Calusa News 9: In Brief: Fishing Heritage Exhibit Tour

Fishing Heritage Exhibit Tours the Gulf Coast

by Claudine Payne

More than 6,000 years ago, ancient Calusa Indians cast their nets into the shallow waters of the Gulf coast, hauling in catches of pinfish, grunt, mullet, sheepshead, and catfish. A scant 60 years ago, the fishermen and fisherwomen of south Florida still fished in ways remarkably similar to those of the earliest fisherfolk. You can catch a glimpse of this vanishing way of life in a Florida Museum of Natural History traveling exhibit now touring Florida.

The Fishing Heritage of Gulf Coastal Florida takes you into the world of the Calusa Indians and their successors. Twelve standing panels describe estuary formation, canoes, canals, the products of estuarine fishing, nets and net-making, how fishing has changed (and not changed) through time, the recent net ban, and the impact of the modern world on the estuaries. Calusa artifacts, modern replicas of ancient fishing equipment, artist’s reconstructions, and historic photographs bring the estuarine world to life. An added attraction is a diorama recreating a moment in time at a Calusa village.

Readers of Calusa News will recognize many of the people who contributed to the exhibit. Bill Marquardt and Darcie MacMahon planned the exhibit and wrote the text. Merald Clark drew the wonderfully detailed reconstructions of life on the estuary. Robin Brown and David Meo reproduced Calusa fishing equipment. Bob Edic collected oral histories and historic photographs. Florida Museum chief exhibit designer Dorr Dennis designed the exhibit, and artists Bob Leavy and Stacey Breheny created the diorama. The exhibit was funded by a grant from the Florida Humanities Council.

For the current location of the exhibit, call the traveling exhibits office of the Florida Museum of Natural History at 352-846-2000, extension 213.

PO Box 117800
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800

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Fishing Heritage Exhibit Tours the Gulf Coast by Claudine Payne More than 6,000 years ago, ancient Calusa Indians cast their nets into the shallow waters of the Gulf coast, hauling in catches of pinfish, grunt, mullet, sheepshead, and catfish. A scant 60 years ago, the fishermen and fisherwomen of south Florida still fished in ways remarkably similar to those of the earliest fisherfolk. You can catch a glimpse of this vanishing way of life in a Florida Museum of Natural History traveling exhibit now touring Florida. The Fishing Heritage of Gulf Coastal Florida takes you into the world of the Calusa Indians and their successors. Twelve standing panels describe estuary formation, canoes, canals, the products of estuarine fishing, nets and net-making, how fishing has changed (and not changed) through time, the recent net ban, and the impact of the modern world on the estuaries. Calusa artifacts, modern replicas of ancient fishing equipment, artist’s reconstructions, and historic photographs bring the estuarine world to life. An added attraction is a diorama recreating a moment in time at a Calusa village. Readers of Calusa News will recognize many of the people who contributed to the exhibit. Bill Marquardt and Darcie MacMahon planned the exhibit and wrote the text. Merald Clark drew the wonderfully detailed reconstructions of life on the estuary. Robin Brown and David Meo reproduced Calusa fishing equipment. Bob Edic collected oral histories and historic photographs. Florida Museum chief exhibit designer Dorr Dennis designed the exhibit, and artists Bob Leavy and Stacey Breheny created the diorama. The exhibit was funded by a grant from the Florida Humanities Council. For the current location of the exhibit, call the traveling exhibits office of the Florida Museum of Natural History at 352-846-2000, extension 213.

		PO Box 117800 Gainesville, FL 32611-7800
	Next Page Table of Contents	PO Box 117800 Gainesville, FL 32611-7800