27 Memorable Moments with the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum – Part 2

This week marks the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum’s 27^th Anniversary! The Museum opened on August 21, 1997, after considerable planning, effort, and guidance from a number of Tribal Leaders, community members, and employees. So today, we are rolling out the second half of our 27 Memorable Moments at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. Follow along with us to explore some of the most memorable, impactful, and exciting moments from the last 27 years!

For the purposes of this blog post, we asked leaders and employees who have helped guide and build the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum over the last 27 years for their input. Florida Seminole Tourism would like to thank the many, many people who have worked so hard to make the Museum what it is today! Special thanks to the following individuals for their contributions to this post:

 

Gordon Wareham, Museum Director

Tara Backhouse, Curator, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

Melissa Tommie, Visitor Services & Development Manager

Kate Macuen, Museum Director (2019-2021), Assistant Director (2016-2019)

Carrie Dilley, Visitor Services & Development Manager (2013-2021)

 

14. Hurricane Irma Recovery, 2017

Hurricane Irma hit the Big Cypress Reservation and South Florida in 2017. Kate Macuen recalls how the Museum and community soon pulled together in the face of devastation.  “Florida was hit so hard by this hurricane, and it left the west coast in tatters.  So many of our colleagues were severely impacted by the storm.  Luckily the damage that the Museum suffered was mainly contained to the grounds,” she remembers. “My memory though surrounding this is one of just pure gratitude and awe as our whole staff came together and worked really hard to get the Museum back up and running.  The Boardwalk had the most damage. The first few days we were allowed back on campus, we all pitched in to clean up the debris. If I remember correctly, it took about 2 weeks for power to be restored and the Museum to reopen. It was such a testament to the hard work and dedication that staff had and even though it was a very trying time, it really brought us together as a team.”

15. Lummi Nation Visit, 2018

In 2018, the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum had a very special visit from the Lummi Nation of Washington State. In 2018, Washington’s Lummi Nation had embarked on a 27-day, cross-country journey to return Tokitae (Lolita the killer whale). She was on display at Miami Seaquarium, and the Lummi desperately wanted her back in the Puget Sound. Sadly, Tokitae/Lolita was captured as a juvenile from Puget Sound’s Penn Cove in 1970. Thus, she had been living in a small concrete pool for almost half a century. As part of the journey, Lummi leaders also transported a totem pole carved in honor of the captive orca. On the way, they additionally made a stop at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.

The journey was to bring awareness to Tokitae’s plight, and also ultimately bring her home. In a statement shared in a Seminole Tribune article, Lummi Chairman Jay Julius said “It is our sacred obligation to bring our sister, Tokitae, home to the Salish Sea to be with her family. Tokitae was stolen from her family, from her people so many years ago. She is a precious part of our family and important to the Salish Sea ecosystem. We must bring her home to be safely reunited with her family.” Heartbreakingly, Tokitae died in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium in 2023.

16. Osceola’s Sash Returns, 2018

Museum Curator Tara Backhouse received an unprecedented email in 2018 from the custodians of an 18^th century sash. Incredibly the sash, purchased at an estate sale after languishing in a filing cabinet, held a note and tag identifying it as belonging to none other than famous Seminole leader Osceola.

After months of research, the Museum Collections team were stunned at what they found. The sash seemingly matches one Osceola is seen wearing in a famous painting by George Catlin. Additionally, the date of the artifact, style, and even the small details seem to be in line with one worn by Osceola. Over the next few years the conservation team also worked to repair and stabilize the precious artifact.

 

17. Skin Deep Exhibit, 2019

A unique and stunning exhibit opened in 2019, featuring one of the most contemporary subjects at the Museum to date, Skin Deep Contrasts in Seminole Culture opened in September that year. Eight Seminole women, including Lorelei Tommie, current Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum multimedia coordinator, were photographed for the exhibit in a style reminiscent of old Hollywood. Kate Macuen fondly remembers the exhibit, saying “One of my favorite exhibits the museum did was a photography exhibit on tattoos– Skin Deep.  This was a collaboration by tattoo artist Lorelei and photographer Drew Osceola.  It was the first time in my memory that the Museum had exhibited works with such a contemporary topic.  It was a beautiful exhibit.”

 

18. Record Sales during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Despite incredible odds, the Museum Store celebrated record sales during the Covid-19 pandemic. Facing uncertainty about when the Museum would reopen, employees had to pivot. The Visitor Services & Development team began brainstorming. Soon, they implemented ways to still connect with the greater community and share the Seminole story during the pandemic. They quickly launched a virtual tour, inviting the entire internet through the doors of the Museum. In addition to this tour, social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, their blog and YouTube kept the engagement flowing. With the launch of the Museum online store by the Museum’s Retail division, even virtual visitors could bring a piece of the Museum into their home.

 

19. Home is Where the Heart Is Exhibit, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic had a very strong impact on the Seminole community, especially the youth. Those who lived on the reservation were even further isolated. The 2020 Ahfachkee School Art installation at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum was a direct response to these struggles. Ahfachkee art instructor Jennifer Brittingham shared that “When the reservation went into lockdown, it robbed students of their sense of community and their sense of home. As a result, this artwork is a response to students’ reaction returning to campus and working together towards a unified goal.” You can still experience part of the exhibit online.

 

20. Reopening after the Covid-19 Pandemic Closure

Due to the pandemic, the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum closed on March 13, 2020. At the time, no one realized just how long it would need to remain closed. Finally, after over a year of closure, it would reopen on August 21, 2021, the Museum’s 24^th Anniversary.

“We have been carefully preparing for the reopening of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, to ensure the safe return of our staff, visitors and community,” Kate Macuen, then-Museum Director, said in a statement at the time. “We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the museum after 17 months of closure and offering a unique and safe place where our visitors can learn about and celebrate Seminole stories, history and traditions.” Dedicated to public safety and the safety of the community, the Museum installed hand sanitizing stations, enforced mask-wearing, and encouraged public distancing.

 

21. George Catlin Osceola Acquisition, 2021

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the Museum Collections team celebrated some landmark acquisitions during 2021. One of these included an original lithograph by George Catlin of Seminole leader Osceola shortly after his capture in 1838. Laura Dello Russo, Registrar, shared in a Spring 2022 AQ article that the “acquisition is crucial not only because of the artwork’s age and rarity, but also because of its historical significance. This is one of the last known portraits of Osceola.”

 

22. Seminole Judicial Tribal Court Acquisition, 2021

In the same year, shortly before the Catlin lithograph was acquired, the Museum received a very special interdepartmental donation from the Seminole Judicial Court. The donation consisted of “Associate Judge Tina Marie Osceola’s judicial robe, stole, and official portrait, along with the official portrait and name plaque of the late Chief Justice Willie Johns.” Laura Dello Russo emphasized that “These items, also now meticulously housed in the Museum’s vault and available to view in the online collection, preserve a more recent, though equally significant, history of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Their acquisition allows the Museum to preserve both the old and new, both the historic and the modern. Therefore, celebrating different eras of Seminole history and culture.”

 

23. Wilson Bowers Clan Mural Tallahassee, 2022

In 2022, Wilson Bowers and Samuel Tommie unveiled “The Mothers” – a 135-foot-long mural in downtown Tallahassee depicting the different Seminole clans. “That is a project we were very proud of because of our mission to promote Seminole artists and to facilitate Seminole voices and representation outside the walls of the Museum,” Curator Tara Backhouse emphasized.

 

24. Reaccreditation in 2023

Museums that are accredited with AAM go through the process of reaccreditation approximately every 10 years. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum was fully reaccredited in 2023. Tara Backhouse shared her experience through the entire process, and pinpointed the significance of the designation. “I want to say that it has been an absolute honor to serve the Seminole Tribe for 17 years and to journey with the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum through its original accreditation in 2009 and its re-accreditation in 2023,” she shared. “Tina [Osceola] has been with it the whole way as well, spearheading the original effort and providing invaluable support during the continued journey.  Director Wareham led the Re-Accreditation process and is truly a groundbreaking leader for the Museum, making the Museum an essential community resource and maintaining the high standards that make the Accreditation honor possible.”

 

25. Seminole Pride: The Art of Jimmy Osceola Exhibit, 2023

So many of the Museum exhibits are ones rooted in recognizing the wonderful contributions to Seminole art. Seminole Pride is one that will undoubtably have a long term impact. Comprised of 30+ original pieces by self-taught artist Jimmy Osceola, Seminole Pride is the largest installation to exhibit at the Museum to date. Osceola’s work had never been exhibited at the Museum before. The pieces were on loan from a number of personal collections. These included that of Marcella Billie, former Assistant Director of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, the office of Hollywood Councilman Chris Osceola, and also Carolyn Billie, Osceola’s widow. In a press release about the exhibition, the Museum underscored Osceola’s hopes for his work. They shared ‘“[Osceola] felt it was important to show the Seminole people surviving, developing their culture and loving each other. He hoped his art would help the younger generation to visualize how their people developed to what it is today and to remember the Seminole cultural history.” You can learn more about Osceola’s work and the exhibit in a previous blog post.

 

26. Seeing Red Exhibition Brings MMIP Awareness to Big Cypress, 2023

Bringing awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons is a very important and necessary social topic at the moment. Indigenous women and children are disproportionately affected by violence and assault. In 2023 the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum held their first MMIP exhibition. Seeing Red was developed to spark conversation and activism among Tribal members and the community. It also coincided with MMIP awareness day. This is a National Day of Awareness of the epidemic of underreported crimes against women, children, and LGBTQAI+ Indigenous persons. Conceptualized and co-curated by Lorelei Tommie, the exhibition featured community sourced artwork.

Originally, Tommie had intended to make one 3D art installation to represent the issue.  “Then I realized it needed to be more than one piece or one voice because it affects all of us,” she shared. “I did a social media blast and asked for people to submit artwork. The idea blossomed from there.” The emotional, heart wrenching opening of the exhibition included community discussion, resources, toolkits for individuals, and a candlelight vigil. “It was emotional to say the least,” Tommie said. “This is not a new issue, this is historical. We all grew up with these stories.” You can also learn more about the 2024 Seeing Red Exhibitions in a previous blog post.

 

27. University of Florida Oral History Donation

After a two-year negotiation process, the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum finally received an enormous oral history donation from the University of Florida in fall 2023. Tara Backhouse, Curator, shared that the donation was long-coming and a much-celebrated outcome. “This was a tremendous win for the Tribe,” Backhouse stated, “By reclaiming the largest collection of Seminole oral histories in Florida, the Museum was able to support Tribal sovereignty in an unprecedented way.”

With these 27 highlights, we only scratched the surface!  Honorable mentions go to hosting the Kissimmee Slough Shootout, the engaging “Seminole Moments” series that travelled to all the reservations, the “Osceola Remembered” exhibit from 2008, the Cowkeeper letter acquisition, and opening a satellite location at Okalee Village in Hollywood…  What do you think we missed?  Do you have a highlight from the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum to share?  What highlights do you think the future will hold?  Tell us in the comments below!

 

Author Bio

Originally from Washington state, Deanna Butler received her BA in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Washington in 2014. Deanna moved to Florida in 2016. Soon, she began working for the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office. Deanna was the THPO’s Archaeological Collections Assistant from 2017-2021. While at the THPO, Deanna worked to preserve, support, and process the Tribe’s archaeological collection. She also often wrote the popular Artifact of the Month series and worked on many community and educational outreach programs. She lives in Lakeland, FL with her husband, two sons, and dog.