. Now, this cultural landmark is home to a recreation of life as its 17th century residents knew it. Among the Mission's peaceful grounds, you can explore historic structures, ongoing archaeological research, interactive learning opportunities and educational exhibits.

Mission San Luis Council House

Mission San Luis: Interior of the Council House

The primary ceremonial and political center of the Apalachee capital was the council house, which has also been reconstructed, a circular building designed around a central fire, considered one of the largest Native American ceremonial structures in the southeast. In the circular ball court, which features a ceremonial ball pole, the Apalachee played a stickball game.

Few remains of these buildings exist today, but the site has been reconstructed on the basis of archaeological finds. Two decades of fieldwork provide Mission San Luis with one of the largest and most diverse collections of seventeenth-century Spanish and Apalachee materials, including nearly a million artifacts.

Mission San Luis