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Speaker talks about Cuba, Calusa Indian connection at historical society’s event
Felix Rodriguez, a speaker at the Marco Island Historical Society’s Summer Program series, is descended from the Ciboney Indian tribe, which migrated from Florida to Cuba about 2,000 years ago.
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Ciboney Indian, historian and wood carver Felix Rodriguez had a captive audience when he spoke to about 60 members and friends of the Marco Island Historical Society at the latest summer program presentation.
Rodriguez, a Cape Coral resident, traced the history of his tribe as having intermingled with the legendary Calusa before migrating to Cuba.
Like other coastal tribes they were largely dependent on seafood (“they loved oysters,” Rodriguez observed,) which obviously necessitated dugout canoes and the means with which to propel them.
It was that part of history that fascinated Rodriguez, hence his interest in replicating the types of paddles these ancient fisherfolk tribes fashioned for themselves.
For her part, Betsy Perdichizzi was more than fascinated.
“This was new information,” she said, “telling us about the close ties with the Calusa and other tribes that were here.”
Perdichizzi, who is Capital Campaign co-chair for the new museum to be build next to the Marco Island Library, said she particularly liked Rodriguez’s attention to detail on parts of his paddles.
“He carves out animals, palm leaf symbols and the weaving patterns of the various tribes,” she said.
Through a concerted effort since the idea of Marco’s own museum took shape, Perdichizzi said, just $3.3 million of the necessary $4.4 million has been raised.
This is enough to build the hall and administration building shell.
“We’re just waiting for the county to give us a start date,” Perdichizzi said. “We’ve hired a contractor (CORE Construction), accepted the bid and are now negotiating the contract.”
Anybody interested in a DVD of Rodriguez’s presentation should call the society at 394-6917.
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