April 2022

The Ais Indians

The Ais or Ays were a Native American people of eastern Florida. Their territory included coastal areas and islands from approximately Cape Canaveral (Spanish: Cabo Cañaveral) to the Indian River. The Ais chiefdom consisted of a number of towns, each led by a chief who was subordinate to the paramount chief of Ais; the Indian River was known as the "River of Ais" to the Spanish. The Ais language has been linked to the Chitimacha language by linguist Julian Granberry, who points out that "Ais" means "the people" in the Chitimacha language. The Chitimacha language was historically spoken by the Chitimacha people of Louisiana.

The best single source for information on the Ais at the end of the 17th century is Jonathan Dickinson's Journal, in which he makes observations on their appearance, diet, and customs. Dickinson and his party were shipwrecked, and spent several weeks among the Ais in 1696. By Dickinson's account, the chief of the town of Jece, near present-day Sebastian, was paramount to all of the coastal towns from the Jaega town of Jobe (at Jupiter Inlet) in the south to approximately Cape Canaveral in the north (that is, the length of the River of Ais).

The Spanish became acquainted with the Ais in the middle of the 16th century. By the late 1600s, the Ais had considerable contact with Europeans. Spanish coins were sometimes found in the pottery shards in the Ais middens.

A midden is a dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusk shells, potsherds, lithics and other artifacts associated with past human occupation.

Above: Early photo showing Barker's Bluff, an ancient Ais midden in Sebastian.

Barker’s Bluff was a very large midden located south of Sebastian. It was one of the largest in this part of Florida and described as the size of a football field and 40 ft. high.

C.F. Gottlob Kroegel, father of Paul Kroegel, settled on this large midden. Filing through the Homestead Act, he was awarded the patent in 1889 signed by President Benjamin Harrison.

In 1908, Gottlob sold the midden to St. Lucie County for $4,000 for road paving material. Material was shipped by rail from their homestead between 1908 and 1913. The material was spread from the St. Sebastian River to Palm Beach County. By 1913 the ancient midden was gone along with the rich history of the Ais Indians.

Learn More About the Ais

Sacred Kashi, a 501(c)3 non-profit retreat center in Sebastian, is located on land originally inhabited by the Ais (pronounced “Ah-ees”) people. The Ais disappeared by 1760 through a combination of disease, colonization, enslavement, war, and genocide. To raise public awareness, Sacred Kashi will host a lecture series on the Ais and the African American community of Gifford, FL entitled Visibility and Voices: The History of Indian River County, thanks to a Florida Humanities Community Project Grant. The public is invited.

Friday, April 8, 7-8:15 PM: Barbara Purdy, PhD, Professor Emeritas, University of Florida and Curator Emeritas, Florida Museum of Natural History, will reveal archeological findings from Indian River County and unveil a land acknowledgement sign honoring the indigenous peoples.

Thursday, April 28, 7-8:15 PM: Jerald Milanich, PhD, Professor Emeritas, University of Florida and Curator Emeritas, Florida Museum of Natural History, and the Environmental Learning Center will share recent discoveries about the Ais through Jonathan Dickenson’s journal. Dickinson and his party were shipwrecked during their journey from Jamaica to Philadelphia, and experienced a harrowing journey, which included interactions with several of the tribes that inhabited the East Coast of Florida.]

Other events-

Tuesday, May 17, 7-8:15 PM: Jonnie Mae Perry, Director and CEO, Gifford Historical Museum and Cultural Center will speak via Zoom on the rich history and dignity of the Gifford community.

Space is limited for live events and CDC guidelines will be followed. Registration opens soon. Watch www.kashi.org for details.