December 19 - Seminole Tribe of Florida

6A • The Seminole Tribune • December 19, 2012Red Barn celebrationplanned for Jan. 26Andrea HolataTeam Tampa celebrates after winning Break the Ice. The youth raced against other reservations tosee who could unroll an iced shirt and put it on first.Brighton Reservation hosts thirdPolice Explorers Field DayBY ANDREA HOLATAStaff ReporterBRIGHTON — To keep youthengaged in positive activities, the SeminolePolice Department held the third PoliceExplorers Field Day from Nov. 17-18 at theFred Smith Rodeo Arena in Brighton.About 60 youth ranging from ages 6-16from Immokalee, Big Cypress, Hollywood,Naples, Tampa and Brighton met for a dayof fun-filled activities.“This event represents the PoliceExplorers and the camaraderie between theTribal members and different reservations,”Police Chief William Latchford said. “Itpromotes teamwork, discipline, and it givestime for the kids across all the reservationsto fellowship with each other and interactwith the police officers.”He said the friendly competitionamong peers will also allow the winningreservation to have bragging rights.After youth set up their camping tents,they were divided into teams by reservationand then competed against each other inteam-building activities, including Face theCookie, Break the Ice, Potato Picker andShirt Off My Back.They worked together to devisestrategies to help their teams finish firstplace, an honor Tampa won. Immokalee andHollywood tied for second, while Naplestook third, Brighton fourth and Big Cypressfifth.“Basically, [the Police Explorers]teaches life lessons; it adds on to what isalready being done in the homes from theparent’s standpoint,” Chief Latchford said.“It gives [youth] an extra added tool fortheir life and whatever direction they go.”Brighton SPD Officer Colleen Hardinorganized the event and said the PoliceExplorers program offers many lessons.Andrea HolataJohn Jimmie, from Immokalee, races to be thefirst to put his potato in the bucket.“It helps to build leadership withthe youth and community involvementbecause they don’t always get to see orspend time with one another on perspectivereservations,” Officer Hardin said. “These[youth] are going to be the future leaders.”Hardin said Field Day takes placequarterly and will be held on eachreservation.And even with 101 Tribal youth in thePolice Explorers program, Chief Latchfordencourages more to join.“There are a lot of kids out there thatwe would love to have in the program,” hesaid. “We would love to bring them intothe Police Explorers program and opentheir minds and their hearts to not just lawenforcement but to a world of service.”For more information about the PoliceExplorers program, call 954-967-8900.BY PETER B. GALLAGHERSpecial Projects ReporterBRIGHTON — Proud andprecarious, like a lone weathered cowboystanding still in a gusty green field, thehistoric Red Barn withstands the ghostlyfade of time.Windswept, battered, craggy andgnarled, the cypress-planked barn wasonce bright red and full of community.Built in 1941 by the Indian Divisionof the Civilian Conservation Corps, theRed Barn was the hallowed centerpieceof the Brighton Reservation, where the13 stables held the top cowboys’ horses,thick nails hung heavy leather saddles,hay was stored in the loft above, and thefirst flames of Tribal government werefanned at meetings and get-togethersamong the poor Seminole Indians.The beloved Red Barn, 16 yearsolder than the organized Tribe itself, wasthe Seminoles’ first town hall.Seminole Indians have workedcattle since the fleeing conquistadors lefttheir horses and cows. But the SeminoleWars and the depression that was Floridaafter the Civil War scattered the Indiansand depleted their first industry. Tojump-start it again, the Bureau of IndianAffairs sent a herd of Apache cows andBrahma bulls to the Seminoles in 1936.Five years later, the Red Barn was built,along with a water tower and troughswhere cattle were treated for ticks anddisease. Today, the Seminole Tribe ofFlorida maintains one of the largest calfproducingoperations in the country.The old Red Barn hasn’t beenregularly used since the 1960s.The main part of the reservationhas moved 3 miles east, and HurricaneWilma took its original wood shingleroof in 1985. Worried the sacred barnmight fall, the Tribe held it togetherwith a shiny steel roof in 2005. Still, theelements of rot and disrepair robbed thegrand icon of its splendor. It was home totermites and an owl that swooped fromthe loft to scare intruders. The doorsfell off, the wooden walls pocked anddeveloped holes, and the unforgivingheat of the cruel Okeechobee sun tookits toll. It was used as a haunted houseduring Halloween, and believing the barnharbors ghosts of old cowboys, childrenstay away to this day.On Jan. 26, the Seminole Tribe isinviting Tribal members and the publicto the Brighton Reservation to take partin a ceremony celebrating the plannedrejuvenation of the Red Barn, includingthe unveiling of a roadside historicalmarker, a National Register of HistoricPlaces plaque and conceptual sketchesof several restored Red Barn scenarioscreated by Hard Rock Internationaldesigner Rob Schaeffer. It may anchora park, serve as a museum or even berestored as a working barn for 4-Hstudents.So far, only necessary structuralrepairs are planned for implementation.“We want to hear from thecommunity. We want to know what thepeople envision for the future of thisprecious historical structure,” said Tribalarchitectural historian Carrie Dilley, whowrote the successful National Registerapplication.Scheduled is a midday programof music and history, beginning witha 10 a.m. cattle drive by the SeminoleCattlewomen’s Association. SeminoleMedia Productions will present its filmabout the Seminole cattle program andinterviews with Tribal cowboys whoremember the Red Barn in its heyday.A raffle/sale of Tribal arts and craftsand items donated by local businesseswill be conducted, and prints from anoriginal “en plein air” painting of theRed Barn by artist Dorothy Gardinerwill be sold; all money collected will beearmarked for the Red Barn rejuvenationproject.There will be remarks by Tribalofficials, a rib-eye steak dinner for allattendees and music from the AndyBuster Band.Portions of this article wereoriginally published in FORUM, themagazine of the Florida HumanitiesCouncil.Andrea HolataDestiny Jimmie and Ashley Faz work together tokeep the balloon from falling during one of thePolice Explorers Field Day events.F More NRF photos from page 1AAndrea HolataMembers of team Naples work together during the Break the Ice game. On Nov. 17, the PoliceExplorers participated in their third Field Day on the Brighton Reservation.Photo courtesy of Peter B. GallagherPrints of this recent painting by artist Dorothy Gardiner will be raffled off at the Red Barncelebration on Jan. 26.F CONFERENCEFrom page 1ABeverly BidneyGloria Wilson, Christine McCall and Wanda Bowers sort clothing in the storage unit.Beverly BidneyJody Osceola throws a bag of goods to PeteOsceola on the truck.However, he would like to see moreconsultation with Tribes before enactinglegislation that would affect Indian Country.Also during the conference, DeputySecretary of the Treasury Neal Wolinannounced new proposals laying out broadexclusions of certain benefits from incomethat Indian Tribal governments provide toTribal members; Tribes have developedprograms to address their unique social,cultural and economic issues, and the newguidelines seek to provide certainty onwhat benefits fall under the general welfareexclusion from income.“It’s a win for Tribes across thecountry,” President Sanchez said.Closing comments came fromsecretaries of Transportation and Labor, andObama capped off the conference with hisaddress, highlighting his administration’sstrides with Indian Country.“We focused on justice and Tribalsovereignty,” Obama said. “Longstandinglegal disputes like the Cobell case havebeen resolved. I signed into law the TribalLaw and Order Act, which is helping tofight crime. These are all important steps,but we’ve got more work to do.”Obama said he hopes to continueKathryn StolarzPresident Tony Sanchez Jr. holds a proclamationfrom U.S. President Barack Obama, in whichhe vowed to improve relations with NativeAmericans. Tribal leaders were given a copy atthe conference.improving Tribes’ economies and quellingdomestic violence. He asked federalofficials to support small Tribal businessesand to improve federal protection of sacredsites, on which a report was released Dec. 6.“We’re going to keep working togetherto make sure that the promise of America isfully realized for every Native American,”Obama said.Bobbi “BJ” Billie gathers bags of donated clothing.Beverly BidneyBeverly BidneyJody Osceola loads items donated by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &Casino.Photo courtesy of Tami HeilemannU.S. President Barack Obama addresses Tribal leaders during the Tribal Nations Conference.