Ibi (tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Ibi, also known as the Yui or Ibihica, were a Timucua
chiefdom in the present-day U.S. state of Georgia
during the 16th and 17th centuries. They lived in southeastern Georgia, about 50 miles from the coast. Like their neighbors, the Icafui (Cascange) tribe, they spoke a dialect of the Timucua language
called Itafi.
The chief's main village was Ibihica, and he controlled four other villages in the area. The Ibi first encountered Spanish
friars in 1597, and soon became integrated into the Spanish mission system
. A mission, San Lorenzo de Ibihica
, was founded after 1616. The town and mission appear to have been destroyed by the Spanish following the Timucua Rebellion of 1656, and the people relocated. Surviving Ibi may have merged with other Timucua groups or moved beyond the Spanish sphere of influence.
. As such the correct spelling would be Yvi or Ybi, standardized to Ibi, a Timucuan word generally referring to water
. Anthropologist John Worth prefers referring to them as the Ibihica, the name of their main village where their mission was located.
Little is known of the native population of southern Georgia
in prehistory. Archaeological study of the region has been limited and the ceramic chronology is not well established, but the area as a whole appears to have been a "transitory zone" between the Savannah and St. Johns culture
regions. The Ibi first enter the historical record during the Spanish
mission era
, at which time they were noted as living on the Georgia mainland 14 leagues
(about 50 miles) from Mission San Pedro de Mocama
, the mission to the Tacatacuru
tribe on Cumberland Island
. The Ibi numbered between 700 and 800 people living in five villages under one chief, whose main village was known as Ibihica. They spoke a dialect of the Timucua language
known as Itafi or Icafui, which was also spoken by their neighbors, the Icafui (Cascangue) tribe. Farther to the west, perhaps on the east side of the Okefenokee Swamp
, were another Timucua group, the Oconi.
The Ibi became involved in the Spanish mission system relatively early. They were visited by the Franciscan Fray Pedro Ruíz in 1597, and later that year their chief traveled to the Spanish colonial capital of St. Augustine
to render obedience to the Spanish king. However, the 1597 revolt of the Guale
tribe, who lived farther north on the Georgia coast, caused Ruíz to be recalled. Still, the Ibi and the neighboring Oconi were visited with some regularity by friars from the nearby missions of San Pedro de Mocama and San Juan del Puerto. These visits were evangelically successful, but had an effect on the local population, as by 1603 the Spanish noted that some Ibi were "leaving their towns" and relocating to the coastal missions. After 1616 the Ibi were given their own mission, San Lorenzo de Ibihica
, established in the main town. The town and mission continued to exist until 1656, the year of the Timucua Rebellion against the Spanish government. At this time both Ibihica and nearby Oconi village were apparently destroyed by the Spanish. Surviving Ibi appear to have merged into other communities or moved outside the sphere of the Spanish colonial government.
Timucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The various groups of Timucua spoke several dialects of the...
chiefdom in the present-day U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
during the 16th and 17th centuries. They lived in southeastern Georgia, about 50 miles from the coast. Like their neighbors, the Icafui (Cascange) tribe, they spoke a dialect of the Timucua language
Timucua language
Timucua is a language isolate formerly spoken in northern and central Florida and southern Georgia by the Timucua people. Timucua was the primary language used in the area at the time of Spanish arrival in Florida. Linguistic and archaeological studies suggest that it may have been spoken from...
called Itafi.
The chief's main village was Ibihica, and he controlled four other villages in the area. The Ibi first encountered Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
friars in 1597, and soon became integrated into the Spanish mission system
Spanish missions in Florida
Beginning in the second half of the 16th century, the Kingdom of Spain established a number of missions throughout la Florida in order to convert the Indians to Christianity, to facilitate control of the area, and to prevent its colonization by other countries, in particular, England and France...
. A mission, San Lorenzo de Ibihica
San Lorenzo de Ibihica
San Lorenzo de Ibihica was a Spanish Franciscan mission built in the early 17th century in the southeast of the present-day U.S. state of Georgia. It was part of Spain's effort to colonize the region of Spanish Florida and convert the Timucua Native Americans to Catholicism...
, was founded after 1616. The town and mission appear to have been destroyed by the Spanish following the Timucua Rebellion of 1656, and the people relocated. Surviving Ibi may have merged with other Timucua groups or moved beyond the Spanish sphere of influence.
History
The Ibi are also known as the Yui, though this appears to be a manuscript error: the letter u has been substituted for v, which is pronounced as, and often substituted for, b in contemporary SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. As such the correct spelling would be Yvi or Ybi, standardized to Ibi, a Timucuan word generally referring to water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. Anthropologist John Worth prefers referring to them as the Ibihica, the name of their main village where their mission was located.
Little is known of the native population of southern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in prehistory. Archaeological study of the region has been limited and the ceramic chronology is not well established, but the area as a whole appears to have been a "transitory zone" between the Savannah and St. Johns culture
St. Johns culture
The St. Johns culture was an archaeological culture in northeastern Florida, USA that lasted from about 500 BCE until shortly after European contact in the 17th century. The St. Johns culture was present along the St. Johns River and its tributaries The St. Johns culture was an archaeological...
regions. The Ibi first enter the historical record during the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
mission era
Spanish missions in Florida
Beginning in the second half of the 16th century, the Kingdom of Spain established a number of missions throughout la Florida in order to convert the Indians to Christianity, to facilitate control of the area, and to prevent its colonization by other countries, in particular, England and France...
, at which time they were noted as living on the Georgia mainland 14 leagues
League (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
(about 50 miles) from Mission San Pedro de Mocama
San Pedro de Mocama
San Pedro de Mocama was a Spanish Franciscan mission built in the mid-16th century on Cumberland Island in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia. It was part of the missions system of Spanish Florida, and was founded to serve the Tacatacuru, a chiefdom of the Timucua...
, the mission to the Tacatacuru
Tacatacuru
The Tacatacuru were a Timucua chiefdom located on Cumberland Island in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were one of two chiefdoms of the Timucua subgroup known as the Mocama, who spoke the Mocama dialect of Timucuan and lived in the coastal areas of...
tribe on Cumberland Island
Cumberland Island
Cumberland Island is one of the Sea Islands. Cumberland is the largest in terms of continuously exposed land area of Georgia's barrier islands. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia and is part of Camden County...
. The Ibi numbered between 700 and 800 people living in five villages under one chief, whose main village was known as Ibihica. They spoke a dialect of the Timucua language
Timucua language
Timucua is a language isolate formerly spoken in northern and central Florida and southern Georgia by the Timucua people. Timucua was the primary language used in the area at the time of Spanish arrival in Florida. Linguistic and archaeological studies suggest that it may have been spoken from...
known as Itafi or Icafui, which was also spoken by their neighbors, the Icafui (Cascangue) tribe. Farther to the west, perhaps on the east side of the Okefenokee Swamp
Okefenokee Swamp
The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000 acre , peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida border in the United States. A majority of the swamp is in Georgia and protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be...
, were another Timucua group, the Oconi.
The Ibi became involved in the Spanish mission system relatively early. They were visited by the Franciscan Fray Pedro Ruíz in 1597, and later that year their chief traveled to the Spanish colonial capital of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
to render obedience to the Spanish king. However, the 1597 revolt of the Guale
Guale
Guale was an historic Native American chiefdom along the coast of present-day Georgia and the Sea Islands. Spanish Florida established its Roman Catholic missionary system in the chiefdom in the late 16th century. During the late 17th century and early 18th century, Guale society was shattered...
tribe, who lived farther north on the Georgia coast, caused Ruíz to be recalled. Still, the Ibi and the neighboring Oconi were visited with some regularity by friars from the nearby missions of San Pedro de Mocama and San Juan del Puerto. These visits were evangelically successful, but had an effect on the local population, as by 1603 the Spanish noted that some Ibi were "leaving their towns" and relocating to the coastal missions. After 1616 the Ibi were given their own mission, San Lorenzo de Ibihica
San Lorenzo de Ibihica
San Lorenzo de Ibihica was a Spanish Franciscan mission built in the early 17th century in the southeast of the present-day U.S. state of Georgia. It was part of Spain's effort to colonize the region of Spanish Florida and convert the Timucua Native Americans to Catholicism...
, established in the main town. The town and mission continued to exist until 1656, the year of the Timucua Rebellion against the Spanish government. At this time both Ibihica and nearby Oconi village were apparently destroyed by the Spanish. Surviving Ibi appear to have merged into other communities or moved outside the sphere of the Spanish colonial government.