In the beginning, there was the Void. All was empty and lifeless. It was then when the Breathmaker, creator of the Universe and the Grandfather of all living things decided to create the earth and everything that’s in it. And when he was finished, he gathered all animals around him in his divine abode, the Milky Way, and declared that the Panther is his most favored creation. The Panther shall have strength, patience and was granted wisdom that surpassed all creatures of the earth. After this, the Breathmaker placed all of the animals, big and small, inside a massive shell and told them that the shell would crack when the time is right and they shall roam free all over the world. He then placed the shell on a mountain so huge it was said to be the backbone of the world.
Alongside the shell was a great tree and as time passed the tree grew much larger that its roots sunk into the shell causing it to crack open. The panther, being the favored one, went out of the shell first, and then came the Bird and then the rest of the animals. The Panther claimed the dominion of healing spells and medicine while the Bird, with the aid of the Wind, took flight and was made ruler of the earth as it is the Bird that can see everything. When all the animals took their respective places on the earth it was then when the Breathmaker took up clay and fashioned it to become the first humans. And so the story of the world began.
Such stories and many other fabulous tales were common around the campfires of the Seminole tribe of Florida. This proud and noble tribe takes pride in their culture and is one of the original settlers of the lands of Florida. But their grandiose stories do not end in their folktales and myths. The Seminole tribe has a rich history of real life struggle and heroism that are sure to be at par with the tales of ancient legends. Their history goes back for at least 12,000 years. They are cultural descendants of the Native Americans who were living in the southern part of the United States. And by the early 1500’s Spanish records indicated that there were about 200,000 of them in what is today southeastern Florida. Although at this time they were not yet collectively known as “Seminole” but were living as separate groups. However, small pox, measles and other diseases brought by European contact diminished their number by the thousands.
Fast forward about 300 years later, after centuries of struggle, Florida was ceded to the United States government by Spain because, at this time, Spain was on the decline from being a world superpower and was having a hard time keeping their conquered territories. This posed another challenge for the tribes as they had to deal with new challenges – and this spawned many heroes like Osceola and Abiaka.
Florida became a sort of refugee camp for many people displaced by numerous wars and over time, they referred to themselves as yat’siminoli or “free peoples”. This was due to the fact that for centuries they had resisted the attempts of the Europeans to conquer them or convert them to Christianity. Soon enough they were known to the white Americans as the Seminole.
After securing 80,000 acres of land in 1938 and ratifying a constitution based on the Indian Recognition Act of 1934, the Seminole today stand one as a proud people with a wealthy heritage.
To learn more visit the Miccosukee Reservation which is located 40 miles (64 km) west of Miami, on the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Route 41, or Southwest 8th Street), at the point where the Tamiami Canal turns to the northwest, in western Miami-Dade County.
