The Seminole, A 500 Year continuation of Tradition

[Caracoli]

Early Florida Miccosuke-Seminole Indians, Look Familiar???

Seminole Chief Osceola



Seminole Women Early 1900s


Seminole Men & Womens wear




Seminoles Today

[Caracoli]

This is not the Seminole Indian Nation but wow what an interesting statement you made. I personally wouldn't call another tribe extinct.
You're from Spain right?

[Caracoli]

Here is a timeline from the Official Seminole Indian Nation of Florida

http://www.seminoletribe.com/tribune/40anniversary/timeline.shtml

Seminole Timeline
1510 - First recorded European contact with Seminole ancestors, Spanish slave ship reaches South Florida peninsula.

1513 - Spaniards claim Eastern U.S., call it La Florida.

1539-43 - Hernando DeSoto explores Southeast - first white contact for many Tribes.

1565 - Spaniards establish St. Augustine - first permanent European city in North America.

1670 - English settle Charles Towne, begin coastal skirmishes with Spanish.

1690s - French settle Louisiana.

1704-1708 - English destroy Spanish Florida missions, kill or enslave thousands of Natives.

1740 - Alachua, earliest recorded Seminole town, established in North Florida.

1763 - Spain cedes Florida to England.

1776 - Revolutionary War creates U.S.A.

circa 1804 - Osceola (William Powell) born near Tuskeegee, Alabama.

1813-14 - Creek War in Alabama forces Native survivors to flee southward where they join Florida natives. Gen. Andrew Jackson rises to power.

1816 - First Seminole War begins after Jackson crosses into northern Florida.

1823 - Treaty of Moultrie Creek. Seminoles give up 28-million acres, retain 4 million.

1832 - Treaty of Payne s Landing ratified by Congress. Promised 5 million acres in southwest Florida to Seminoles.

Dec. 28,1835 - Osceola leads Seminoles at Battle of Withlacoochee, slays U.S. Indian Agent. Maj. Francis Dade, 105 soldiers killed en route to Fort King (Ocala). Second Seminole War (1835-1842) begins .

1837 - Osceola captured under flag of truce, removed to South Carolina prison where he dies in January 1838.

1837 - Christmas Day. Battle of Okeechobee, 1,000 federal troops under Gen. Zachary Taylor, against fewer than 500 Seminoles, led by Alligator, Abiaka, Jumper and others. Twenty-six of 37 dead are U.S. soldiers, most of them Missouri Volunteers.

1838 - Trail of Tears forces 16,000 Cherokees from their eastern homeland to Oklahoma. At least 2,000 die along the way. About 3,000 Seminoles, including Wild Cat (Coacoochee) and Alligator are shipped to Oklahoma.

1855 - Billy Bowlegs leads attack on U.S. Army surveyors. Third Seminole War begins

1858 - Third Seminole War officially ends with capture of Bowlegs. A few hundred Seminoles, including Abiaka, remain in Big Cypress and other isolated parts of Florida. U.S. government abandons efforts to remove all Seminoles.

1890s - Seminoles and whites begin to trade peacefully on the borders of the Everglades.

1926 - Hurricane devastates Everglades wilderness, many Seminoles homeless.

1928 - Tamiami Trail opens, fueling the boom in South Florida tourism. Seminoles begin to sell crafts and wrestle alligators. Killer hurricane hits Lake Okeechobee region, whips up a tidal wave that drowns 4,000 in worst natural disaster before Hurricane Andrew.

1934 - Indian Reorganization Act, promotes Native self-determination. Five Civilized Tribes, a book written by Grant Foreman, arbitrarily designates Seminoles, along with Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee and Creek, civilized.

1936 - Herd of half-starved cattle arrive in Brighton from Apache. Seminole cattle industry begins.

1939 - First formal education at Brighton Indian Day School, opened by teachers William and Edith Boehmer.

1946 - Creation of United States Indian Claims Commission.

1947 - Seminole Indians file petition with Claims Commission for a settlement to cover lost lands. FSU students choose "Seminoles" as official school mascot.

1953 - U.S. House Resolution proposes termination of Seminole Tribe.

1957 - Seminole Constitution ratified by vote of 241-5. Tribe gains federal status as the Seminole Tribe of Florida. First Tribal Council is elected; Billy Osceola, first elected chairman; First president Frank Billie resigns, succeeded by Bill Osceola. First annual budget: $12,000.

1962 - Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of

[Caracoli]

You are missing the whole point, You want to argue about the title and not see that you do come off as rude, The Official Seminole Indian Nation website says

"Seminole Timeline
1510 - First recorded European contact with Seminole ancestors, Spanish slave ship reaches South Florida peninsula."

You have already been explained the topic of discussion which is not about who is extinct and who are the original people of anywhere. If you have a problem with the Seminole timeline then take it up with them.

[Arenahi]

I'm Karifuna I'm related to them I can say that they are Garifuna because they are, and the reason they aren't identifying are reasons of racism. It's complex, but it's for us to discuss and not yours. If ignore what you say because it's far better than me correcting everything you say. Sorry but there are times when I don't want to play the role of educator of the misinformed. I like this place because I can hang out and talk with other Indigenous Caribbean folks, and I come here to connect with people and it's annoying when I have to read misinformed comments. I know this might come off harsh, but I don't know how else to say it. Any other place I like to answer questions, but it's tiring being "on" all the time ready with answers to sometimes offensive questions. I already hinted at some of them, trying to be nice, but you didn't get it, so I left it alone. When I come here I just want to chill.

[Arenahi]

Rubén I really think you should leave that determination up to the tribal members themselves. You've said other things that I've ignored, but this comment seems kinda rude to me. Maybe what you are trying to say is not coming out right in English.

[Caracoli]

The main point of this discussion is to highlight the progression of Native Regalia through the passing of time. Not about who is "extinct" or not.

[Maximilian Forte]

Really, I have to second Keisha's comment. The line of reasoning about pure Indians, lost tribes, extinct Indians, etc., is really tiresome, colonial, and ultimately racist stuff. I don't think Ruben consciously intended this to come across this way, I think he has a genuine interest to learn more, and he is using well worn methods of expression. But we need to get past these constraints, otherwise history starts to look like some bad Hollywood cartoon from the 1950s.

[Arenahi]

You just don't get it don't you? Stop relying on books and listen to what people have to say. Why don't you go ask the Seminole?

[bella1976]

Good point Keisha. Ruben talk to the people!
i came across this discussion looking for Dominica info.
after following it i have to say... WOW!!!
history books and theories of one man have been proven untrue before...and history according to an outsider is always skewed and flawed, its the people who make threir history not historians!

if rubens point was true... then you could say all people who are not indigenous in the caribbean islands are not caribbean...because if you were white you were european, if you were black you must be african. simply this is not the case.
as ive mentioned in another blog.... why must we group people? why the labels??
when an individual decides to label themselves, this is acceptable as this is their identity they have chosen
when an outsider decides to label people, this is unacceptable...as its considered stripping people of their identity and can be racist.

[bella1976]

chill out! i didnt call YOU a racist. i said it "can" be racist...
and why do you go and insult me with "racist is the word that some people use to say when they have no way out to assert their teory or aren´t able to have a discussion about"..... so accroding to your viewpoint.... because i used the word "racist" in my comment it means im stupid??? i didnt use it to label you...i was speaking in general terms.
please look up the word racist and fully understand it.
i wasnt argueing with you about the seminoles.... read my statement again very slowly....several times...and then you can write me and apology

[bella1976]

you didnt try to offend me...but in your second response you did it again.
Ruben.... im not argueing the Seminoles with you.

listen to what im saying.... and dont bother responding to me unless you apologize to me and all the other people you offended in here.

history books were written by white men.
the history of many indigenous people was written by white men, who wrote the peoples history in a skewed european light.
They interpreted their "savage" ways according to "civilized" europe.
history books may....work with me....just may be flawed... the information may be flawed...hey... its been proven before....
just because its written down doesnt make it the truth.... look at the bible.. huh?
i may not have a degree in languages, archeology, history or anthropology....but i have 2 1/2 years of cultural anthropology under my belt, and i have a lifelong love of my culture and other cultures.
the history of poland written from 1950-1990's according to books is not the history my parents talk about, not the history i remember living through.... we lived it and dont agree with the books...
as for the seminoles.....i know nothing of them... but i will comment on this... if the seminoles were there 500 years ago and became "extinct" as you say...but in the same breath you say they mixed with another tribe... then the seminoles still existed and had a 500 year history didnt they.... even if they mixed with another tribe...
ruben...are you telling me that if 2 groups mix and mingle... one of the groups dies out and so do their culture??? you should know that is untrue!!!

as ive said... stop being obnoxious with your quotes from history books... talk to the seminoles and learn the history for yourself and then quote all you want...
in the meantime you have offended a lot of people that i think you should apologize to.

[Juan Almonte]

Hey, I saw these folks at this weekend social gathering and dance at the native american museum that Jorge works in. The guys was dancing and the lady sat infront of me with her two kids. Nice people. I had a good time.