Chief Saturiwa

Saturiwa was chief of the Saturiwa tribe, a Timucua chiefdom centered at the mouth of the St. Johns River in Florida during the 16th century. His main village, also known as Saturiwa, stood on the south bank of the river near its mouth, and according to French sources he was sovereign over thirty other village chiefs. He was a prominent figure in the early days of European settlement in Florida, forging friendly relations with the French Huguenot settlers who founded Fort Caroline in his territory. He was the main chief, or cacique, of the Timucua in this region, including the Indian village of Seloy located here when Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez landed in 1565. The Timucua successfully lived here for 4000 years and helped the Spanish establish the first permanent European settlement in America on this site, which became known as Saint Augustine, Florida.

St. Augustine, Florida · United States