Calusa-Keys-Cuba Connection Being Presented by Keys History & Discovery Center

Archaeologist and Educator Theresa Schober, Ph.DKeys History & Discovery Center Presents…The Calusa-Keys-Cuba Connection on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at Keys History & Discovery Center. Doors open at 5 p.m., presentation begins at 6 p.m.

In 1513, when the Calusa of Florida’s Gulf Coast were first visited by Juan Ponce de León, Spanish-speaking Indians that had fled the Caribbean were among them. An expansive, tributary chiefdom, the Calusa governed more than 50 towns, including those of the Keys, from their seat of power at Mound Key.

Join archeologist and educator Theresa Schober who has spent decades studying and researching the Calusa Indians and their place on the lands of Florida and the surrounding islands. She will discuss the treaty Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sought with the Calusa chief in 1566 and the period of the eighteenth century when the Keys became a safe haven for remnant Florida tribes and the Spanish, their salvation. Between 1711 and 1760, refugee Calusa and other Florida Indians were evacuated to Havana.

Cost for non-Discovery Center members is $25 and includes admission to the movie and museum as well as light appetizers. A cash bar will be available. Reservations are recommended and can be made at 305-922-2237 or info@keysdiscovery.com.

The Discovery Center is in Islamorada, MM 82, located at the Islander Resort. The Center is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $12. Admission for seniors is $10 and children 13-under are free. Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization operating the Keys History & Discovery Center.

For more information, call 305-922-2237.