8A • The <strong>Seminole</strong> Tribune • <strong>December</strong> <strong>19</strong>, 2012Joshua L. Williams and Michael S. Sprouse, top row, second and third from right, are with their 284th Police Academy class.<strong>Seminole</strong> Police Department welcomestwo more <strong>of</strong>ficers into their ranksBY BRETT DALYSenior EditorDAVIE — The 284th Police Academyclass graduated from the Institute <strong>of</strong> PublicSafety on Dec. 5, and among the graduateswere two new <strong>of</strong>ficers <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Seminole</strong>Police Department.Michael S. Sprouse and Joshua L.Williams underwent 770 hours <strong>of</strong> trainingover a six-month period in the areas <strong>of</strong>physical, academic and firearms training toearn the honor <strong>of</strong> serving in law enforcement.During the ceremony at Broward College’sCentral Campus, <strong>Seminole</strong> Police ChiefWilliam Latchford presented the <strong>of</strong>ficerswith their SPD badges.For Sprouse, entering law enforcementwas an easy choice. He’s had an interestin the field since his childhood and alwayshad a desire to serve the public. Despitethe demands placed on him and his fellowcadets during the academy, Sprouse thrived.He served as his class treasurer – a positionhis class elected him to – and earned therunner-up title in academic pr<strong>of</strong>iciency witha grade point average <strong>of</strong> 97 percent.“The police academy was very nerverackingthe first day,” Sprouse said. “Ican remember showing up and not reallyknowing anyone. We were able to bondand stick together. We came together andaccomplished our goal.”Williams, too, always considered acareer in law enforcement. He said helooked up to a friend’s father who was inlaw enforcement and was interested in acareer that protects and serves. The PoliceAcademy gave him that chance. Althoughhe didn’t know the other 14 cadets in hisclass, he quickly developed bonds withthem all.“We turned out to be brothers andsisters,” Williams said. “The best part wasthe camaraderie and getting to know eachother.”Broward County Commissioner ChipLaMarca addressed the class during thegraduation ceremony, encouraging thecadets to remember the reasons they tookthe job: to protect family, friends andneighbors.“We will demand much from you,” hesaid. “We will expect you to protect us fromthose who may do us harm; we will expectyou to be good role models to our children;we will expect you to protect our homes,schools and businesses. Our expectationswill be high, but I am confident you will notonly meet but exceed them.”Both Sprouse and Williams will serveon the Hollywood Reservation, and theylook forward to the experience.“That’s one <strong>of</strong> the greatest benefits <strong>of</strong>working with the <strong>Seminole</strong> Department,”Sprouse said. “It’s such a small departmentand a close-knit community that they’rethere to support you. You’re not just anumber in the department; they know youby name.”Brett DalyBrett DalyPolice Chief William Latchford gives JoshuaWilliams his SPD badge during the graduationceremony on Dec. 5.Jackie Burdette retiresafter 18 years <strong>of</strong> serviceBY ANDREA HOLATAStaff ReporterBRIGHTON — Dispatcher JackieBurdette, from the <strong>Seminole</strong> PoliceDepartment, retired after 18 years <strong>of</strong>service to the <strong>Tribe</strong>.Coworkers, family and friendsjoined Burdette for a celebration inher honor to congratulate her at theBrighton <strong>Seminole</strong> Police Departmenton Nov. 30.Burdette began working for thePolice Department after the unfortunatepassing <strong>of</strong> her husband forced her tolook for a job. Prior to that, she focusedon raising a family.“There was an article in thenewspaper and my daughter [saw] it,so I applied,” Burdette said.After a thorough background checkand interview, Burdette was hired as adispatcher for the Police Department.In the position, Burdette took callsand dispatched <strong>of</strong>ficers when needed,and until recently, she dispatched forthe Fire Department as well.Ringing in the new year safelySUBMITTED BY WILLIAM R. LATCHFORDPolice ChiefWhere has the time gone? As NewYear’s Eve arrives, a night <strong>of</strong> fun tocelebrate the beginning <strong>of</strong> a new yearwill too. Regardless <strong>of</strong> how you enjoy thefestivities, please keep in mind the safety <strong>of</strong>you and your families. In the ever-populararena <strong>of</strong> social media, it is fun to share yourwhereabouts and plans, but be careful aboutposting where you are, and especially takecaution with advertising that you are nothome.Should your plans involve celebrationsthat include alcohol, remember to have adesignated driver. Under no circumstancesshould anyone drink and drive.Also, be on guard <strong>of</strong> your surroundings.Fireworks are a beautiful part <strong>of</strong> manyNew Year’s Eve events, but please takeprecautions to keep young children safearound them. If hiring a babysitter forBurdette said it’s a bittersweetretirement.“I enjoyed the communicationwith the Tribal members,” Burdettesaid. “Trying to help them wheneverthey needed it…I made a lot <strong>of</strong> friendsout there…And, <strong>of</strong> course, I am goingto miss my <strong>of</strong>ficers and coworkers.”She admits adjusting to retirementwill be hard because she spent the last18 years going out to the reservationto work every day. She does, however,look forward to catching up on losttime with her family.“I love working in my yard onmy flowers and spending time withmy family,” Burdette said. “I have twogrown children who have children, andI missed out on a lot <strong>of</strong> that while I wasworking.”Burdette also looks forward to herfree time.“I look forward to enjoying the rest<strong>of</strong> my life and try and do what I want todo for a while.”the night, be surehe or she has CPRcertification, hasbabysitting trainingand has verifiedreferences. This willallow you to enjoyyour night knowingyour children are safeand in good care. Remember, if somethingdoes not feel right, it probably isn’t. Takingpreventive measures is key.My staff and I are honored and thankyou for allowing us to keep each <strong>of</strong> yousafe in our communities this past year.<strong>Seminole</strong> Police Department warmlywishes you and your families a healthy,safe and prosperous New Year. As youembark on making resolutions and plansfor the coming year, remember to enjoyand appreciate the wonderful family andfriends that surround you.All Family Ministries<strong>of</strong>fers variety <strong>of</strong> courses<strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Tribe</strong> Fire RescuepresentsDid you know that New Year’s Day is the deadliest forpedestrians?SUBMITTED BY HOLLY BILLIEHealth Department Program ManagerBRIGHTON — All FamilyMinistries, located on the BrightonReservation, is under the leadership<strong>of</strong> Pastor Bill Blomberg. The ministrycurrently <strong>of</strong>fers several opportunities t<strong>of</strong>urther your education.Finances: A course on finances is<strong>of</strong>fered Sunday mornings. The materialsfor this course come from Financial PeaceUniversity, a Dave Ramsey presentation.Relationships: This class is <strong>of</strong>fered onWednesday night and is titled The Power toLove. It was developed by John Glenn, <strong>of</strong>Freedom Ranch Ministry.Bible College: This program is a threeyearBible College course. The materialsare purchased from Faith Bible Institute.The founder and instructor for theseclasses is John Yates. Faith Bible Instituteprovides a chronological study <strong>of</strong> the entireBible and a Bible college diploma uponcompletion <strong>of</strong> all classes. More than 33,000students worldwide have participated inthis program, including Brighton residents.Brighton residents Alice Sweat, IvanBruised Head and LeAnna Rae Billiegraduated from Faith Bible Institute.For more information on Faith BibleInstitute or other classes <strong>of</strong>fered throughAll Family Ministries, contact Reina Miccoat 863-634-8046 or Rita McCabe at 863-634-4826.• Avoid the rush <strong>of</strong> traffic and arrive early to the destination for your New Year’s Evecelebration. Make plans in advance to stay overnight in case you decide not to drive home.• Designate a sober driver, rent a limousine or hire a taxi cab for the evening. Never allow anintoxicated person to operate a vehicle.Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Holly BillieAlice Sweat.Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Holly BillieIvan Bruised Head.Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Holly BillieLeAnna Rae Billie.• Always wear your seatbelt, do not text and be cautious <strong>of</strong> other drivers because they may beunder the influence <strong>of</strong> alcohol. Call 9-1-1 or *347 (FHP) to report a vehicle that is swervingon the roadway.• Attend a local pr<strong>of</strong>essional fireworks show as opposed to personally handling consumerfireworks. Even sparklers can ignite clothing and cause serious burns to children andadults.• Celebratory gunfire (which is <strong>of</strong>tentimes confused with fireworks) produces stray bulletsthat strike the heads, shoulders or feet <strong>of</strong> innocent victims when firearms are dischargedinto the air.• Make sure that your smoke alarms are working by pushing the test button.“Smoke alarms save lives”Tampa <strong>Seminole</strong>s, YMCAform healthy partnershipBY PETER B. GALLAGHERSpecial Projects ReporterTAMPA — Marsha Roberts had aproblem.The Recreation director for the Tampa<strong>Seminole</strong>s had no facilities for either youthor adult Tribal members to work out, playgames or participate in sports.The smallest <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Seminole</strong>s’residential reservations, Tampa’scommunity had been relocated from theactual reservation lands in 2004 when the<strong>Tribe</strong>’s new Hard Rock Hotel & Casinooccupied the entire footprint <strong>of</strong> the originaltrust land.“People were living all over the place– Plant City, Brandon, Lutz, you name it,”Roberts said.More than 900 acres purchased bythe <strong>Tribe</strong> in Lakeland is awaiting <strong>of</strong>ficialfederal recognition as trust land, a processthat can take years.“Someday, most everyone will be backliving together in a community again. Butuntil then, I felt we had to do something,”she said.Maureen “Mo” Chiodini <strong>of</strong>fered aviable solution.The associate vice president <strong>of</strong>membership and programs for the TampaMetropolitan Area YMCA came up witha unique partnership idea for the Tampa<strong>Seminole</strong>s – a regional membershipthat would allow any Tribal member touse any YMCA facility in Polk, Pasco,Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.While YMCA corporate membershipsare common, it is believed this is the firstsuch arrangement between the YMCA andan American Indian <strong>Tribe</strong>, Chiodini said.“They just walk up and show their IDcards and they can participate in anything.We’ve got kids in youth sports, gymnastics,dance,” she said. “Parents can exercise ingroup and family programs as well. It’sgoing real well.”The program began in October andhas proven popular with Tribal families,Roberts said.“Tribal members know the other<strong>Seminole</strong> reservations have gyms and poolsand sports fields,” she said. “Now, Tampahas them all over this part <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong>, easilyaccessible from wherever they are living.”
Historic Dania photographsfeatured in research notebookSUBMITTED BY TARA BACKHOUSECollections ManagerIn September’s column, we introduceda recently acquired research notebook thatoriginally belonged to Francis Frost White.White was an employee with the Bureau<strong>of</strong> Indian Affairs and worked on the DaniaReservation during the first half <strong>of</strong> the 20thcentury.The notebook contains hundreds <strong>of</strong>items that date mainly from <strong>19</strong><strong>19</strong> to thelate <strong>19</strong>30s. It consists <strong>of</strong> a variety <strong>of</strong> items,including research reports, newspaperclippings and photographs.As we began to catalog the itemsin this notebook, we focused first on thephotographs. The photographs document awide variety <strong>of</strong> people, camps and events.Some <strong>of</strong> the people in the photographs areidentified but not all <strong>of</strong> them. We would likeyour help in identifying some <strong>of</strong> the peoplein the photographs this month and in thefuture, as we continue our investigation.This month, we have three photographsfrom the notebook. The photogenic manin a cowboy hat in Photograph 1 is JackOsceola, and the photograph is datedMarch 18, <strong>19</strong>35. It’s fantastic and rare forPhoto courtesy <strong>of</strong> Ah-Tah-Thi-KiPhotograph 2: Two unidentified men stand nextto each other.a museum to know the exact date <strong>of</strong> thephotographs in its collection. This is notusually the case, as most photographers donot take notes or label their photographs.We know the photographer <strong>of</strong> the othertwo photographs is Dwight R. Gardin, <strong>of</strong>Brighton, but the people <strong>of</strong> the photographsare not identified. We think that these facesare recognizable and that someone mightbe able to tell us who they are. If we havethis information, we’ll be able to providethe photos to family members who comeand search the Museum’s archives forpictures <strong>of</strong> relatives.This is one <strong>of</strong> the most importantservices we provide, and we would like tohelp more people.If you know who these people are,please call the Museum at 877-902-1113and ask for the Collections Division. If youidentify a member <strong>of</strong> your family, we canalso give you a copy <strong>of</strong> that picture, andwe will search the Museum’s collection forother pictures <strong>of</strong> your family member.If you would like to view the researchnotebook, to look for pictures <strong>of</strong> yourfamily or to see anything else in thecollection, please contact the Museumto make an appointment, or just drop byPhotograph 3: Four unidentified young women sit on a stone wall.Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Ah-Tah-Thi-KiPhotograph 1: Jack Osceola, March 18, <strong>19</strong>35.at your convenience and ask to speak tosomeone in the library.Photo courtesy <strong>of</strong> Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki9A • The <strong>Seminole</strong> Tribune • <strong>December</strong> <strong>19</strong>, 2012Hah-Tung-Ke:John Paul WaltersBY PETER B. GALLAGHERSpecial Projects ReporterTALLAHASSEE — In the early<strong>19</strong>80s, former <strong>Florida</strong> State Universitymusic therapy student John Paul Waltersdecided to leave Tallahassee for the hillcountry <strong>of</strong> Texas. A friend named Martha<strong>of</strong>fered him a room at her house whilehe contemplated the move. She lived inthe historical town <strong>of</strong> Miccosukee, anunincorporated community in northeasternLeon County not far from the <strong>Florida</strong>-Georgia line.“I was mesmerized by the area,”said Walters, a singer/songwriter whoperformed in the Meisburg & Waltersmusical duo for the previous five years.“I was only planning to stay sixmonths, but I stayed a year,” he said. “Ihated to leave.”His walks around the countryside, thestunning panorama views, the rolling hillsdotted with ponds and lakes, the cool, stillnights, the rural culture – “all the beautifulthings about the area” – led Walters toput his thoughts on paper. The result:Miccosukee in My Mind.During the 18th century, the town<strong>of</strong> Miccosukee (located at the junction <strong>of</strong>Veterans Memorial Drive and MoccasinGap Road) was a major center <strong>of</strong> theMiccosukee <strong>Tribe</strong>, which <strong>of</strong>ten foughtarmed battles with white settlers. Thetown was originally mapped by the Britishin 1778 and first called Mikasuki with 60homes, 28 families and a town square.Some 70 gunmen protected the town. Itwas the capital <strong>of</strong> the short-lived State <strong>of</strong>Muskogee.In 1818, Gen. Andrew Jackson invadedthe village, defeated village Chief Kinhageeand drove the Indians south. Eventually,the area had a U.S. post <strong>of</strong>fice, schools,churches and stores and became a center<strong>of</strong> Leon County cotton plantations. Duringthe Civil War, soldiers from MiccosukeeThere’s a sleepy little townThere just below the borderNestled in between <strong>Florida</strong> and GeorgiaIt’s a pretty little place, it helps me get byJust about daybreakWalkin’ down a country roadSmellin’ that sweet tooEverything is brand newThese are the things that help me get by‘Cause when I’m out on the roadI go to Miccosukee in my mindJust about dinner timeMartha’s makin’ sweet teaHangin’ laundry on the lineAnd singin’ to her babyThese are the things that help me get byFishin’ with my new plugOut in the row boatDreamin’ ‘bout the big oneCook him over hickory smokeThese are the things that help me get by‘Cause when I’m out on the roadPhoto courtesy <strong>of</strong> John Paul WaltersSongwriter John Paul Walters.enlisted in Company K, 5th <strong>Florida</strong> Infantryand Company B, 1st <strong>Florida</strong> Cavalry.After the Civil War, the area revertedto farms. During the 1890s, wealthyindustrialists established quail huntingplantations and large ranch estates,removing thousands <strong>of</strong> acres <strong>of</strong> landfrom agricultural production. The townessentially became a ghost town after theboll weevil infestation <strong>of</strong> <strong>19</strong>18 and theGreat Depression a decade later.Walters no longer performs the song,which is only available on iTunes. Forthe past few years, he has suffered a raredisease called spasmodic dysphonia, aneurological disorder that causes spasms<strong>of</strong> one or more muscles <strong>of</strong> the larynx(voice box) during speech. National PublicRadio’s Diane Rehm, bluegrass guitaristTony Rice and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. areamong the notables who have sufferedfrom this neurological disease.“I really miss the performing andsinging, but I have to accept the fact Icannot really do it anymore,” Walters said.“But my passion, my real focus, is really inwriting. Soon, I am going to move back toNashville to be a staff songwriter. I’m notgetting any younger. Why not give it mybest shot?”‘Miccosukee in My Mind’Lyrics by John Paul WaltersI go to Miccosukee in my mindTired <strong>of</strong> livin’ out <strong>of</strong> a suitcaseChokin’ on the fast foodChecked in the motelsGlued to the boob tubesSmoky and his radarHiding by the highwayGot to get back where I can live my life mywayJust about twilightWhippoorwill in the woodsKicking my shoes <strong>of</strong>fListenin’ to the crickets talkThese are the things that help me get byRockin’ on the front porchFinally got the kids to sleepThankin’ my lucky starsPray the Lord my soul to keepThese are the things that help me get by‘Cause when I’m out on the roadI go to Miccosukee in my mind• Willie JohnsIalwayshad a thirst, a hunger, forthe history <strong>of</strong> my people. But whenI was growing up, nobody talkedmuch about it. There wasn’t time for muchbesides survival. We lived in chickees onthe Brighton <strong>Seminole</strong> Reservation. Myfamily was dirt poor and spent most <strong>of</strong> ourtime working in the fields, working withcattle, anything we could find, even cuttingpalm fronds for the Catholics to use onPalm Sunday. As a kid, I would hear myuncles talk about when the <strong>Seminole</strong>s alllived in camps across <strong>Florida</strong> and how theymissed the free hunting and trapping way <strong>of</strong>life. When they came onto the reservation,it was like a death sentence to them. Alot <strong>of</strong> them became migrant workers justto keep food on the table. The struggle tosurvive overshadowed the memories <strong>of</strong> theshooting and guns and wars and genocide<strong>of</strong> the past.When I was a boy, I also spent timein the world outside <strong>of</strong> the reservation.At the age <strong>of</strong> 3, I caught polio, and theytook me away for three years in a crippledchildren’s hospital in Orlando. I rememberwhen I finally came back. The first nightI woke up in a chickee, I could smell thehog pens. I realized then that God had pityon me to put me on an Indian reservationbecause nothing was going to come to me;I had to get <strong>of</strong>f my a-- and run it downmyself. By 7, I had thrown my braces intoa cabbage tree. I played four years <strong>of</strong> highschool football at Okeechobee High, rodebulls, went out with the pretty girls. I wasdetermined to make it. If there was everany prejudice directed at me, I didn’t knowit.As I got older, my hunger to learn aboutmy people’s history only got stronger. Istarted doing a lot <strong>of</strong> independent research.I asked questions. People would tell mestories passed down, but I knew there wasmore. The more I studied, the more I didn’tunderstand the magnitude <strong>of</strong> what tookplace among my people. As time went on, Ifound out that other Tribal members reallywanted to know the history, too. My phonewould ring <strong>of</strong>f the hook with others wantingme to find out historical information forthem. Long ago, they began calling me aConquistadors: distant ghosts we won’t forgetTribal historian. I’ve got a history degree.I’ve amassed a large library <strong>of</strong> bookswritten about my people from every angleyou can imagine. The past is very, veryreal to me. I am worried it could disappearunless we make a determined effort topreserve our history.Last year, I signed on as the <strong>Seminole</strong><strong>Tribe</strong>’s representative in the Viva <strong>Florida</strong>500 project [commemorating the 500thanniversary <strong>of</strong> Spanish explorers landing on<strong>Florida</strong>’s shore]. I didn’t do this to make apolitically correct statement that will rendereverybody happy. I did it to make sure thatthe history <strong>of</strong> my people is represented.We are here to educate, not forgive. We arehere to enlighten, not accuse. We want tokeep very alive the memories <strong>of</strong> those dayswhen the Europeans first came. We wantto tell who the Spanish people were whocame to our shores, and we want to educatepeople about exactly what they did.People may not realize how many<strong>Tribe</strong>s and Native peoples existed beforebeing decimated by the disease and warfarebrought on by the conquistadors. Withthe priests looking on, Spanish explorerstook out the aboriginal Floridians withmassacres in the name <strong>of</strong> God. And theysent the good news back to the king. But,we can only speak for ourselves. The<strong>Florida</strong> Indians <strong>of</strong> long ago could illustratewhat happened, but they didn’t write booksand journals.Indians all across America sharedstories that were kept alive and passeddown through the generations about whatthe European invaders did. That’s how itwas told to me: The truth <strong>of</strong> those dayswas kill the Indian – or give him a blanket,invite him to supper, sneeze on his blanket,then send him away.Yet, we survived all <strong>of</strong> this atrocity.We actually learned from our attackers. Welearned to practice slavery from them, andwe even learned the behavior to sell out ourown people. Creek warriors did real wellin that regard; they would come down hereand hunt down the other Indians the sameway the white man did. They would sellIndians as slaves just like the white mandid.The Spanish brought in their cultureand tried to make us a part <strong>of</strong> it. Theywere actually merciful in some ways. Afterthey put you in your place, enslaved andunarmed, they would Christianize you andmake you a Catholic. Our cultures clashed,and the Spanish had the upper hand.When I think <strong>of</strong> the past, I feel likewe were always running. For hundreds<strong>of</strong> years, we were on the run. We ranhere from all over. Some <strong>of</strong> us ran hereearlier than others. We <strong>Seminole</strong>s believewe are descended from the indigenous<strong>Tribe</strong>s <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong>, running and hiding likeall the others. You had the Calusa, theApalachicola, the Mayaimi along LakeOkeechobee, the Ais people <strong>of</strong> the IndianRiver Lagoon, the Tocobaga in Tampa,Arawak in the Caribbean, Timucua upin the northeast and the Tequesta in thesoutheast. The individual <strong>Tribe</strong>s were toosmall to engage in effective warfare withthe Spanish and their allies. So, they ran.The <strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Tribe</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> has aTribal Historic Preservation Departmentthat is absolutely concerned with theaccurate interpretation and preservation<strong>of</strong> our history – all the way back to thefirst peoples who occupied this land.Both the state <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> and the UnitedStates, under the <strong>19</strong>90 Native AmericanGraves Protection and Repatriation Act(NAGPRA), recognize the <strong>Seminole</strong><strong>Tribe</strong> as the guardian <strong>of</strong> the ancientsoutheastern <strong>Tribe</strong>s who were eliminatedfrom their home lands. It becomes our<strong>of</strong>ficial duty to handle repatriations, whichcan include re-burials <strong>of</strong> human remainsand the return <strong>of</strong> funerary objects, sacredobjects and objects <strong>of</strong> cultural patrimony.We have been involved in many, many <strong>of</strong>these cases.While all <strong>Seminole</strong> people haverespect for our culture and our ancestors,not all <strong>Seminole</strong>s agree on how we shouldrelate with our neighbors. Some who havebeen quite active and vocal about theseissues are Independent <strong>Seminole</strong>s whochoose not to be enrolled members <strong>of</strong> theorganized <strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Tribe</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong>. Theyfrequently speak at public meetings whenissues arise where they perceive traditional<strong>Seminole</strong> culture is being wronged. Some<strong>of</strong> the Independents want to regain Paradiseby loading every person in the state on aboat and then shipping ‘em all out. But thatain’t gonna happen.I think education is the answer. SomeIndependents argue that the city <strong>of</strong> St.Augustine should tear down the old fort(Castillo de San Marcos) because <strong>of</strong> theatrocities that occurred to Indians there 400years ago. I look at it differently. I wouldrather it remain standing so the memories<strong>of</strong> those days would not fade away. Thosewho don’t remember the past are doomedto repeat it.For St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary(planned for 2015), I made a suggestionthat it would be cool if we could inviterepresentatives <strong>of</strong> all the Native <strong>Tribe</strong>swho were incarcerated there during andafter the <strong>Seminole</strong> Wars, get them alltogether, and do a healing ceremony. Butsome Independents did not agree, so the<strong>Tribe</strong> refused to endorse the idea.Many <strong>Seminole</strong>s would say, “Leave itall alone.” They argue we shouldn’t spenda whole lot <strong>of</strong> time, money and effort onworrying about the Spanish conquistadors– that today there are much bigger thingswe need to be worried about.Maybe the best place to focus on thehistory is in the schools. I don’t think theEuropean invasion is discussed a lot in theclassrooms. The conquistadors came overhere 300 years before Andrew Jacksonstarted chasing us. Students are taught moreabout the three <strong>Seminole</strong> Wars than thegenocide performed by the Europeans andthe Americans. In my home <strong>of</strong> Brighton,our charter school spends a lot <strong>of</strong> time onlanguage, which is very important to us,and on taking the kids on cultural outings.The Spanish are part <strong>of</strong> the curriculum, butI don’t believe there is much said aboutit. We have to change that in all <strong>Florida</strong>schools.It’s too bad we all haven’t been talkingabout all this history all along. Maybe itwould not have been so glorified.In the end, I don’t believe the Spanishwere ever that happy with <strong>Florida</strong>. We justdidn’t have what they were looking sodesperately for. They were basically goneby the Revolutionary War. Then, alongcame the American settlers. Wouldn’t youknow it, they wanted the Indians’ land.They held their meetings. “How we gonnaget the land? What are we gonna do withthe Indians?” Somewhere, someone had anidea: “Let’s hire Andy Jackson. He knowswhat to do: Write up failing treaties, spank‘em in a few wars, go after ‘em, keep ‘emon the run, put ‘em out West somewhere.”When the Supreme Court ruled theIndian Removal Act was unconstitutional,ol’ Andy Jackson just said, “Stop me,” androde <strong>of</strong>f after the Indians anyway. If hedefied the law like that today, the federalmarshals would be all over him. To tell youthe truth, <strong>Seminole</strong>s today despise AndrewJackson more than the conquistadors.But you know how they say, “Out <strong>of</strong>bad things, good things come?” When theSpanish sailed away, they left their horsesand cattle here, and we used them to startthe <strong>Seminole</strong> cattle industry.In fact, for most <strong>of</strong> the past 100 yearsin <strong>Florida</strong>, the <strong>Seminole</strong>s have thrived inthe cattle industry. We once sold the meatand hides to the Cubans, even loaded upcattle on the St. Johns River. People calledus the Cow Creeks. Today, we are thefourth-largest calf producers in the country.After we stopped running, those abandonedcattle pulled us through. That was our firstcasino: the Spanish cow.If it was paradise before the Europeanscame, <strong>Florida</strong> was an absolutely horribleplace to live after they left. Post-Civil War,you had outlaws, bandits, deserters, everysort <strong>of</strong> bad individual, all the problems<strong>of</strong> poverty, everyone hit hard. Beforewe got reservations, we were survivingin little camps all over the Evergladesand Big Cypress Swamp where only themosquitoes and gators were supposedto be. Our homeland had shrunk. But weweren’t running anymore.Our communities began to grow,and we began to organize. The Indianswho settled in the ‘Glades became theMiccosukee and Big Cypress <strong>Seminole</strong>s.Those who lived to the north were Creekspeakers whose descendents are theBrighton <strong>Seminole</strong>s <strong>of</strong> today. We survivednearly 500 years <strong>of</strong> genocide and atrocitywith our culture and languages still intact.That is who we are.The conquistador is a distant ghost.But we will not forget.Willie Johns is Community OutreachSpecialist for the <strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Tribe</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Florida</strong>.This article was originally published inFORUM, the magazine <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Florida</strong>Humanities Council.
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