Spotlight on the Immokalee Reservation

Ready to brush up on your reservation knowledge? Over the next month, we will be spotlighting several of the Seminole Indian Reservations around Florida. This week, follow along to learn more about the Immokalee Reservation. Located in Collier County, this reservation has technically only been a reservation since 1989. In fact, the reservation’s 35-year anniversary is October 26, 2024! But, the Seminole history in the area goes back much further than 35 years. Below, join us to learn how the Immokalee Reservation came to be, some of the history that has defined it, and the people who built it.

In our featured image this week, you can see a black and white photographic negative taken by Florence Randle (2014.20.260, ATTK Museum). The date and time are unknown. In it, a group of Seminole children sit outdoors. Beginning with the second person from the left, the girls are identified from left to right as Mary Sancler (Motlow) or Louise Motlow, Alice Jimmie, Mary Osceola and Nancy Motlow; the baby and girl on the far left are unidentified. All pictured are dressed in traditional patchwork clothing.
Nancy Motlow (far right) was identified her son by Gary on 9/9/14. Gary stated the photo was taken in Immokalee and pictures his aunts, as well as Tribal member Tony Sanchez’s mother.

 

A Long History

Seminole history in Immokalee didn’t start with the reservation. The Calusa, a Seminole ancestor tribe, long sought out the dry, high ground around Immokalee. Although known to predominantly stay on the coastal areas, the Calusa found refuge in this inland high ground when necessary. Post-contact, the Calusa cultural network fragmented, with the majority dying of disease or violence, or being absorbed into other tribal entities.

By the 19^th century, Seminoles also found Immokalee an ideal location to live during the wet season. According to an Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum academic paper, they called it Gopher Ridge, for the abundance of gopher tortoises that would burrow into the loose sand. Non-Seminoles built their first permanent buildings in 1872. W.H. “Bill” Brown, a trader, would build a homestead near these Seminole camps. He would later also build the famous trading post Brown’s Landing on the-now Big Cypress Reservation in 1901.

Brown would also operate a small grocery store in Immokalee, and he and his family would spend part of the year in Big Cypress and part in Immokalee depending on the season. He would move his family back to Immokalee full-time in 1908. Rose Brown, a daughter, named Immokalee after the Mikasuki word “I-mok-a-li,” meaning “my home”.

By this time, Immokalee began to blossom as an agricultural hub as Everglades drainage projects encouraged more pastureland. Trappers, missionaries, farmers, Seminole cowkeepers, and traders were all drawn to Immokalee during the beginning of the 20^th century. In 1914, rancher Robert Roberts would settle in Immokalee with 300 head of cattle and his wife and seven children, including W. Dius Roberts. The ranch would develop into the sprawling Red Cattle Company, the longest continuously operated ranch in Florida. Now, the remainder of the property operates as the Immokalee Pioneer Museum.

 

Building a Community

The Roberts family would end up being an influential one for the Seminoles of Immokalee. They allowed Seminoles to build a camp on the ranch property, free of charge. The camp would remain for over fifty years. Nancy Motlow and her sisters lived in the camp with around 45 other people from eight or so families, most from the Panther Clan. Her parents moved from Hollywood to Immokalee in the 1950s seeking work.

In a Seminole Tribune article about Immokalee’s roots, Motlow recalls realizing how differently Seminoles lived when she attended elementary school. “They had running water; we had a community pump,” she said. “We slept in chickees under mosquito nets. Now I think, ‘How did I live without air conditioning,’ but we survived. When that’s all you know, you think it’s good.”

Former Big Cypress Board Representative Joe Frank also grew up in the camp. Frank is the first Tribal member from Immokalee to graduate from college. He earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1982. He recalls that: “The ladies who were there when I was growing up made it imperative that all the kids finish high school. Education and a strong work ethic were stressed. There was no golden parachute; if you lived there you had to work.”

By the late 1960s, the Seminoles were forced to move camp from the Roberts Ranch. Jimmy Cypress, along with justice of the peace O.W. Hancock, petitioned Collier County for land. Collier County deeded the Tribe just under 5 acres on Stockade Road, where a new camp was built. For about twenty years, the camp consisted only of chickees. “We grew up in chickees with no running water or electricity,” Deloris Jimmie Alvarez said. “I enjoyed it, but it was the only life I knew.”

 

Immokalee Becomes a Reservation

Immokalee officially became a Seminole Indian Reservation on October 26, 1989, when William D. Ott, Eastern Area director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, signed 595 acres into trust for the Seminole Tribe. But, even that official reservation designation was a long time coming. Painstakingly over decades, a driven group of women including Nancy Motlow, Louise Motlow, and Elaine Aguilar worked to place the land into trust with the BIA. Including the Stockade Road camp, four parcels were assembled piece by piece in 1970, 1986, 1989 and 1992.

In a 1989 interview with the Seminole Tribune, then-Chairman James E. Billie shared their desire to secure the Tribe’s future. He stated that, “Once the Tribe started making money from bingo, we were spending money on a lot of other things but I wanted something that would be here for a long time. Once we achieved the money, we purchased the land. Then it became a matter of time to put the land in trust.” Nancy Motlow travelled to Washington D.C. to petition the BIA for housing and resources, bringing pictures of her own chickee camp.

Even the land purchases themselves were strategic. “When [the Tribe] purchased land it was put in my married name, McInturff, which kept it from being identified as Seminole,” Nancy Motlow said. “They wanted to keep officials and other people from buying the property.”

Their hard work paid off. The Seminole Tribe of Florida purchased the land and secured it for future generations. Below, you can see Donna Frank’s Stockade Road chickee, featured in the 2015 Seminole Tribune article referenced above. It is the only chickee still standing from the 1980s. Behind it, you can see modern Immokalee townhouses.

Always Growing

But, the expansion and work isn’t complete for the Immokalee Reservation! Since the establishment of the Immokalee Reservation, Nancy Motlow and Elaine Aguilar also dreamed of bringing a medical clinic to Immokalee. Prior to this, residents had to travel to one of the larger communities to seek healthcare. Over the years, their dream was partially realized. By the early 2000s, the medical clinic operated out of temporary trailers, and not fully staffed.

This all changed in 2022 with the groundbreaking of a brand new medical and public safety campus on 9.7 acres on Seminole Crossing Trail. Below, you can see a snapshot taken at the groundbreaking. From left are Derek Koger, Dr. Vandhana Kiswani-Barley, Brighton Councilman Larry Howard, Hollywood Councilman Chris Osceola, Chairman Marcellus W. Osceola Jr., Nancy Motlow, then-President Mitchell Cypress, then-Immokalee Council liaison Ray Garza, Immokalee Board liaison Ralph Sanchez and Big Cypress Councilwoman Mariann Billie.

“Today is a great day for Immokalee,” Ralph Sanchez said at the groundbreaking. “We used to load up my Aunt Nancy’s station wagon and go to Big Cypress to see a doctor. Nancy [Motlow], Elaine [Aguilar] and Ethel [Frank] all had a vision for this community. Immokalee, we are moving on up.”

The new building represents a huge step forward for Immokalee. “This had to happen because the community deserved something better,” Chairman Osceola said. “We don’t want to leave anyone behind; all tribal members are equal, we are all family. It’s because of our ancestors that we are able to do this. I hope the ones who come after us will keep building for our community and our families continue to grow.”

 

Seminole Scenes in Immokalee

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee

Today, one of the Immokalee Reservation’s biggest draws is the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee. Opened in 1994, the casino now boasts 19 suites and 80 deluxe rooms. The adjoining hotel opened for overnight visitors on March 12, 2015. In a Seminole Tribune article about the hotel opening, then-President Tony Sanchez Jr. shared that “This was a dream we all discussed. To see this dream come to fruition, I can’t say anything but ‘wow.’ This property is like a diamond; we needed to shine it to bring out its luster and brilliance.” Below, you can see an image taken at the ribbon cutting for the hotel opening in 2015.

Today, the Immokalee Seminole Casino Hotel can compete with even the big-name casinos. Visitors can partake in a number of table games and roulette along with wide-area progressive slot machines, high-stakes Blackjack and Mini-Baccarat, and high stakes slots. The now-175,600 square foot complex also includes an indoor entertainment venue, restaurants, pool, and high-stakes lounges. It is the largest employer in Immokalee, supporting approximately 900 employees. Looking to book an upcoming visit? The Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee is hosting Wheel of Fortune LIVE! on stage at 8:00 pm on November 17, 2024.

 

Immokalee Trading Post

Need some refreshments for your visit? You’re in luck! The Seminole Tribe of Florida recently opened a brand-new trading post in Immokalee on October 28, 2022. Located between the entrance to the reservation and the casino on Immokalee Road, the slick new building features historic photographs depicting daily tribal life at the entrance, courtesy of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. The images, part of the Boehmer Collection, span from the 1930s and 1940s on the Brighton Reservation.

In addition to six dual-sided pumps, the 7,200 square foot convenience store sells almost any snack and beverage imaginable. From a quick snack to a full meal, it really can satisfy. “It’s awesome,” said Tribal member Mary Lou Alvarado, of Immokalee in a Seminole Tribune article about the opening of the Trading Post.  “We don’t have to go to town anymore. It’s a great asset to the community and to the tribe.”

 

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.