Timucua Spiritual Practices and Spanish Religious Suppression

The largest indigenous group in North Florida were the Timucua, and the Spanish began conversion efforts with them in the 1590s. Among the books written to support conversion is a bilingual (Timucua - Spanish) confessional, printed in 1613.

In their talk, George Aaron Broadwell (Elling Eide Professor of Anthropology at University of Florida) and Alejandra Dubcovsky (Professor of History at University of California, Riverside) will examine a new translation of this confessional, with a focus on the traditional beliefs named and condemned by the Spanish. They show that a careful reading of the Timucua in the confessional gives us a clearer understanding of Native spiritual practices.

Host or Publisher Elling Eide Center