THE SEMINOLES—FLORIDA’S ORIGINAL TOURISM ENTREPRENEURS, PART 8
Hello! Welcome to our final installment of our 8 part series highlighting Seminole Tourism, past and present. Over the past 7 parts, we have been showcasing how tourism has been a key part of the Seminole entrepreneurial spirit for over a century using articles from The Seminole Tribune. Our final article focuses on one family’s traditional sweetgrass basket making, and was published in 2013.
1491’s Headline 2019 American Indian Arts Celebration
South Florida residents looking to experience Seminole culture should visit the iconic Florida Everglades and the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. Owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, this museum is located on the Big Cypress Reservation near Clewiston. In fact, the museum is gearing up for its biggest event of the year - the American Indian Arts Celebration (AIAC) on November 1st and 2nd! The Native American sketch comedy troupe known as the 1491s will be headlining the event and making their first AIAC appearance. This is one event that should be on your “fun list” for a day (or two) of non-stop action, Native arts and entertainment. A Native American Celebration for Everyone The American Indian Arts Celebration is huge and allows for learning outside of museum doors. It celebrates Native arts and culture in an engaging and intimate way. Open to all ages, it’s a wonderful family event as children
Seminole Tribe: Prosperity Out of the Florida Everglades
There is a wild, thriving ecosystem quietly booming in southern Florida today. It is the Florida Everglades, and it is abundant, peaceful and all natural. A beautiful variety of plant, animal, and insect species thrive off of the land and each other, working in perfect harmony to sustain life. Also inhabiting the land are the hard-working, resilient people, known as the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Out of the Florida Everglades they have built an entire community, filled with unique arts, foods, businesses, and a culture entirely their own. Their success today is an accumulation of hardship, survival and strength on their eventual road to prosperity. Adversity Could Not Stop the Seminoles Long before the Seminole Tribe of Florida began to flourish, they would first overcome an incredible amount of adversity. Once peacefully subsisting, the Seminoles saw significant population decline when the English invaded in the 17th and 18th centuries, bringing with them