The Seminole

The Seminole

"As the United States is a nation made up of people from many nations, so the

Seminole is a tribe made up of Indians from many tribes." (Garbarino 13) The

Seminole are the indigenous people living in southeastern America. They lived in what is now Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and

Mississippi. The Seminole had a Muskogean language of the Hokan-Siouan stock.

(Bookshelf) The Indian tribes found in the southeast were the Creek, Choctaw,

Chickasaw, Cherokee, Yuchi, Yamassee, Apalachicola, Timucua, and Calusa. The southeastern Indians were described by the Spanish as being tall with complexions ranging from olive, to brownish. The Indians in the mountainous regions were described as having lighter complexions, and those in the sunnier regions as brown. (Garbarino 13)

The Seminole were originally part of the Creek, but they began to migrate from

Southern Georgia to Northern Florida in the later half of the eighteenth century. The Seminole fled there because Spain owned Florida, and they hoped they would be free. They shared the land with another group of Indians, the

Apalachee and the Timucua, who spoke the Mikasuki Language. (Seminole Indians

290) By about the year 1775, they began to be known by the name Seminole, which is derived from the Creek word simanoli, meaning "separatist," or "runaway".

The name, Seminole, could also originate from the Spanish word cimarron, meaning

"wild." Also joining the migrants were Indian and Negro slaves, who fled from the power struggles between the Americans and the Indians. (Seminole 626)

The Indians who moved to Florida all had similar ways of life. After their migration, they kept many of the qualities of their original culture. Their natural environment affected every aspect of their culture and life. The environment determined what food they ate, what clothing they could wear, the houses that they could build, and how to live in them. The environment even influenced the language and rituals. Due to this involvement with Nature, they revered all of Nature. (Garbarino 13)

The landscape in which the Seminole lived was composed of fertile valleys, thick woods, and low mountains. The largest and most powerful tribes took the desirable locations, the fertile valleys. The small tribes settled in the woods and mountains...

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... west of the Mississippi. Only a few remained in the

Everglades, and those that remained, moved deeper into the Everglades. After that, they were left alone. (Garbarino 54-55)

Today, many Seminole live on small farms in Oklahoma. They were among the Five

Civilized Tribes that include the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, and Choctaw. The

Seminole that remained in Florida make a living by hunting, fishing, farming, raising cattle, or working in tourism. (Seminole Indians 291)

"For more than 200 years the Seminole have survived as a tribe by adapting to change without giving up their traditional ways entirely. The preservation of their customs has helped the Seminole maintain a strong sense of identity as a distinct and proud people."" (Garbarino 102)

Works Cited

Garbarino, Merwyn S. The Seminole. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1989.

Lepthien, Emilie U. The Seminole. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1985.

"Seminole." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1993 ed.

"Seminole." Microsoft Bookshelf. CD-ROM. 1994 ed.

"Seminole Indians." The World Book Encyclopedia. 1992 ed.

"Seminole Wars." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1993 ed.