The Lucayan were those Arawak which inhabited the Bahamas at the time of Christopher Columbus' landing. They were the first Amerindians encountered by the Spanish (Oct. 12, 1492). They were a peaceful people. Before Columbus' arrival, there were probably over 40,000 Lucayans, but due to slavery, diseases and other hardships brought about by Columbus and his men, by 1517, they were virtually non-existent.

Columbus wrote, "As soon as I arrived I took some of the natives by force."

See also

• List of Taínos
• Taínos
• Arawak

Ethnic groups in the Caribbean | Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean | Native American tribes

Lucayan | Lucayo