Spotlight on the Fort Pierce Seminole Reservation
We made it! Welcome to the final installment of our Reservation Spotlight series. Over the last month we have taken a closer look at the Seminole reservations of Immokalee, Brighton, Big Cypress, Hollywood, and Tampa. This week, we make our final stop at the small, tight knit family community of the Fort Pierce Seminole Reservation.
As we finish up our series on these different, unique reservation communities it is important to remember that the reservations do not encompass all Seminole ancestral land. They do not even cover all the places that Seminoles live today. These reservations represent the areas that Seminoles have been able to reclaim, carved back from centuries of violence, war, and oppression. All of Florida is Seminole.
In our featured image, you can see a shot from the groundbreaking of the Fort Pierce Seminole Reservation on May 16, 1996. Four sisters, whose mother was the late Sally Tommie Chupco, are in the front row. From left to right are the late Minnie Tommie Howard with husband Jessie Howard; the late Marie Tommie Gilliam; the late Hope Tommie Wilcox and husband, the late Damon Wilcox (Hope Tommie Wilcox was the original founder of the Fort Pierce Reservation); and Bessie Tommie. Others in the photo are the late Margaret Wilcox and kids. (2015.6.12710, ATTK Museum. Image identification by the Seminole Tribune)
The Fort Pierce Seminoles
Seminoles in Fort Pierce are rooted in history before, during, and beyond the Seminole War period. Seminoles and Seminole ancestors have been in Fort Pierce area, since “before the city or county were even named.” The U.S. Army constructed Fort Pierce, the military installation, during the Seminole War period to place pressure on Seminoles and push them westward.
But, the Fort Pierce Seminole Reservation as it is known today began in 1995. The Seminole Tribe of Florida and United States placed 50 acres of St. Lucie County into trust. The intention was to provide homes for Seminoles who had historic ties to the land. Those who live on Fort Pierce are primarily the descendants of the late Sally Tommie Chupco (Bird Clan). Sally herself was the daughter of Chipco, a leader of the Cow Creek Seminoles during the Second Seminole War period. The Tommie family itself is one of the oldest families in St. Lucie County.
A Family Camp
Tommie had an established camp in Fort Pierce where she raised her family. A Miami Herald article from 1959 describes the camp, stating that “Old Sally Tommie, 71, is the matriarch and the big boss. She is ably assisted by her four daughters; Rosalie (sic), Hope, Minnie, and Emma Marie.” (8 July 1959, The Miami Herald)
Sally Tommie and family moved to the camp in the early 1950s, relocating from the Old Cow Creek Ranch. Unfortunately, new owners razed Sally Tommie’s camp, where she raised her family, to the ground in 1984 after living there for over 30 years. Although they had an agreement with the landowner to live there indefinitely, the land was sold, and the agreement was not honored. In a 1984 article about the destruction, Hope Tommie Wilcox is quoted as saying “I don’t believe it’s right. We’ve been there as long as I don’t know when.” (15 June 1984, St. Lucie News Tribune)
Hope Tommie Wilcox would later become known as the founder of the Fort Pierce Reservation.
The Fort Pierce Community Grows
But, like all big changes, sometimes they move slowly. The Seminole Tribe built homes on the reservation in the early 2000s. Soon, people moved to the Fort Pierce Reservation to be within the community. Below, you can see a shot of the Fort Pierce community at the groundbreaking of the proposed site for the Fort Pierce Community Hope Center in 2013, named after the late Hope Tommie Wilcox.
In 2008 Sally Tommie, then Fort Pierce Liaison, insisted their greatest need was a community center. The community held events in tents or rented rooms. Finally, in 2010, they would break ground…the first time. Unfortunately, it would take three more years, and another groundbreaking, for the project to begin anew. In a 2013 article about the project, Sally Tommie shared that “Hope is at the heart of the center. The building is hope for all to come together as a family and arrive together at success. The building does not belong to Fort Pierce. It belongs to every Seminole on all reservations.”
Via the Seminole Tribune
Adding on
Just last year, the Fort Pierce Community was able to open a new playground adjacent to the center. In a Seminole Tribune article about the playground Crystal Sneed, then Fort Pierce Liaison to Hollywood Councilman Chris Osceola, shared that “This will be unlike any other playground around. It will exemplify Native American features at its finest – with tribal entry signage shaped as an arrow with the name ‘Bird Clan’s Landing.’” She went on to say, “This project meant a lot to me, as it is for the community, which is my family, and TCD understood that.”
Hope Wilcox Tommie was Sneed’s grandmother. Developments like the playground, and the community center before it, represent a lot to this community. “I serve my community with the utmost pride, humility and integrity – always remembering that my blessings came from my grandmother,” Sneed said. “She was well-known for her small and intricate patchwork, her Indian dolls and her pride in being a true Seminole. Many of our members have passed on, so we are committed to carrying that torch, ensuring that the Fort Pierce Reservation retains its history.”
The Legacy at Fort Pierce.
When diving into the history and people who built the Fort Pierce Reservation, it is strikingly apparent that one theme that everyone talks about is a community built on family and love. Every article, and every person, sees each gathering and moment as a way to honor their family, honor Seminole culture, and build something with each other. In a Seminole Tribune article about the Fort Pierce 4th of July Celebration in 2012, Shamy Tommie plainly stated: “All you really need is your relatives and friends and that is what makes your time anyway. All you need is family and love.”
Seminole Scenes in Fort Pierce
Billy Bowlegs III in Fort Pierce, early 20th century. (Florida Memory Project)
A Seminole Indian Village on the now-Fort Pierce reservation. There is a food vendor under the sign Gator Hut selling alligator and frog legs. (2015.6.26702, ATTK Museum)
Celeste Stockton competes in the log peeling contest during Fort Pierce’s Indian Day celebration Sept. 28, 2018 at Chupco’s Landing. (Photo Kevin Johnson via the Seminole Tribune.)
Bobbie Tommie hula hoops with Minnie Tommie and son Sammy Key (left) and Emma Marie Tommie (right) look from behind. This image appeared in the July 8, 1959 edition of the Miami Herald, Indian River edition.
Mary Tommie places 1st at Brighton Field Day in 2012. She learned patchwork and beadwork from her mother and grandmother. After her mother passed away, Mary diligently began to work on her craft. ““I want to keep the tradition alive,” Tommie said. “There’s nobody else here in Fort Pierce that’s doing it, so I said, ‘Let me take it on from here.’” Via the Seminole Tribune.
Marie Tommie and sister Minnie Tommie. Via the Seminole Tribune, courtesy of granddaughter Tomasina Chupco Gilliam.
The Gilliam family during the Fort Pierce Reservation groundbreaking. James Billie (seated on the ground in front) is related to the Gilliam’s by clan. Via the Seminole Tribune, courtesy of Tomasina Chupco Gilliam.
First “Fun Day” at Chupco Youth Ranch in 2012. Via the Seminole Tribune.
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.
