84-657: The Seminole Tribe of Florida is a federally recognized Seminole tribe based in the U.S. state of Florida. Together with the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida , it is one of three federally recognized Seminole entities. It received that status in 1957. Today, it has six Indian reservations in Florida. The Florida Seminole, along with the Miccosukee, speak
168-424: A "born woodsman and accomplished naturalist". The FFWC functioned on a shoe-string budget. They had no funds for ongoing park expenses, much less park development. Mrs. Jennings wrote to hundreds of individuals, organizations and publications to solicit contributions. Some park land was leased to area farmers. Small donations arrived, but the park was constantly in need of funds. The Miami–Dade County Commission made
252-574: A White father. She heard that other people of mixed heritage had been killed. Her great-uncle moved her family to the Dania reservation for safety. Similarly, former chairman Jim Billie , who also had a White father, recounted that, as an infant, he was threatened in 1944 by tribal men because he was of mixed ancestry; his mother and Betty Mae Tiger, then a young woman, saved his life. The tribe has since become more open to intermarriage. It also permits non-tribal spouses (including White or Black) to live on
336-543: A constitution and corporate charter, modeled on the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The vote was opened in 1957 to the 448 reservation Seminole and any Trail Indians who wanted to participate; the Seminole approved the constitution and corporate charter on August 21, 1957. The Seminole Tribe of Florida received federal recognition later that year. This process had heightened the differences among
420-484: A decade before reaching their final agreement in 1990 as to distribution of trust funds. He initiated negotiations with the state of Florida over water rights at the Seminole reservations, winning legal standing and protecting their resources. Jim Billie , who was re-elected in 2011 with 58.4% of the council vote, after previously serving from 1979 to 2001, led the tribe through a dramatic expansion of operations, with development of new programs and facilities as it invested
504-480: A garage. The workers also received a natural history lecture from Ernest Coe , an advocate of Everglades conservation. The Florida Federation of Women's Clubs administered the park's operation for more than 30 years until President Harry Truman dedicated the Everglades National Park on December 6, 1947, after which the state park ceased to exist. At the ceremony, Mrs. Jennings presented
588-492: A local missionary. They promoted men who knew English and were good at White-Native cooperation, as opposed to allowing the tribe to select those most skilled in animal husbandry. Montsdeoca was extremely influential in making decisions regarding the cattle program and, next to the Indian Affairs official at the reservation, was the most important local White man for the Seminole. Given their success at Brighton, in 1941,
672-534: A one-time appropriation of $ 1200. Charles Mosier was hired as caretaker and his family arrived in March 1916. John Umphrey began construction of the lodge; park improvements including trails and picnic tables were added. In the 1917 and 1919 legislative sessions, funding requests were submitted and denied. The 3-story Royal Palm Lodge was completed in 1919 as housing for the caretaker, visitors and scientists. The state donated an additional 2,080 acres (840 ha) to
756-466: A striking contrast to the keys along the coast of Florida as well as to other Everglade keys in which normal biological conditions have been greatly disturbed by destructive fires, clearing of forests or the construction of drainage canals, which not only affect the original conditions, but at the same time permit aquatic animals and plants previously unknown to penetrate into the Everglades. The region
840-452: Is also remarkable for the fact that it is a meeting place for many temperate and tropical types of plants and animals. On this account and from the fact that it offers a virgin field for collectors in most branches of natural history, it seems of the highest interest and importance that a careful study of its biological features should be made. In his report, Safford thanked Royal Palm State Park warden Charles A. Mosier, whom he described as
924-535: Is located southwest of Homestead, Florida . It is a hammock in the Everglades surrounded by a slough that was first noted by a federal surveyor in 1847. The island included the largest stand of royal palms ( Roystonea regia ) in the state, as well as orchids, ferns and other rare tropical plants. Royal Palm State Park was created to protect Paradise Key. Beginning in the mid-1880s, development in Florida grew as Henry Flagler 's Florida East Coast Railway
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#17327756995111008-684: Is used by the BIA to publish the list of "Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs". Tribes in the contiguous 48 states and those in Alaska are listed separately. Royal Palm State Park Royal Palm State Park was Florida's first state park . It was located in Miami-Dade County, Florida , and has become part of the Everglades National Park . Paradise Key
1092-649: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States. Of these, 228 are located in Alaska and 109 are located in California. 346 of the 574 federally recognized tribes are located in the contiguous United States. Federally recognized tribes are those Native American tribes recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs as holding a government-to-government relationship with
1176-441: The Everglades , where they avoided settlers and thrived in pseudo-isolation. They fostered a culture of staunch independence. The modern Florida Seminole, about 17,233 at the 2010 census, Miccosukee and Traditionals descend from these survivors. The Florida Seminole re-established limited relations with the United States and Florida governments in the late 19th century, and by the early 20th century were concentrated in five camps in
1260-741: The Everglades National Park in 1947, was set aside as a conservation area. Construction of the Tamiami Trail across the center of the Everglades , the Civilian Conservation Corps projects from 1933 to 1934, and the eventual opening of the National Park, all served to displace many Seminole families who had lived throughout the area. In the 1930s, the US government established a reservation at Brighton and tried to recruit Seminole to resettle there. The government fenced in
1344-596: The Mikasuki language , also spelled Miccosukee. The language has been referred to as a descendant of Hitchiti , a dialect of Hitchiti, and another term for Hitchiti. Additionally, some Florida Seminole communities speak a dialect of the Mvskoke language called Florida Seminole Creek . In 1975, the Tribe established tax-free smoke shops and a high-stakes bingo operation that became one of the first tribal gaming endeavors in
1428-631: The Secretary of Agriculture , dispatched Safford to conduct a survey of the southern Everglades. According to Safford, the specimens he gathered "resulted in collections in nearly all branches of Natural History, the material of which has been studied and classified by specialists and deposited in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution , the United States Natural Museum , the Bureau of Entomology and
1512-1162: The Seminole Tribune , as it continues today. Betty Mae Tiger Jumper became the editor-in-chief. As the tribal storyteller, she contributed oral history and articles about Seminole culture. In 1989, the monthly Seminole Tribune became the first Native American newspaper to win a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize . A member of the Native American Journalists Association , it earned five awards from that organization in 1997. The Seminole tribal libraries include Billy Osceola Memorial Library in Brighton, Willie Frank Memorial Library in Big Cypress, Dorothy Scott Osceola Memorial Library in Hollywood, and Diane Yzaguirre Memorial Library in Immokalee. The libraries are public, and emphasize material related to
1596-653: The U.S. Congress the right to interact with tribes. More specifically, the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Sandoval warned, "it is not... that Congress may bring a community or body of people within range of this power by arbitrarily calling them an Indian tribe, but only that in respect of distinctly Indian communities the questions whether, to what extent, and for what time they shall be recognized and dealt with as dependent tribes" (at 46). Federal tribal recognition grants to tribes
1680-458: The 1930s, beginning with Brighton Reservation. At first, few Seminoles had any interest in relocating to reservations, preferring their traditional lifestyle to a more sedentary reservation life. Following the efforts of Creek Christian missionaries, more Seminole moved to reservations in the 1940s to form their own churches. Other factors in the move include Florida's drainage of the wetlands and shift toward wide-scale agriculture. This contributed to
1764-403: The 1950s, the BIA in 1978 published final rules with procedures that groups had to meet to secure federal tribal acknowledgment. There are seven criteria. Four have proven troublesome for most groups to prove: long-standing historical community, outside identification as Indians, political authority, and descent from a historical tribe. Tribes seeking recognition must submit detailed petitions to
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#17327756995111848-457: The 574th tribe to gain federal recognition on December 20, 2019. The website USA.gov , the federal government's official web portal, also maintains an updated list of tribal governments . Ancillary information present in former versions of this list but no longer contained in the current listing has been included here in italic print. The Federal Register
1932-561: The BIA's Office of Federal Acknowledgment. To be formally recognized as an Indian tribe, the US Congress can legislate recognition or a tribe can meet the seven criteria outlined by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. These seven criteria are summarized as: The federal acknowledgment process can take years, even decades; delays of 12 to 14 years have occurred. The Shinnecock Indian Nation formally petitioned for recognition in 1978 and
2016-495: The Biological Survey." Safford, a noted botanist, gave this description of Paradise Key in 1919: Paradise Key, an island in the heart of the Everglades of Florida, is almost unique from a biological point of view, presenting as it does a remarkable example of a subtropical jungle within the limits of the United States in which primeval conditions of animal and plant life have remained unchanged by man, and thus offering
2100-543: The Everglades. The portion who spoke more Muskogee consolidated in the northern part of the Everglades near the Cow Creek Camp, becoming known as the Cow Creek Seminole. The Miccosukee, who spoke the Mikasuki language , were located to the south, in an area cut through by completion of the Tamiami Trail in 1928. The Cow Creek Seminole eventually received 5,000 acres (20 km) of reservation land in
2184-769: The Florida Seminole Creek dialect of the Mvskoke language . Use of both Muskogean languages has declined among younger people. The Seminole continue to observe traditional practices such as the Green Corn Dance . They have two ceremonial grounds within the boundaries of the Big Cypress National Preserve . In addition, they have created some new celebrations: the Big Shootout at Big Cypress, celebrated since 1997. A few years ago, they added an historical re-enactment to
2268-612: The Florida Seminole were presented with the terms of settlement; it was translated into both the Mikasuki language and Muscogee language . Only seven tribemembers opposed accepting the agreement. In March 1976, the unorganized Traditionals in Florida filed an injunction to stop the award. On March 11, 1977 the Traditionals' complaint was dismissed. On April 20, 1977 the Macomb claim was disallowed, but an additional $ 50,000
2352-551: The Hard Rock Cafe brand in their hotels and casinos. They now have a total of six casinos. In 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a deal with the tribe to operate online sports betting . However, on November 23, 2021, D.C. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich held that the compact violated Federal Law, specifically the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). At the heart of the matter
2436-662: The Hollywood Reservation was temporarily relocated to other facilities during construction. Both this and the Billy Osceola Memorial Library were built in the late 1990s. After construction, the new building located at the Hollywood Reservation contained all Education programs. The addition at the Brighton Reservation doubled the size of the old library. All services were available at both sites during construction. In 2021,
2520-567: The Seminole Agency in Florida asked tribal leaders to elect representatives from the reservations to have people at hearings: Dania (now Hollywood) was represented by Sam Tommie and Laura Mae Osceola; Brighton by Billy Osceola and Toby Johns; Big Cypress by Josie Billie and Jimmie Cypress; and the Trail people by Henry Cypress and Curtis Osceola, as the founding representatives. Mvskoke and Mikasuki language interpreters were appointed. Although
2604-506: The Seminole Tribe and Florida. The libraries feature more than 23,000 titles, periodicals, videos, CD ROMS, photo archives, and tapes. It also includes four decades of news articles related to the Seminole Tribe including an archive of the Seminole Tribune . The Tribal Memorabilia Collection at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Indian Museum is a continually growing collection of many kinds of objects that represent activities and events of
Seminole Tribe of Florida - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-497: The Seminole Tribe employed a total of 12,000 people at its headquarters and six casino operations. In the early part of the 20th century, the Seminole were still mostly full-bloods and had prohibitions against members marrying outside the tribe. In a 1999 interview, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper , chairwoman of the tribe from 1967 to 1971, said that in the late 1920s, Seminole medicine men had threatened to kill her and her brother, then young children, because they were of mixed heritage with
2772-479: The Seminole Tribe of Florida for more than 20 years. The libraries are visited yearly by more than 20,000 people and feature summer programs. Tribal and nontribal individuals use the library as a research center. The idea of a tribal library originated in the 1940s at the Brighton Day School by William Boehmer and his wife with a book collection at the school. This system was improved on in 1985 with
2856-803: The Seminole acquired 150 head of cattle from Florida for the Big Cypress Reservation. By 1944, the Big Cypress Seminole wanted their own trustees and drafted an agreement with the government. Approved by the BIA commissioner on August 8, 1945, this agreement called for the establishment of the Brighton Agricultural and Livestock Enterprise and the Big Cypress Agricultural and Livestock Enterprise, each with their own three trustee cattle managers. The tribal trustees would be appointed, with each of
2940-472: The Seminole. The women had developed organizations to aid the Seminole; for instance, they helped support children to go to boarding schools, lobbied to get Seminole admitted to local public schools, which were racially segregated and classified the Seminole as among "colored" to attend with African Americans; and loaned money to men trying to buy homes. The Seminole consulted with other tribes and experts to help them develop their government structure. They wrote
3024-745: The South's Low Country and some free blacks from the Spanish period of rule. These people became known as Black Seminoles , establishing towns near Native American settlements. During the Seminole Wars against the United States in the 19th century, however, particularly after the second war, most Seminole and Black Seminole were forced by the US to relocate west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory . A smaller group – possibly fewer than 500 – refused to leave Florida and moved deep into
3108-713: The Traditionals or Trail people wanted to continue with their Tribal Council, the Seminole continued to develop an alternative form of government. They went to Washington to testify to Congress, and solicited help from the women's groups who had formed to help the Seminole, such as The Friends of the Seminoles Florida Foundation, Inc., the Seminole Indian Association, Indian Welfare, and the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs. After that their officers also testified for
3192-477: The Tribe are bilingual, speaking the Mikasuki language (also spoken by the Miccosukee Tribe) and English. The language has been referred to as a descendant of Hitchiti , a dialect of Hitchiti, and another term for Hitchiti. In the 1970s, all members of the Big Cypress Reservation and most Florida Seminole spoke Mikasuki. Some Florida Seminole communities, notably those on the Brighton Reservation, speak
3276-655: The US federal government . For Alaska Native tribes, see list of Alaska Native tribal entities . In the United States , the Native American tribe is a fundamental unit of sovereign tribal government. As the Department of the Interior explains, "federally recognized tribes are recognized as possessing certain inherent rights of self-government (i.e., tribal sovereignty)...." The constitution grants to
3360-557: The United States. These ventures, particularly the gaming operation, have generated significant revenues for education, welfare and economic development. A 2005 tribal audit said it took in $ 1.1 billion in revenues that year. The Seminole Tribe is also known widely for owning the Hard Rock Cafe as well as nearly all Hard Rock-branded properties including casinos, hotels, and resorts since 2006. The tribe requires members to have at least one-quarter Seminole blood quantum . As of 2016,
3444-581: The West in the 1930s, the Seminole Tribe has developed the 12th-largest cattle operation in the country. It is located primarily on the Big Cypress and Brighton reservations. In a related development, since 2008 the Seminole Tribe has marketed its beef under the brand, Seminole Beef. They are featuring it in their Hard Rock Cafe and hotels, and intend to market it to other Native American tribes, military installations, restaurants, and grocery stores throughout
Seminole Tribe of Florida - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-638: The addition of six tribes in Virginia under the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017, signed in January 2018 after the annual list had been published. In July 2018 the United States' Federal Register issued an official list of 573 tribes that are Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs . The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana became
3612-529: The annual Big Shootout, in which re-enactors take the part of Seminole, Black Seminole and US forces. In 1956, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper (later to be elected as chairwoman of the tribe) and Alice Osceola established the first tribal newspaper, the Seminole News , which sold for 10 cents a copy. It was dropped after a while, but in 1972 the Alligator Times was established. In 1982, it was renamed
3696-529: The case in 1968, but were not allowed. Finally on May 13, 1970, the Claims Commission awarded $ 12,262,780, which was promptly appealed by both the Oklahoma and Florida Seminoles. In 1975, in a compromise settlement to prevent further delays, the two groups agreed to $ 16,000,000 as a final settlement, but were required to have general meetings with their tribes to confirm the amount. In January 1976,
3780-514: The case; resignation of the female replacement for Waybright, Effie Knowles, who felt the tribe would be happier with male representation; the hiring of Roy Struble of Miami and Charles Bragman of Washington, DC; and the death of attorney John Jackson all contributed to the claim dragging into the 1960s. Then in 1962, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida organized their tribe and gained federal recognition. They sought to intervene in
3864-481: The cattle trustee groups and the BIA agent appointing a tribal trustee. The three appointees on each reservation would also serve as tribal representatives. In essence, this requirement ensured that those adept at navigating between the Native American and non-Native worlds would gain the positions. According to Covington, men who were adept at developing consensus decisions and had converted to Christianity were most likely to be selected. Although such tribal organization
3948-481: The country. Tourism, both as related to the casinos and in terms of attracting people to the reservations for hunting, fishing, and guided tours, is also a part of their economy. According to a tribal audit, in 2005 the tribe took in $ 1.1 billion in revenue. They pay a dividend to tribal members on a monthly basis from a portion of the income to the tribe. In February 2012, the Tampa Bay Times reported that
4032-498: The depletion of game and other resources by the state's expanding population, reducing the tribal people's ability to live in traditional ways. From 1920 to 1940, many changes took place in Seminole land and environment. Settlers and developers wanting to convert wetlands to farms and residential communities had built drainage projects, which altered the wetlands ecosystem and damaged many species that it supported. As early as 1916, Royal Palm State Park , which would be incorporated into
4116-502: The estimated wealth of the tribe is near $ 12 billion USD. The Seminole emerged in a process of ethnogenesis from various Native American groups who settled in Florida in the 18th century, primarily Muscogee from what is now northern Florida, Georgia and Alabama. They distanced themselves increasingly from other Muscogee groups, and expanded and prospered owing to their thriving trade network during Florida's British and second Spanish periods (c. 1767–1821). These settlers joined with
4200-420: The federal Indian termination policy to reduce costs and the determination that some tribes no longer needed any special relationship with the federal government. But termination would result in their eviction from the three existing reservations. Few of the Seminole at the time had gained formal education or graduated from high school, and they worried about being able to organize as a tribe in order to deal with
4284-476: The government. The federal government persisted in classifying all the 918 Native Americans in the Florida agency area as Seminole, although the 305 Miccosukee and Traditionals closer to the Tamiami Trail did not identify with the reservation Seminole. They had asserted their independence from the reservation group since the 1920s. The Seminole appealed to have federal supervision continued so they could better prepare to manage their affairs. The superintendent of
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#17327756995114368-434: The groups. The Trail peoples, who were Mikasuki-language speakers, formed their own government, receiving state recognition in 1957 and federal recognition as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida in 1962. Some Traditionals refused to affiliate with either tribe, as they wanted to avoid relations with the federal government. The Miccosukee had reservation land taken into trust for them by the federal government. In addition,
4452-576: The help of Director of Education Winnifred Tiger and her assistant Patricia Jagiel. A professional librarian by the name of Norman H. Tribbet was hired along with additional staff. The Libraries' collections were updated along with their furnishings. Recently, the library has made efforts to modernize by updating and automating its systems. Their card catalogues have been automated and an Electric Library has been established where patrons can view thousands of books, magazines, and radio and television transcripts. The Dorothy Scott Osceola Memorial Library located at
4536-621: The introduction of cattle to Brighton, the Seminoles were introduced to democratic ideas and tribal organization. The trust agreement established by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs , on September 12, 1939, required that the tribe elect three trustees to transact the business of the cattle program. The first "election" was largely guided by the Florida Agricultural Extension Agent, Fred Montsdeoca , and
4620-470: The law when it initially approved the compact - also filed its appeal in late January 2022. Online sports wagering resumed on November 7, 2023 for previous users of the Hard Rock Bet app. Other significant parts of their economy are based on production of the citrus groves and cattle farming on the Brighton and Big Cypress reservations, and forestry. Beginning with a small group of cattle brought from
4704-694: The libraries received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in collaboration with the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Indian Museum to decolonize historic narratives and make a historic newspaper collection more accessible to the museum's community. Florida State University in Tallahassee uses the Seminole name and imagery for its athletics programs, the Florida State Seminoles . The name
4788-487: The most contact among them in a century. During this period, the money was put in trust and earning interest. In 1990, the groups finally agreed to the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma receiving three-quarters of the settlement, based on early population records from 1906 to 1914, when members had blood quantum; and the Florida Seminole in total to receive one-quarter, based on reconstructed early 20th-century censuses. At
4872-405: The park by 1921 for a total of 4,000 acres (1,600 ha). At the park, numerous visiting scientists were studying the area and publishing papers which encouraged more visitors. Mrs. Jennings' husband died in early 1920, and she grieved at her home for almost a year, nearly giving up on the park. For the 1921 legislative session, she again requested funding. Finally, a $ 2,500 recurring appropriation
4956-506: The park had previously lacked; up to 200 workers could contribute to park maintenance, public relations (e.g. as tour guides) and construction. ECW personnel helped to replant an area that had been burned in a 1927 wildfire. Trail improvements and the laying of a telephone line into the park were important accomplishments of the ECW camp. Additional structures built included a deer yard, a concrete pond and various park support buildings, such as
5040-482: The reservation and introduced cattle, which had been part of Seminole culture for three centuries. The first government shipment of cattle arrived from Arizona in 1934 and, by the late 1930s, the cattle business was a way of life for many Seminole. In 1936, the US government supplied cattle to the Florida Seminoles with an understanding that the tribes would repay for the livestock in the coming years. With
5124-423: The reservations, unlike in earlier times. It requires tribal members to have a documented blood quantum of at least one-quarter Seminole ancestry. As of 2000 there were around 2,000 enrolled citizen in the tribe, with over 1,300 living on the reservations. The Tribe includes some Black Seminoles , including 50 living on Fort Pierce Reservation. The Seminole Tribe currently has six reservations : Additionally,
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#17327756995115208-639: The revenues generated from gaming and related entertainment. Learning from operations on the Colville reservation in Washington state, Chairman Tommie directed the establishment of a tax-free cigarette shop on the Hollywood Reservation , where the tribe started to generate more substantial income. Next, they pursued a high-stakes bingo operation on their reservation, which also started to generate substantial revenues. Jim Billie furthered
5292-405: The right to certain benefits, and is largely administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). While trying to determine which groups were eligible for federal recognition in the 1970s, government officials became aware of the need for consistent procedures. To illustrate, several federally unrecognized tribes encountered obstacles in bringing land claims ; United States v. Washington (1974)
5376-402: The same land takings under Moultrie and Payne's Landing as the Florida Seminoles. Because of the overlapping of claims, the commission split the Florida claim into two cases, one sharing the Oklahoma claims in the treaties and the other, dealing with Florida's sole claim to land taken for the Everglades National Park. Government delays; tribal reorganization, which caused Waybright to resign from
5460-418: The state of Florida to reinstate the 2010 compact previously agreed to by Seminole tribe. The tribe subsequently appealed the court's ruling on November 24, 2021. On December 3, 2021, the District of Columbia appellate court denied the appeal because they failed to demonstrate any irreparable harm resulting from the loss of its state-wide sports betting operation. The Department of Justice - which failed to follow
5544-527: The states in which they are located, under compacts regulated by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. The Seminole tribe has six reservations. They have developed more extensive hotels and related resorts for gaming on some of their reservations. In 2007, the Tribe bought the Hard Rock Cafe franchise for $ 965 million, including 124 Hard Rock Cafes, four Hard Rock Hotels, two Hard Rock Hotels and Casino-Hotels, two Hard Rock Live concert venues, and stakes in three unbranded hotels. Since then, they established
5628-431: The survivors of Florida's original Native American communities ( Tequesta , etc.) in the interior of south Florida. While some scholars have thought that the Calusa were also integrated into the Seminole tribes, there is no documentation to support that theory. During this period, the largely autonomous Native American villages developed alliances with African-American maroons , mostly self-emancipated former slaves from
5712-422: The time of the settlement, the two Florida tribes and Traditionals had a higher percentage of full-bloods due to their endogamous marriage practices. They also had blood quantum requirements for tribal membership. By 1990, the total value of the trust had reached $ 46 million. In 1953, the Seminole were informed they were on the congressional list for termination of their tribal status and federal benefits, under
5796-436: The time, vandals and road workers were plundering palms and other rare plants. Jennings' father, Austin Mann , served in the Florida legislature and her husband, William Sherman Jennings , was Florida Governor from 1901 to 1905. Her political connections and those of her fellow Women's Club members secured a grant from the legislature of 960 acres (390 ha) to the FFWC but without initial or continuing financial support. It
5880-399: The tribe has purchased a 796-acre (322 ha) tract of land at the edge of the Green Swamp north of Lakeland, Florida , known as the Lakeland Trust Lands, which it intends to turn into a 151-home tribal residential development with facilities for residents' social, cultural, and educational needs. Bidding to construct the first phase of the development ended in October 2018. Most members of
5964-420: The tribe's 1979 high-stakes bingo plan. Surviving multiple court challenges, the first major Indian gaming establishment in the United States was opened in 1981 by the Seminole. Subsequent changes in federal and state laws have paved the way for dozens of other tribes to increase their revenues through development of gambling casinos, resorts, and related hotels and retail outlets. All generate revenue as well for
6048-551: The two tribes made a long-term lease arrangement in 1983 with the state of Florida for access and use of nearly 200,000 acres of wetlands . This access greatly expanded their ability to maintain traditional fishing and hunting practices. The Seminole Tribe of Florida is led by an elected tribal council with representatives from each of its reservations. It elects a chairman and vice-chairman as leaders. The tribal headquarters are located in Hollywood, Florida . In 1975 Howard Tommie
6132-406: Was a Seminole plan to offer sports betting state-wide using servers housed on tribal lands. The compact violated IGRA because any state-sanctioned gambling must occur on tribal lands, unless state law allows online wagering from any location in the state. Since Florida law does not permit such activity, the agreement between Governor DeSantis and the tribe was declared void. The judge further ordered
6216-585: Was a court case that affirmed the fishing treaty rights of Washington tribes; and other tribes demanded that the U.S. government recognize aboriginal titles . All the above culminated in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 , which legitimized tribal entities by partially restoring Native American self-determination . Following the decisions made by the Indian Claims Commission in
6300-513: Was adopted in 1947 after a fan vote; reportedly the new college football team preferred it so much that they stuffed the ballot box in its favor. Since 1978, a student portraying Osceola has been the official symbol at football games. List of federally recognized tribes This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States . There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes . As of January 8, 2024 , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by
6384-618: Was approved. Following the 1926 Miami hurricane and Everglades fires, $ 10,000 was provided for restoration. During the Great Depression , a camp for Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) operated in the park from a nearby base in Homestead, Florida , where the camp was located from October 1933 to June 1934. The ECW, later known as the Civilian Conservation Corps, contributed a massive labor force that
6468-417: Was awarded for land in the Everglades. With those final decisions the awards were completed, but it took another fourteen years before the funds were distributed. The Claims Commission gave no direction as to how the judgment was to be split between the tribes of Oklahoma and Florida Seminoles, the Miccosukee and Traditionals. The groups had to negotiate as to how the settlement would be apportioned, leading to
6552-474: Was extended from Jacksonville to St. Augustine then to Palm Beach and Miami . The efforts to drain the Everglades lacked an understanding of the geography and ecology of the Everglades . Scientists requested that Paradise Key be protected from development, but they were mostly ignored until May Mann Jennings and the Florida Federation of Women's Clubs (FFWC) took up the cause. At
6636-587: Was filed August 14, 1950, and represented land taken under the Treaty of Moultrie Creek in 1823, land taken under the Treaty of Payne's Landing in 1832, land taken in the Macomb Treaty of 1839, and land taken in 1944 for the Everglades National Park —– in all totaling nearly $ 48,000,000. In July 1951 the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma had also filed a petition before the Indian Claims Commission for claims involving their removal to Oklahoma and substantially
6720-399: Was re-elected as chairman to a second term by a wide margin. He led the Tribe through 1979 in a number of important initiatives that created a new direction for the people, with the assertion of sovereignty, significant revenue generation, and accelerated economic development. He urged acceptance of the US land claims settlement in 1976; the Florida and Oklahoma Seminole negotiated for more than
6804-673: Was recognized 32 years later in 2010. At a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, witnesses testified that the process was "broken, long, expensive, burdensome, intrusive, unfair, arbitrary and capricious, less than transparent, unpredictable, and subject to undue political influence and manipulation." The number of tribes increased to 567 in May 2016 with the inclusion of the Pamunkey tribe in Virginia who received their federal recognition in July 2015. The number of tribes increased to 573 with
6888-478: Was relatively weak, the tribe used it as a basis for their team to file a land claim with the Indian Claims Commission , seeking compensation for lands taken by the federal government. In October 1948, the two livestock associations met with the Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent to discuss pursuing a land claim against the U.S. Government through the newly formed Indian Claims Commission . They contacted Jacksonville attorney Roger J. Waybright, who initially
6972-627: Was reluctant to take the case because the tribe had limited funding and the government dictated the amounts the attorneys could charge. Waybright was soon persuaded of the merits of the case and agreed to represent the tribe, signing a contract with his partner John O. Jackson on October 15, 1949. The 12 representatives who made the claim were the six trustees for the livestock associations and the 6 tribal representatives: Josie Billie , Jimmy Cypress, John Cypress, Junior Cypress, John Henry Gopher, Little Charlie Micco, Bill Osceola , Frank Shore, Jack Smith, Morgan Smith, Ben Tommie, and Sammy Tommie. The claim
7056-653: Was the first conservation action approved by the state. Henry Flagler's widow, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham , matched the state grant for a total of 1,920 acres (780 ha) when the park was dedicated on November 23, 1916. The Ingraham highway , a new road from Florida City to Paradise Key was dedicated at the same time. William Edwin Safford was a biologist with the United States Department of Agriculture in September 1917. David F. Houston ,
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