The Seminoles of Florida call themselves the
"Unconquered People."
The Seminoles are the only American Indian tribe never to sign a formal peace treaty with
the United States.
Today, they have sovereignty over their tribal lands, and an economy based on tobacco,
tourism and gambling. "Seminoles" is also the nickname of the athletic teams of
Florida State University. In response to the NCAA's proclamation that Native American
names and logos will not be permitted by its member institutions unless the namesake tribe
concurs, both the 3,100-member Seminole Tribe of Florida and the 6,000-member Seminole
Nation of Oklahoma have officially approved the relationship and the details of the images
used.
The Seminole nation today
In the United States 2000 Census, 12,431 people reported themselves racially solely as
Native Americans with only a Seminole tribal affiliation. An additional 15,000 people
identified themselves as Seminoles in combination with some other tribal affiliation or
race.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida entered into
agreements with the US government in 1957 and 1962, respectively, confirming their
sovereignty over tribal lands and agreeing to compensation for seized territory. Since
then, the tribes have developed an economy based largely on sales of duty-free tobacco,
tourism and gambling. On December 7, 2006, they purchased the Hard Rock Cafe chain of
restaurants. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida was formed in the 1960s by members
of the Florida Seminole community who were unsatisfied with the Seminole Tribe of Florida;
they were largely Mikasuki-speaking descendants of the Chiaha, or Upper Chehaw, who had
originally lived in the Tennessee Valley as opposed to the majority of Seminoles who spoke
Creek. The Miccosukee Tribe set up a 33-acre reservation on the northern border of
Everglades National Park, about 45 miles west of Miami.
"When South Florida tourism boomed in the 1920's, Seminoles capitalized by wrestling
alligators for money. In 1979, the Seminoles opened the first casino on Indian land,
ushering in what has become a multibillion-dollar industry operated by numerous tribes
nationwide." [4] In more recent years, the Miccosukee Tribe has sustained itself by
owning and operating a casino, resort, a golf club, several museum attractions, and the
"Indian Village". At the "Indian Village", Seminoles demonstrate
traditional pre-Columbian lifestyles to educate people of their culture. The use of
"Seminole" as a namesake is common in Florida, with one county named after them,
Seminole County, Florida, and another named after Seminole leader Osceola, Osceola County,
Florida. There is also a city named for them in Pinellas County, FL - Seminole, Florida.
Florida State University
connection
The image and name of the Seminole chief, Osceola, serves as a symbol for Florida State
University and several high school athletic programs in the state, use the nickname,
"Seminoles" as well.
According to The New York Times article "Florida State Can Keep Its Seminoles",
the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) prohibition of Native American logos,
signs in stadiums, cheerleader and band uniforms, and mascots as presumed "hostile
and abusive" did not apply to FSU and the Seminoles, and would be considered on a
case by case basis elsewhere. FSU was exempt as both the 3,100-member Seminole Tribe of
Florida and the 6,000-member Seminole Nation of Oklahoma officially approved the
relationship and the details of the images used. The article states: "The Seminoles
are the only American Indian tribe never to sign a formal peace treaty with the United
States. To celebrate this status, Florida State erected Unconquered, a statue of the Chief
Osceola mascot, outside its football stadium."
Seminole
Florida Tribe |
