 A map of the Timucua chiefdoms of mainland southeast Georgia, including the Ibi (vermilion). | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Extinct as tribe | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Southeastern inland Georgia | |
| Languages | |
| Timucua language, Itafi dialect | |
| Religion | |
| Native | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Timucua |
The Ibi, also known as the Yui or Ibihica, were a Timucua chiefdom in the present-day U.S. state of Georgia during the 16th and 17th centuries. They lived in southeastern Georgia, about 50 miles from the coast. Like their neighbors, the Icafui (or Cascange) tribe, they spoke a dialect of the Timucua language called Itafi.
The chief's main village was Ibihica, and he controlled four other villages in the area. The Ibi first encountered Spanish friars in 1597, and soon became integrated into the Spanish mission system. A mission, San Lorenzo de Ibihica, was founded after 1616. The town and mission may have disappeared after 1630, or may have been destroyed by the Spanish following the Timucua Rebellion of 1656, and the people relocated. Surviving Ibi may have merged with other Timucua groups or moved beyond the Spanish sphere of influence.