Urriparacoxi, or Paracoxi, was the chief of a Native American group in central Florida at the time of Hernando de Soto's expedition through what is now the southeastern United States.
Hernando de Soto landed on the west coast of the peninsula of Florida in the summer of 1539 with a large contingent of men, with the intention of exploring and colonizing the country.
The exact place at which de Soto landed has been controversial,[1] but a number of historians accept Tampa Bay as the site.
[2] Soon after landing de Soto encountered Juan Ortiz, a Spanish sailor who had been held captive by local chiefs for eleven years.
Ortiz told de Soto of a chief called Urriparacoxi who lived inland, who had a lot of maize, and to whom the local chiefdoms, including Mocoso and Uzita, paid tribute.
Mounds near Lake Butler, some of which were excavated late in the 19th century, contained Spanish artifacts, at least some of which are compatible with the de Soto expedition.