Ozita

Uzita was a Native chiefdom on the southern side of Tampa Bay. Its principal town stood near the mouth of the Little Manatee River, among the estuaries and coastal settlements of the Safety Harbor culture. The people took their name from their chief, and their neighbours included the Mocoso and other communities around the bay.

In 1539 Hernando de Soto's expedition landed on the Florida coast and occupied the village of Uzita after its inhabitants had withdrawn. The Spaniards made it their first camp while unloading ships and seeking information about the interior. In nearby Mocoso territory they encountered Juan Ortiz, a survivor of an earlier Spanish expedition who knew the local language. He joined de Soto as an interpreter when the army set out inland.