Spotlight on Five Exceptional Seminole Women Shaping the Future
This marks the last week of March, and thus the last week of our Seminole Women’s History Month Series. Throughout the month, we’ve celebrated inspiring Seminole women who have shaped and continue to strengthen the legacy of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. There are so many more, and we encourage you to seek out and support Seminole and Indigenous female changemakers.
Today as this series comes to a close, Florida Seminole Tourism would like to highlight five Seminole women to watch build the future. They are actively working, making waves and strengthening the legacy of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Keep an eye on the work of these incredible women, as they build a better future for not only the Seminole Tribe of Florida, but for us all!
In our featured image, you can see Valholly Frank (center) participating in an environmental strike rally Oct. 19, 2019, in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Cheyenne Kippenberger
Cheyenne Kippenberger made news on the world stage for being the first Seminole to win Miss Indian World. In 2022 at the Gathering of Nations, and her last appearance as Miss Indian World, she shared these words with the next contestants:
“I appreciate all of you who came to share this with me. Being here is such a full-circle moment. Pageantry is about empowering yourself and taking the things that you learn and the experiences you get to have and sharing that with younger people. I just appreciate the opportunity to be here and to be part of what Gathering of Nations is and uplift the next contestants that are here competing. Walk proudly. You are strong, you are powerful and you are capable.” Kippenberger is the only winner ever to serve two terms, as the Covid-19 pandemic caused the pageant to pause.
Cheyenne, who also served as Miss Florida Seminole 2018-2019, has continued to work as an activist, advocate, and motivational speaker. Kippenberger raises awareness and transparency around a number of issues. These include reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, cultural preservation, educational reform, and climate action. She received the 2022 Outstanding Young Floridian award from JIC Florida, actively serves on multiple Native pageant program committees across Indian Country, and leads her own company CK Consulting. Kippenberger has also been named an emerging leader in South Florida. She aspires to break into policy and become the first Florida Seminole in state office.
In 2022, Kippenberger participated in the Aspen Climate Conference in Miami Beach. She shared her deep concerns for the Everglades environment. “We’ve seen the Everglades be neglected and poisoned and it’s polluted. I’ve seen development take over the place I called home and more than anything it’s changed every relationship that we have with the land,” said Kippenberger. “The entire state of the environment is on the line so this is not just an indigenous or native people issue. This is a humanity issue where everyone needs to come together and be part of the solutions.”
Just earlier this month, she reemphasized these concerns on Boise State Public Radio News. “We’re ground zero for climate change in Florida,” Kippenberger said. “…Our homelands are taking on the burden after man’s actions…. It’s really scary. Our home is at risk and our ways of life are at risk.”
Tina Marie Osceola
Known as a champion for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Tina Marie Osceola is no stranger to working for the people however she is needed. Osceola earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Rollins College and a Master’s in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University.
She previously served as Director of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and as an associate Tribal Judge in the Tribe’s first Tribal Court. A proud mother and grandmother, she has spent her life in Naples with her family. Also an accomplished artist, Osceola creates intricate beadwork and coin necklaces. Her work has been showcased at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and even Disney World. In 2022, Osceola was honored at the 22nd Annual Women Empowering Women for Indigenous Nations (WEWIN).
The last few years, Osceola worked diligently with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) as THPO Director and is now the Executive Director of Operations for the EOO of the Tribe.
In a Seminole Tribune article about her role at the THPO, Osceola shared that “The pandemic motivated me to reassess my purpose. I did a lot of thinking about the type of work I do, and I’ve always wanted to make a difference.” Since taking over the role, Osceola prioritized a number of issues that she sees as crucial to the future of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. In particular, two of these are issues surrounding climate change and the impact on ancestral lands and enshrining and protecting tribal sovereignty.
She and Domonique deBeaubien, who also works with the THPO, have been the headliners of the #NoMoreStolenAncestors campaign. The campaign works to bring awareness to the issue of stolen native remains held by museum and cultural institutions. In 2023, Osceola wrote for “Life in Naples” magazine. She shared her experience visiting one of these institutions, and the call she is answering to bring those ancestors home.
“I recently visited the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in NYC with Domonique and the Repatriation team. Marcella Billie, a tribal member, is currently training with Domo and Samantha Wade, Senior bio-archaeologist, to repatriate our ancestors and the items looted over the centuries and placed in institutions like AMNH. We stood in a room lined with shelves holding what others call human remains with crania and postcrania stored separately. It wasn’t lost on us that this is where our ancestors are being kept. If we don’t work to bring them home, who will?”
Just last December 2024, the THPO published a story map outlining the journey to raise awareness and repatriate these ancestors back to their homes.
Christine McCall
Hollywood Board Representative Christine McCall was one of four women who made Seminole Tribe of Florida history in 2021. Never before had the Tribe had so many women elected into leadership positions at one time. McCall, along with Nadine Bowers, Mariann Billie, and Helene Buster, was sworn into her position on June 7, 2021.
McCall was reelected in 2023, and at her reelection she celebrated so many Tribal members taking part in the elections. “Today is a great day for STOFI and its shareholders. With over 30 tribal members seeking elected positions, our people not only showed up to represent, but they showed up to have their voice heard. I am proud to stand before you all, not only as a board member of our company, but as a tribal member fulfilling her mission to come back and work for her people,” McCall shared.
This past January, McCall attended a screening for the short film “We Ride for Her” following the Medicine Wheel Riders. They are a group of Indigenous women who ride motorcycles across multiple states to advocate and gather resources for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIRW).
McCall also spoke at the screening. She shared that she attended in order to show support and advocate for Indigenous people and the Hollywood community. “We’re not talking enough about how to educate our young people about healthy relationships,” Rep. McCall said “As a young woman, I’m a mother, I’m always trying to educate my daughter about – not ‘bad people’ – but people that give you those uncomfortable feelings and not pushing them down.”
McCall also said she feels it is important to show the next generation what to look for.
“It’s always been an important thing for me, as a community member of the tribe of this community that’s right in the city, to bring awareness to things,” McCall said. “And just make sure that I’m always trying to learn more, where that not only the women in our tribe, but the men in our tribe can understand that if they have young children in their families, sisters, mothers, or even our own men, get exploited at times. It’s just something that’s very important that we need to be teaching with one another, not just Seminoles, not just Natives, but everyone needs to learn about the warning signs.”
Mariann Billie
Along with Christine McCall, Mariann Billie also made history in 2021. She was one of four women elected to leadership positions. She was subsequently reelected as Big Cypress Councilwoman in 2023. At her reelection, she thanked the Tribal community. She said “I want to thank the tribal members who voted in the election. Whether you were a first-time voter or you’ve been voting for a lifetime for the betterment of our tribe, I want to say thank you. Over the last few years I’ve witnessed a more active civil engagement of our people. We are more informed, we are more vocal, from the youngest to the eldest.”
Billie has spent her time as Big Cypress Councilwoman working hard for the people of her reservation and Tribe. She has been instrumental in developing the Big Cypress Indigenous Arts and Music Celebration, which just celebrated its third year. Just last winter, Billie also celebrated the opening of a new residential neighborhood on the Big Cypress Reservation.
A two phase project, the first phase consisted of 57 single family 3-4 bedroom homes. Councilwoman Billie shared that the project addresses several housing issues on reservation. It means we’re improving, we’re expanding, the population is getting bigger,” Councilwoman Billie said. “It means a lot to people who live off-rez and want to come home.”
Valholly Frank
Another young Seminole woman dedicated to raising awareness and transparency around climate issues is Valholly Frank. When she was just 15 years old, Frank was one of eight teenagers who sued the State of Florida. They alleged that the State, Governor Ron Desantis, and other state officials violated their fundamental rights to a stable environmental system. Their lawsuit further asserted that these officials also made significant “contributions to climate change and [the] creation and operation of a fossil fuel-based energy system have caused widespread harm to the Plaintiffs and the natural resources in Florida.” Filed in 2018, the lawsuit was dismissed in 2020.
But, the lawsuit, at even such a young age, lit a fire in Frank. Daughter of former Big Cypress Board Representative Joe Frank and Rhonda Roff, Frank said being part of the lawsuit helped her to speak out for her beliefs. “I wouldn’t say it’s given me a voice; rather it’s given me a microphone. It’s given me great opportunities to speak out and it was the main reason I started speaking,” she said, adding “I try my best to make people realize that their voice does matter and they need to speak out when and if they can.”
Three years later, Frank would again take up the fight against climate change. On April 21, 2022, Valholly Frank would stand beside former commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Nikki Fried as she proposed renewable energy goals for the state of Florida. Fried was in part motivated to push for the changes by a youth-led petition that Frank was part of, and filed on behalf of young Floridians earlier in 2022 by the nonprofit public interest law firm Our Children’s Trust.
“My culture, my tribe, my people depend on it,” Frank said at the news conference in 2022, pictured above. “Our culture depends on this land and our community depends on being together. If we’re displaced, we’d lose our togetherness, we’d lose our culture, our spirituality – we’d lose each other – and my tribe can’t afford to go through that.” She would continue by saying that “Nothing good can come of the climate crises and nothing good is coming of it. The only thing that we can do right now is fight. Remember where your home is and remember how important it is to be on this land and cherish it. I hope you all find it as important as I do.”
Interested in more Women’s History Month features? You can learn about Lorene Bowers Gopher, Laura Mae Osceola, Susie Billie, Jennie Shore, Martha Tommie, and more Trailblazing Seminole Women in some previous blog posts.
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 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.
