The Seminole tribe was the only one of the Five Civilized Tribes to violently resist the government’s relocation efforts to force them from their homes. The five tribes being Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee and Seminole.
April 3, 1856. Newspaper ‘Florida Peninsula’ announced Captain Casey- agent for Indian affairs in Florida authorized payment of the following rates for capture of Seminoles.
Each warrior- $250-$500.
Each woman- $150-$200.
Each boy over age 10- $100-$200.
The first Indians encountered in Florida by the early Spanish explorers had the appearance of the Aztec of Yucatan. The DNA of living native Americans tested against extracted DNA from ancient burials resulted in the finding they are more closely related to South American Indians. Discounting the Asian crossing land bridge theory in relation to the ancestry of the southern United States Indian tribes.
The ancient Mississippian Indian culture from which all central and lower region tribes descend have called the Americas home for 10,000 years. The pre-Floridians natives were exterminated by the Creek Indians about the middle of the 18th century. The conquering Creek Indians from the Mississippi valley took the name of the Seminole.
In 1817, President James Monroe asked General Andrew Jackson to look into raids being reported in Georgia committed by Florida’s Seminole Indians. Spain still controlled Florida at this time. Jackson didn’t seek permission from Spain to invade their territory. Jackson was responsible for burning villages, crops and overthrowing the Spanish governor from Florida. Spain too weak to fight back- agreed to sell Florida in 1819, to the United States for five million dollars. Jackson was named governor of the Florida territory.
The Second Seminole War in 1835 had a young warrior named Osceola- bravely fighting the United States Army from the swamps of Florida. The Seminole were only protecting their rights to their homeland under which they had been allotted ownership under valid peace treaties signed with the United States. [The authentic Indian givers!]
Osceola and his braves were forced to raise the white flag of truce when their defeat seemed imminent. The US Army in clear violation of the rules of war- seized the leader, Osceola and held him prisoner until his death in 1838.
The Third and final clash was also known as the Billy Bowlegs War. The Seminole chief Bowlegs with their surrender in 1858 agreed to leave Florida. Organized bands of Seminole stayed behind in Big Cypress [near Miami] and have the distinction of never accepting defeat.
Florida has the second largest population of Native Americans in the eastern US according to the 1980 census. This number will probably increase as future census totals are released- due to people declaring their Indian heritage that was often hidden in the past. Many who took refuge in North Carolina mountains or the Florida Everglades to avoid the Trail of Tears exile out west claimed to be black, Black Dutch or white.
Seminoles are of the Muskogean language group. The word for swamp Indian is Muskagoo. Most books give the name- Seminole meaning as ‘runaway.’ Howard Osceola, a direct descendant from Chief Osceola said in the Miccosukee language ‘Seminolay’ means wild.
Jane Wood Reno, Attorney General Janet Reno’s mother and writer assisted the Seminoles in the 1950’s. She helped by writing up their request for 60,000 acres north of Tamiami Trail. The government almost granted their wishes under a stipulation of a 30-90 year time limit. Unable to accept less than ‘forever’ in legal rights to their own actual property the Seminoles refused the deal.
United States Department of Interior-in 1947, declared most of tribe’s ancestral land as part of Everglades National Park. Currently, there are 222 projects slated for the Everglades restoration effort. $7.1 billion has been spent on the overall restoration plan but officials claim funding still falls $1.2 billion short.
Most ‘Indian’ names that have came down to us from history are what the white settlers called the natives. The original names of the tribes who more than 20 million people in the United States can claim in their ancestry are lost to us. Many place names of states, rivers, trees and flowers remain today. Words the Indians used to describe their surroundings echo the voice of our true founding mothers and fathers.
Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time.- Red Wolf [Seminole]
