Mocama means: the sea (ma+Moca). The Mocamas were the people of the sea, but it is even more accurate to call them the people of the yalu or marsh. The Mocamas built their homes near tidal salt and freshwater marshes for easy access to cuyu (fish), sicali (oyster), and other resources. Mocama men designed and built what the French called “fishing parks,” large enclosed fences (or weirs) that they placed in the salt water marshes and tidal creeks around their towns to capture fish. As the tide rose, fish unknowingly swam into the ichali (weir), leaving them trapped when the tide went out.
Water was so important to Mocama daily life that it also had religious significance. Mocama men and women manufactured tools, jewelry, and religious objects from shells, particularly whelks. They made the stronger and more common right-handed whelks into everyday tools for farming and tanning animal hides. Left-handed whelks were special. Their inner spiral is counter-clockwise, the same as the movement of the sun from east to west. The Mocamas used left-handed whelks for ceremonial purposes, especially as drinking vessels. Parts of the whelk shell were also made into decorative beads.
Yalucare (marshes) are still vital to the well-being of coastal communities. When properly managed by humans, marshes serve as the homes for a wide variety of fish, shellfish, and birds. They also lessen the risk of flooding from storms and prevent soil erosion by stabilizing shorelines.
