Chief Manuel's 1651 Timucua Letter: The Oldest Letter in a Native Language of the United States

Abstract

Abstract: In 1651, Don Manuel wrote a letter. There was nothing remarkable about that feat, except that now his words are considered noteworthy because he was a Timucua chief, writing in the Timucua language from his Timucua town. But his actions at the time drew no special attention. After all, he was not the only Timucua chief to engage in an epistolary exchange; Timucua leaders often corresponded with Spanish officials and even with other Native peoples via letters. Perhaps then what is most remarkable about this text is that it has survived. The 1651 Timucua letter is not an unknown source, but any examination or analysis of this epistle has relied almost exclusively on the Spanish translation that accompanied it. This article offers a new reading and translation of Don Manuel's letter, allowing the 1651 text to be accessed in its original form for the first time in close to 400 years. Combining two methodologies, linguistic anthropology and history, helps center the role that literacy played in Timucua society and transforms Don Manuel's epistolary discourse into an innovative lens from which to examine Timucua words, syntax, and grammar, as well as Spanish-Timucua interactions. The 1651 Timucua letter is thus a testament to both the destructive effects of colonialism and the enduring power of Native languages, epistemologies, and politics.