Florida as a fantasy map

The state of Florida reimagined as a fantasy map. This map is part of the Integral States Project, an art series that encourages reflection about the actual, pre-colonial history of these landscapes as well as the indigenous peoples who called them home. Proceeds benefit native charities.

 You’re very welcome to snag a free copy. Please rate if you like it to help others find these. Thanks! Prints are available at: https://www.redbubble.com/people/aldayuan/shop?asc=u&ref=account-nav-dropdown

Project website: https://integralstatesproject.com. 

When the first peoples arrived in what is now Florida during the last glacial period, sea levels were lower and the peninsula much wider. Freshwater was scarce and so people gathered around sinkholes and rain catchment basins. By the 16^th century, the peninsula was populated by dozens of distinct tribes and peoples. The Apalachee were one of the larger tribes, with over 50,000 people living in the area between the Aucilla and Ochlockonee Rivers. They lived in large and dense settlements made possible by agricultural cultivation and participated in a trade network that extended up to the Great Lakes and west to present-day Oklahoma. Some of the tribe’s descendants, who refer to themselves as the Talimali Band of Apalachee, live in Louisiana.