Lucayan (related to Bahamas)

The Lucayan are the indigenous people who inhabited the Bahamas before European contact, primarily during the 15th and 16th centuries. They are part of the Taíno culture, an Arawakan-speaking group also found in parts of the Caribbean. Known as skilled navigators and fishermen, the Lucayan occupied islands such as Grand Bahama and the Abacos, establishing villages, cemeteries, and cultivation practices. Their society was organized into clans, and they relied on fishing, hunting, and agriculture for sustenance. European contact, especially by the Spanish, led to the decline of the Lucayan population due to disease, conflict, and colonization.