Lengthy residence One style of dwelling, known as a "long house," was constructed using poles for the frame, bark for the walls, and palmetto palm tree branches for the roof. The second kind of house was round and covered with palm tree leaves. The Timucua had more permanent communities than the other tribes. They built their long houses in well-known spots along rivers or on hilltops where there was good fishing or hunting. The Timucua lived in large groups called villages. Each village had its own government made up of leaders who decided what role everyone else would play. For example, they might decide that some people are good at fighting and others are good at working with tools so that no one person is better at fighting or working. There were also elders who could tell the leaders what to do. In return, the leaders kept the elders safe by not letting anyone kill them. The women played an important part in all aspects of village life including growing food, making clothes, and caring for children. Men worked hard building boats out of wood and hunting sea animals but they didn't have much else to do apart from fight sometimes. They didn't need to worry about cooking or cleaning because women took care of those things. The Timucua used their boats to go fishing and hunt birds. They got most of their food by trading with other tribes or by farming in villages where there was enough water.