The ABC’s of Seminole History You Need to Know

School may be almost out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean that the learning has to stop! This week, we are exploring the first half our ABC’s of Seminole Culture and History. This kid-friendly, educational glimpse into Seminole culture is just the surface: in each section we encourage you to explore the linked resources for even more learning opportunities. Beyond our ABC primer, we also hope that you take the time to peruse the many online educational resources that are hosted through the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

Off-line, we encourage you to make exploring the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and public events from the Seminole Tribe of Florida part of your family’s summer plans.

Today our featured image shows a group of students in front of a car at the Brighton Indian Day School in 1942. Most likely, the vehicle pictured brought the children to school each day. Standing from left to right are Jack Micco, Harry Tommie, Storeman Osceola, Maude Johns, Lottie Johns, Lauderdale Johns, Mary Jumper, Louise Smith (seated on fender). Seated from left to right are Wonder Johns, Howard Micco, Joe Jumper, unidentified, Archie Johns, Cecil Johns, unidentified.

This image, along with thousands of others, is hosted through the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum Online Collection. It is a fantastic place to begin your summer learning journey!

 

A is for…. Abiaka

Abiaka, also known as Sam Jones or “The Devil,” was a powerful Miccosukee elder, healer, and spiritual leader. He played a huge role during the Seminole Wars and was one of the strongest voices standing up against the U.S. government’s efforts to remove Native people from their lands. Abiaka and other leaders used smart, guerrilla-style tactics to fight back and protect their people.

He once famously said, “In Florida I was born. In Florida I will die. In Florida my bones shall bleach.” His words show just how deeply he resisted removal and loved his homeland.

Thanks to Abiaka, the Seminole Tribe of Florida still exists today. In a 2014 article, former Chairman James Billie explained that eight clans followed Abiaka into Florida to escape the soldiers: Bird, Wind, Panther, Snake, Bear, Frog, Deer, and Otter. Sadly, not all clans made it—others like Raccoon, Sweet Potato, and Long Hair Clan were forced to move to Oklahoma and no longer exist in Florida.

 

B is for…. Betty Mae Jumper

Betty Mae Jumper was a storyteller, nurse, translator, and a strong leader of the Seminole Tribe. She was the daughter of Ada Tiger, a cattlewoman, and a white father. When Betty Mae was five, her mom moved their family to the Dania Reservation to keep her safe. Back then, kids with mixed backgrounds were not accepted.

When she was 14, Betty Mae begged to go to school and left Florida to get an education. She worked very hard and became one of the first Florida Seminoles to graduate from high school!

Betty Mae didn’t stop there. She came back and helped her tribe in big ways. She helped start the Tribe’s first newspaper in 1956. In 1967, she became the very first woman to lead the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Betty Mae spent her life working to make things better—she helped improve schools, healthcare, and the Tribe’s finances. She was a true hero for her people!

C is for…. Chickee

Chickees are special houses built by the Seminole people. They’re made with strong cypress wood frames and have roofs made from cabbage palm leaves. Raised platforms keep people off the ground, protecting them from animals and water. Only Seminole or Miccosukee people are allowed to build real chickees!

They’re not the same as tiki huts. Chickees are different because of how they’re made, the materials used, and the meaning they have in Seminole culture. These houses are perfect for Florida’s hot, rainy weather—and they were easy to build and take down quickly. That’s why chickees became the main type of home for the Seminole people during the Seminole Wars. Would you like to visit some this summer? Here are the Top 5 Off-Reservation Chickees around Florida!

 

D is for…. Dugout Canoes

Dugout canoes were once a vital part of Seminole and Seminole ancestor life, connecting the people by water throughout the entire state and beyond. Before the draining and dredging of the Everglades, Seminoles could pole their canoes through the famous River of Grass almost anywhere. They were important tools for survival, as Seminoles depended on hunting, fishing, and farming. Families would pole their canoes from camp to camp on the Water Highway, a series of ancestral trails that connected Seminoles by water.

Seminole canoes are still important cultural items, representing the Seminole connection to water and nature. Traditionally, they are made of cypress heartwood, which is resistant to rot and water. They could be up to 30 feet in length! Seminole canoes have an upswept stern, and a sharp pointed nose to cut through the sawgrass. They are propelled by a long pole, sometimes with a small paddle or “gig” on the end for hunting.

 

E is for…. Everglades

The Everglades is the ancestral home of the Seminole people. Since the beginning of time, Seminole ancestors have lived in and adapted to its unique ecosystem. It has nine distinct habitats that support a wide variety of plant and animal species. When westerners first came to Florida, they saw the Everglades as inhospitable and impossible to live in. But, Seminoles had lived here since the beginning of time. They navigated the Everglades by water, and hunted, fished, and farmed for survival.

During the Seminole War period, Seminoles retreated to the Everglades for safety. U.S. troops could not find them or survive in the Everglades. They did not understand the environment, and the Seminoles evaded capture through the protection of the Everglades. Today, the connection with nature and the environment is still an important part of Seminole life.

 

F is for…. Fry Bread

Frybread can be sweet or savory – and both are delicious! Frybread is a traditional Seminole food. A basic frybread recipe is made from oil, flour, and water. A sticky dough is made and then hand-formed into patties. The patties are then fried in hot oil, and the bread is eaten fresh. Some people add flavorings to their frybread like pumpkin, another traditional Seminole food. Frybread can be made in large batches. It is ideal for feeding a large number of family members and guests. Made in bulk, you could feed dozens of people from one batch of batter.

Different recipes for frybread are made throughout the United States in Indigenous communities. Today, you can often find frybread at public events from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, like the annual American Indigenous Arts Celebration (AIAC) from Seminole food vendors.

 

G is for…. Gator Wrestling

Seminoles have a long history with alligator wrestling, and at one point it even saved the tribe! Long ago, alligator wrestling was a practical part of life. Seminoles hunted alligators for food and their hides. Hides were often a big trade item, with Seminoles trading alligator hides and plumes at trading posts throughout South Florida. They were also important for ceremonial purposes, and the relationship between Seminoles and alligators was one of respect and survival.

During the 20^th century, the Everglades began to change. Western developers drained and dredged the Everglades, making the traditional Seminole way of life impossible. Many Seminoles turned to tourism to support themselves and their families. Alligator wrestling soon became an important Seminole tourist attraction, thrilling visitors with high-stakes danger. Alligator wrestling would fuel Seminole tourism for decades to come and would help Seminoles survive the changing world around them.

 

H is for…. Hammock

A hammock, tropical hardwood hammock, or tree island is a place of slightly higher elevation in the Everglades. The Everglades is very flat, and only a few inches of elevation change can make a big difference! These areas often have dense trees and stay dry in even the wettest parts of the rainy season.

Seminoles would clear land in hammocks for gardens and camps. Due to the dense trees, you would not be able to see the gardens from the outside of the hammock. Seminoles would also disguise their gardens to not look like gardens. This was incredibly important during the Seminole war period. Seminoles would use hammocks to hide their camps and gardens. They would place their living spaces and gardens in different hammocks, up to a mile away from each other. These hammocks helped Seminole people survive and protected their food during wartime.

 

I is for…. Indian Removal Act and the Indian Wars

In the 19^th century, the U.S. government tried to force Native American people to leave their homes in the Southeast. This was called Indian Removal. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed a law called the Indian Removal Act, which made it legal to remove Native people from their homes to “Indian Territory,” or Oklahoma.

This caused a lot of pain and led to many battles, known as the Indian Wars. The Seminole people didn’t want to leave Florida, their homeland. They fought back. The Long War, which lasted from 1812 to 1858 was a period of incredible pain and hardship, where Seminoles were under constant threat and attack.

Many Seminoles were killed or forced to move, but some stayed and survived by hiding in the Everglades and using smart fighting techniques called guerrilla warfare. Even though the U.S. Army was much bigger, they could never completely remove the Seminoles.

Because of their strength and bravery, the Seminole people still live in Florida today as the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

 

J is for…. James Billie

Former Chairman James Billie was incredibly influential in the trajectory of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, especially beginning in the 1970s. In 1979 Billie would take a huge risk for the Seminole Tribe, opening the first bingo hall in Hollywood, FL. This bingo hall met a lot of fierce resistance, but Seminoles argued that it was their sovereign right to operate the bingo halls on reservation land. Their legal win would set precedent for all of Indian Country and open up Indian gaming across the nation. It would also set the Seminole Tribe of Florida on a new path of economic independence.

James Billie was Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida from 1979 through 2001, and then again from 2011 through 2016. He is credited for helping shape the Seminole Tribe of Florida we know today, encouraging business ventures like smoke shops, bingo, casinos, hotel, and fiercely advocating for Seminole tourism. Billie is also dedicated to preserving traditional Seminole culture and language, and during his tenure focused on strengthening the education system, adding to Tribal land and resources, and modernizing the Tribe for the next generation.

K is for…. Kissimmee

The Kissimmee River is a river in central Florida that flows from south of Orlando, south through Lake Kissimmee and eventually into Lake Okeechobee. Before western intervention, the Kissimmee River was one of the major waterways that fed Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades sheet flow. Seminoles and Seminole ancestors would occupy the Kissimmee River Valley forever, and depend on the waterway for hunting, fishing, and transportation purposes. During the Indian Wars, Creeks would also come to settle the Kissimmee River Valley and eventually become part of the Seminoles. For a number of years, the Seminole Tribe of Florida would host the Kissimmee Slough Shootout, a reenactment and living history event meant to portray skirmishes between U.S. troops and Seminoles in the area.

 

L is for…. Language

Language is incredibly important to the Seminole people. Seminoles traditionally speak two languages: Mikasuki and Florida Creek. Seminoles have a long history of oral traditions, and their songs, stories, and music preserve the history and knowledge of the Tribe. Killing Native languages was also a tactic used by the U.S. government to “assimilate” Native children and eradicate Native culture. In the last few decades, many people have recognized the need to preserve and protect these languages. Elders who knew Florida Creek were dying, and the youth could not speak it. This connection to their ancestors was one that was being lost. Strong Seminole leaders like Lorene Bowers Gopher, Louise Jones Gopher, Jennie Shore, and others would fight to preserve the language. They would be instrumental in creating a Creek Immersion program and eventually the Pemayetv Emahakv charter school on the Brighton Reservation.

 

M is for…. Matriarchs

Seminoles are a matrilineal society, and as such women play a huge role in Seminole social structure. In camp life, the matriarch would be the head of the Seminole camp. Children were born into their mother’s camp and clan. When they married, men would leave their family camp and join another. There are an incredible number of important and honored Seminole matriarchs throughout Seminole history.

Seminole women have played an important role in Seminole government, politics, and economic independence for a long time. We encourage you to explore some of the incredible Seminole matriarchs that we have featured on the blog previously. One of these is Ada Tiger, mother of Betty Mae Jumper. A fierce and resilient cattlewoman, Ada Tiger would uproot her entire family and move to the Dania Reservation in the 1920s to protect her child. She would support her family through crafts and agricultural work.

 

Whew, that was a lot to go through! Join us next week for the second half of the alphabet, as we look at Seminole history and culture from N through Z.

 

Author Bio

Originally from Washington state, Deanna Butler received her BA in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Washington in 2014. Deanna moved to South 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 Fort Myers, FL with her husband, two sons, and dog.