Ibi people facts for kids

The Ibi were a group of Native American people. They were also called the Yui or Ibihica. The Ibi lived in what is now southeastern Georgia during the 1500s and 1600s. They were part of the larger Timucua people. The Ibi lived about 50 miles from the coast. They spoke a language called Itafi, which was a dialect of the Timucua language. Their neighbors, the Icafui tribe, spoke the same dialect.

The main village of the Ibi chief was named Ibihica. The chief also controlled four other villages nearby. The Ibi first met Spanish priests, called friars, in 1597. Soon after, they became part of the Spanish mission system. A mission called San Lorenzo de Ibihica was built after 1616. It seems the Spanish destroyed this town and mission after the Timucua Rebellion in 1656. The Ibi people then had to move. The Ibi who survived might have joined other Timucua groups. Some may have moved to areas far from Spanish control.

What's in a Name?

The Ibi are sometimes known as the Yui. However, this name might be a mistake from old writings. It seems the letter u was used instead of v. In old Spanish, v was often pronounced like b. So, the correct spelling might have been Yvi or Ybi. This was later changed to Ibi. The word Ibi in the Timucua language generally means "water."

Some experts, like anthropologist John Worth, prefer to call them the Ibihica. This was the name of their main village. It was also where their mission was located.

Ibi History and Spanish Contact

We don't know much about the early people of southern Georgia. There hasn't been much archaeological study in the area. The Ibi first appear in historical records during the Spanish mission era. At that time, they lived on the Georgia mainland. This was about 14 leagues (or 50 miles) from Mission San Pedro de Mocama. That mission was for the Tacatacuru people on Cumberland Island.

The Ibi had between 700 and 800 people. They lived in five villages. These villages were all under one chief. Their main village was called Ibihica. The Ibi spoke a dialect of the Timucua language called Itafi or Icafui. Their neighbors, the Icafui tribe (also known as the Cascangue), spoke the same dialect. Farther west, perhaps near the Okefenokee Swamp, lived another Timucua group called the Oconi.

The Ibi became part of the Spanish mission system quite early. A Franciscan friar named Pedro Ruíz visited them in 1597. Later that year, the Ibi chief traveled to St. Augustine. This was the Spanish colonial capital. He went to show loyalty to the Spanish king. However, the Guale tribe, who lived north of the Ibi, rebelled in 1597. This caused Ruíz to be called back.

Still, friars from nearby missions often visited the Ibi and Oconi. These missions were San Pedro de Mocama and San Juan del Puerto. These visits helped spread Christianity. But they also affected the local people. By 1603, the Spanish noticed that some Ibi were "leaving their towns." They were moving to the coastal missions. After 1616, the Ibi got their own mission. It was called San Lorenzo de Ibihica. It was built in their main town.

The town and mission existed until 1656. This was the year of the Timucua Rebellion against the Spanish government. During this time, the Spanish likely destroyed both Ibihica and the nearby Oconi village. The Ibi who survived may have joined other communities. Or they moved outside the areas controlled by the Spanish government.