The Calusa Indians believed that three gods existed (Dormer, pg. 7). Each god had a specific role that they were responsible for. The most powerful was in charge of the moon, stars, sun, and weather; another in charge of the chiefdom; and the final one had control over wars. Festivals were also held, one for each god (Dormer, pg. 7). In addition to these three gods, the Calusa also believed that each person had three souls (MacMahon, pg. 83). Each soul was connected to a certain part of the body, “One is the little pupil of the eye; another is the shadow that each one casts; and the last is the image of oneself that each sees…in a calm pool of water” (MacMahon, pg. 83). According to Darcie MacMahon the Calusa believed that when a person died their soul attached to the pupil would remain in the body; the body would then seek others who are deceased in order to ask for advice (pg. 83). The remaining two souls would flow into the life of a small animal or fish. This cycle would continue, with the soul moving to smaller and smaller bodies, until it eventually reaches, “the point of being reduced into nothing (MacMahon, pg. 83).
 |
| Calusa Cacique (once again) receiving tribute from a lesser cacique. Retrieved from: MacMahon, pg. 115. |
The tribes within the Iroquois Confederacy had their own religious beliefs.The religion of the Iroquois Indians had a large impact on the tribe’s way of life (Richter, pg. 1). For one example, the Seneca tribe strongly believed that everything around them was alive; that everything had feelings, thoughts, and reactions to what was going on around them (Hewitt, pg. 33). They also placed great importance on the shaman, those that interpreted for the spirits around them.
The shaman within the tribes could be females, however they were predominately male (Dixon, pg. 2). The position of the shaman was passed down similar to the way in which the position of sachem was passed on. According to Dixon, “…the shaman descends by inheritance…according to the prevailing system of tribal descent” (Dixon, pg. 2). This meant that the position of the shaman would also be passed on through the female line. Becoming a spiritual leader was not an option for shaman in the Iroquois tribe. Those in line to become shamans also had to be chosen by the spiritual forces. If chosen by these spiritual beings than the individual had one of two options: accept the position or die (Dixon, pg. 3). These spiritual leaders were said to have characteristics that would be quite evident to those around them. They were prone to having epileptic seizures, dreams, and visions…among other things (Dixon, pg. 3). There were many ways in which the leaders could receive their messages including: from one of many animals and their spirits (dead or alive), the spirits of the dead, or even from the gods themselves (Dixon, pg. 3).
These are just a few of the differences that existed among the Calusa and Iroquois religious beliefs. The Calusa believed that their cacique was not only the leader of their tribe, but also their spiritual leader. They had three specific deities that they believed their cacique interpreted for. The Iroquois, on the other hand, placed the shaman at the head of all things spiritual. Their gods were living all around them. Their position was passed along through the female line as well as secured when they were chosen by the spiritual beings they believed in. While both groups of Indian people had religious beliefs, their leaders were chosen differently, and their leaders also interpreted messages from their deities in different ways.
Now that we have seen that the Calusa and Iroquois differed not only in their forms of leadership but also in their trading and religious beliefs, let's take a look at whether their encounter with the Europeans affected these differences and similarities...
