August 31 - 50th Anniversary - Seminole Tribe of Florida

THE SEMINOLE TRIBUNE SPECIAL SECTIONV OLUME XXVIII • NUMBER 12 • AUGUST 31, 2007Seminole’s Past andPresent Highlighted inTheatrical ProductionBy Chris JenkinsHOLLYWOOD — In what markedthe conclusion to a historic day of activities, thepast and present history of the Seminole Tribe ofFlorida was highlighted in a big way at the HardRock Live Aug 21.The event was introduced with adocumentary video produced by the SeminoleBroadcasting Department. Tribal elders andcitizens were interviewed and provided apersonal perspective on the beginnings of theTribe.Elders offered insight into how the Tribewas formed and their hopes for the future, whileTribal citizens gave thanks for the strength andcourage of the elders who had the foresight tochampion the rights of the Seminole people.The video showcased words of wisdomfrom Tribal elders Betty Mae Jumper and Rev.Frank Billie, who were instrumental in thesigning of the Constitution and CorporateCharter, which was the cause for celebration onthis special day.The full theatrical production, which wasseveral months in the making, was a celebrationof Seminole culture and tradition. A cast was See PRODUCTION, page 34Stephen GallaThe deer and the panther emerge from the Earth.Brighton Seminole Preschoolers said the Pledge of Allegiance in Mikasuki.Tribe Kicks Off 50th with Press ConferenceCeremony Takes Place Under Council OakBy Shelley MarmorHOLLYWOOD — On Aug. 21, 1957,the members of the Tribal Council met under theCouncil Oak tree to sign the Corporate Charter,creating the Board of Directors, and the TribalConstitution, officially establishing the SeminoleTribe of Florida. Fifty years later, on Aug. 21, 2007,the Tribal Council again met under the historic oakto re-sign a mock Constitution and Bylaws, andkick off all the anniversary festivities.At about 9 a.m., event emcee Moses “BigShot” Jumper Jr. took the stage, saying “Sho NaaBish” to everyone in attendance. He also read hispoem, The Council Oak, before asking Tribal elderBetty Osceola to say the invocation.The Color Guard, consisting of eightTribal veterans, presented the colors including theflags representing the U.S., the state of Florida, theSeminole Tribe, the Seminole veterans and also thePOW/MIA flag. The students from the newlyopenedBrighton Charter School then recited thePledge of Allegiance in Mikasuki.The entire Tribal Council and Board ofDirectors, including all reservation liaisons, werepresent for this historic event. The first to addressthe gathering was Chairman Mitchell Cypress.As with many of the speeches to follow,the chairman gave thanks to the Creator, saying“without God and togetherness, we wouldn’t behere today.” He also acknowledged the significanceof having the ceremony beneath the “mighty”Council Oak.“Oak is a very strong wood,” Cypress said.Felix DoBosz“You can try to chop it down, but it takes a longtime.”Board President Richard Bowers followedthe chairman. Also like many speeches to follow, See PRESS, page 35Gordan Olliver WarehamHoward TommieLuncheon FashionShow Features Erasof Seminole DesignBy Elizabeth LeibaHOLLYWOOD — The 50thAnniversary luncheon and fashion showfeatured a showcase of traditional Tribalclothing spanning the mid-1800s to mid-1900s. The clothing featured intricatedesigns of patchwork, which signified thevarious stages in the evolution of Seminoleclothing.Stephen GallaFor the Fashion Show an entire cast ofSeminole models walked the runway.The women demonstrated theprogression from the earlier and less ornateconstructions to more modern times withelaborate patchwork designs and capes.The men modeled colorful long shirts asthey strutted the catwalk. The audienceappreciatively cheered as each model tooktheir turn.The luncheon began withwelcoming remarks from emcees Sally R.Tommie, Fort Pierce Tribal Liaison, andMoses “Big Shot” Jumper Jr. Tommieoffered a blessing and welcomed theaudience to the event that provided anopportunity to celebrate pride in theSeminole Tribe and all of itsaccomplishments over the past 50 years. See FASHION, page 36The Seminole Tribune asks citizens; “What does the Tribe’s 50th Anniversary mean to you?”Fifty years — I thinkit’s “ better than good forthe Tribe. I’m very proud.I’m very proud of mypeople and all theSeminole Tribe in general.It’s a great day for them.— Mitch Osceola, ”Hollywood ReservationI feel really good aboutit. “ It’s a historicalmoment. It’s a big time forus. It means a lot.— Leon Wilcox, ”Hollywood ReservationI think it’s a greatachievement. “ Our elderswent through a lot to getus here. We’ve made it tothe 50 year mark andhopefully, we’ll make it tothe 75 year mark and 100year mark. I can’t wait.— Jennifer Chalfant ”Miss Florida Seminole

The Seminole Tribune 35 August 31, 2007 PressContinued from page 1Bowers paid tribute to the Tribal elders whohad the vision to create a Tribal Constitutionand Bylaws, and also who keep the Tribestrong today.“I want to recognize the eldersbecause they keep the language and culturegoing so we can celebrate another 50 years,”he said.Miccosukee Tribe of Indians ofFlorida Chairman Billy Cypress attendedthe ceremony as a visiting guest. He calledthe gathering a “display of unity” and congratulatedthe Tribe on all their success.Big Cypress Tribal CouncilRepresentative David R. Cypress spoke next.He said he hopes “the Council up here [onthis stage] will make the people who signedthe Constitution proud.”Hollywood Tribal CouncilRepresentative Max B. Osceola Jr., like thosebefore him, acknowledged the Tribal elders.He also remembered the “Unconquered”Seminole who risked everything to remainin Florida when the U.S. government wasattempting to relocate them to Oklahoma.“I want to honor the warriors fromthe 1800s who told the federal government‘We’re not going to Oklahoma,’ ” Osceolasaid.Brighton Tribal CouncilRepresentative Roger Smith spoke next. Herecognized the Seminole royalty in attendanceincluding: Brighton Seminole PrincessAmber Craig, Brighton Jr. Miss McKaylaSnow, Little Miss Krysta Burton, LittleMister Kano Puente, Miss SeminoleGordon Oliver WarehamPrincess Jennifer Chalfant and Jr. MissSeminole Princess Alicia Nunez.Immokalee Tribal Council LiaisonElaine Aguilar addressed the gathering followingSmith. She said she constantlyreminds fellow Tribal citizens to not forgettheir ancestors and their heritage, in orderfor the Tribe to be able to celebrate inanother 50 years.“I’m always telling people toremember the old ways and to teach theirchildren the Indian ways,” Aguilar said.Brighton Board RepresentativeJohnnie Jones spoke next. He recognized thestudents from the Brighton Charter Schoolwho were in attendance at the ceremony,calling them, “theleaders for the next50 years.”Next, BigCypress BoardRepresentative CiceroOsceola, one of theyoungest members ofthe Tribal government,spoke. Osceola said he was “notaround 50 years ago” but acknowledged theTribal elders who were.Similarly, Hollywood BoardRepresentative Gloria Wilson recognizedthe elders. She specifically named HowardTommie and commended him for “gettingus over that hump” in the Tribe’s earlieryears.Immokalee Board Liaison DeloresJumper spoke after Wilson, only addressingthe gathering in her native language. Non-Resident Liaison Holly Tiger-Bowers followed.She recognized the Tribal citizensOur Constitution is morethan “ an inanimate object, it’sthe heart of our people.”“who went to Congress and said ‘we’re notgoing to be terminated.’ ”Tampa Liaison Richard Henry alsooffered recognition to the elders and encouragedthe Tribal citizens of today to “sticktogether and we’ll make another 50 years.”Naples Liaison OB Osceola Jr. thenoffered encouraging remarks to the Tribalyouth of today. He explained to them thatthe Seminole Tribe is the first Tribe to everpurchase an international corporation, HardRock International, but let them know howthey can top that acquisition.“I know right now you guys likegoing to Disney World,” he said. “Maybe inthe next 50 years you can buy Disney Worldand put some patchworkon Mickey.”Fort PierceLiaison Sally R.Tommie then tookthe mic. She alsoaddressed the youngermembers in the audiencetelling them “theTribe is here for you.” Tommie also suggestedeveryone “remember where you’ve been toknow where you’re going.”Last but not least, Trail LiaisonWilliam Osceola, the final Tribal representative,spoke. He suggested no one forget theirSeminole heritage because “learning the culturemade us strong.” Osceola also commendedthe Tribe on the recent Hard Rockpurchase.“This organization went frompoverty to owning an international corporation,”he said. “That is a great accomplishment.”Gordon Oliver WarehamInvited guest and Seneca NationPresident Maurice A. John Sr. then spoke tothe gathering. He invited all Seminoles totake a trip to upstate New York to visit theSeneca Nation. Johns also presented theTribe with a Seneca Nation flag as a tokenof congratulations.National Indian GamingAssociation (NIGA) Chairman ErnieStevens was also an invited guest at the 50thcelebration. He extended congratulatoryremarks to the Tribe “on behalf of the 184gaming Tribes” he represents as chair ofNIGA.Director of Museums Tina M.Osceola took the stage next. She gave a historicaccount of how the Constitution andBylaws came about. Osceola said that theceremony with the Council and Board signingthe mock documents is intended to“honor those who stared in the face of terminationand said ‘no more.’”“Our Constitution is more than aninanimate object,” she said. “It’s the heart ofour people.”Osceola then asked Tribal secretaryof 28 years, Priscilla Sayen, and Tribal ClerkMercedes Osceola-Hahn to join her onstage. Sayen and Osceola-Hahn had eachTribal Council member sign the replicaConstitution and each Board of Directorsmember sign the replica copy of the Bylaws.They then collected the two documentsand Osceola said they will be kept inthe Tribal Clerk’s Office in Hollywoodshould any Tribal citizens wish to viewthem.Felix DoBoszGordon Oliver WarehamFelix DoBoszIt’s pretty overwhelming.“ I was 13 or 14 whenwe had the 25th. We’vecome such a long way inthe past 25 years. It’s greatto see the Tribal peoplefrom all over and everyonetakes on such pride. We’reglad we could be a part ofit.”— Michele Thomas,Brighton ReservationI think it’s about time“ we got to a 50 th . It is agreat milestone. I’m gladthat some of the peoplebefore us actually got tosee this today, and I’m soproud and happy aboutmy people.— Richard Bowers, ” PresidentIt’s great to be a part ofthe “ celebration. It’s been agreat ride. It’s great to behere.— Joe Dan Osceola, Davie”

The Seminole Tribune 36 August 31, 2007 FashionContinued from page 33A special presentation to ChairmanMitchell Cypress and President RichardBowers was made from Vice ChairmanKenneth Reels of the Mashantucket PequotTribe in Connecticut. The presentation wasfollowed by Chairman Cypress’ official cuttingof the 50th Anniversary cake that was enjoyedby luncheon attendees.The fashion show was the grand finaléof the event and provided a chance to witnessthe diversity, self-reliance and creativity of theSeminole Tribe through an expression ofclothing in what Tommie described as an“explosion of patchwork, beauty and color.”Stephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaLila Osceola-HeardStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen Galla Stephen Galla Lila Osceola-HeardI think it’s exciting. We“ were pleased that we couldbring our whole school[Pemayetv Emahakv] uphere on their second dayof school.— Louise Gopher, ”Education DirectorAll the struggles thatour “ elders went through,it’s a lot different thanwhat we enjoy today. Theelderly held a vision backthen; somebody startedsomething and I’m herenow to enjoy it.— David R. Cypress, ” Big CypressCouncil RepresentativeI’m proud to be a part of“ a historical event. I’m gladthat I could come homefrom California and celebratewith my Tribal family.”—Spencer Battiest, California

The Seminole Tribune 37 August 31, 2007Stephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaStephen GallaThe Council Oakmeans “ a lot to me becausethat’s where I grew up,underneath it. I didn’tunderstand what wasgoing on then, but now Ido.” — Judy Baker, HollywoodReservationI feel great to know that“ I was there for this celebration.I know we willcontinue to survive and bea Tribe together as one.Forever, we will not fall orbe torn apart.— Shelli ” Mae Osceola,Hollywood ReservationI am very proud to be an“ Unconquered Seminolealong with the very fewthat chose to remain inFlorida. Survival has andwill be our goal in cultureand heritage shared by ourfamilies and Tribe.— Victor Osceola, ”Hollywood Reservation

The Seminole Tribune 38 August 31, 2007Behind Every Good Event is a Great CommitteeBy Melissa ShermanHOLLYWOOD — The dictionarydefines a committee as “a personor group of persons elected or appointedto perform some service or function.”Anyone who has been associatedwith the Seminole Tribeof Florida knows the Tribehosts lots events, and thatmeans a lot of event planningcommittees.The events have allhad significant importance inone way or another. They canrange from a 20 person appreciationdinner to a couplethousand happy Christmasparty goers. And the 50thAnniversary Celebration wascertainly one of the mostunique the Tribe has had. Forthis reason, a committee wasformed to make this eventunforgettable.The first mention ofthe 50th AnniversaryCelebration was at a marketingmeeting on Aug. 8, 2005.At this point, a new committeeneeded to be formed tohandle such a historic event.After going to the TribalCouncil and requestingapproval, planning was on itsway.Museum DirectorTina Maria Osceola wasnamed as committee chair. The committeemembers included Bobby Frank,Micki Free, Cima Georgevich, DannyJumper, Cindy Malin, Virginia Mitchell,Dennis Pellarin, Melissa Sherman, SallyR. Tommie, Johnnie VanDesande. Acommunity representative was alsoassigned by each council representative.Members came together andbrainstormed on how to recognize theTribal citizens of today and thefounders who made this day possible.One of the first steps for the committeewas to name the event. After manywordy attempts, the official name “The50th Anniversary of the signing of theConstitution and Corporate Charter,”was agreed upon.Some departments, such asSeminole Broadcasting, wanted tomake unique contributions to the festivities.Director Danny Jumperarranged to interview more than 60Tribal citizens and make a video on thehistory of the Tribe — using the wordsof those who lived it.“It was a great experience tolearn from other Tribal members aboutthe early history of the Tribe and theirthoughts on different topics and theimportance of preserving Tribal traditionswhile enjoying the Tribe’s economicsuccess,” said Jumper.The next steps included agreeingon an event date and creating amission statement. The mission of thecommittee was to develop, promoteand produce events on behalf of theSeminole Tribe of Florida to recognizeand celebrate the 50th Anniversary ofthe signing of its Constitution andCorporate Charter, while keeping theintegrity of the rich culture, heritageand tradition of the Seminole Tribe ofFlorida.Many different ideas came tothe table, from a traveling educationtour to a parade down State Road 7.After more than a year of proposalsand budget changes, the official eventsand festivities were finalized andapproved by Council. A task list wasthen created to steer the committeetoward its Aug. 21, 2007 goal.Like each leaf on a branch ofthe Council Oak has a function andimportance, the 50th Anniversary committeealso maintained this role.Contributions big and small were made.Some of its members were valued fortheir living knowledge and ways of theTribe. Others utilized their talents inorganizing meetings or a pipeline ofcommunications between the committeeand communities. Because of this, manyTribal citizens volunteered their valuabletime in the production of the eventby participating in the show or offeringtheir talents to assist in the creation ofclothing and sacrificing time away fromtheir normal daily activities.Some other contributors helpedout on tasks as needed or even acted asa sounding board such as Elrod Bowers,Holly Tiger-Bowers, Sharon Calderon,Ciara Billie Guerue, Debbie Johnson,Nery Mejicano, Elizabeth Price, SusanRenneisen and Gloria Wilson.Almost every detail was madeby the committee team or one of itsmembers: burlap bags, collector coins,clothing eras, flowers, casting calls ,resigning of the Constitution, pressconference, script for the play, the video,commemorative book and theorchestrating of all of these thingstogether on the event day.Committee chair Tina M.Osceola was impressed by how wellthe committee worked together toorganize the celebration’s events.“It was both a pleasure andan honor to work with Tribal membersand employees on this project.The talent that people brought tothe day’s events was only outmatchedby their pride,” remarkedOsceola. “I was also proud to seethat the committee’s vision of ourselvesas a working group rather thana permanent fixture enabled myselfand others to also perform the jobswe were hired to do without theteam losing focus.Osceola also expressed pridein the committee’s outstanding teamwork.“I was unable to attend anymeetings for the last several months.But because of meeting minutes,email and task lists, we didn’t miss astep; the true definition of the word‘team.’ ”Virginia Mitchell wanted tosee more involvement from theTribal community.“I would have liked to have hadmore Tribal people and employees inthe committee. We could have used afew people more. Some members likeSally [Tommie] and Cima [Georgevich]were really overloaded,” she observed.Ultimately, she sees a brightfuture for upcoming Tribal anniversarycelebrations.“I would like to say to the committee,I really enjoyed the event. It wasa pleasure working with them. I wouldbe happy to do it again, if I’m still herefor the next anniversary event,” she said.“Even though they will all have newideas, perhaps the committees from thepast can assist the younger generationsin future anniversary committees, in the75th or even 100th.”Special Anniversary VideoComing to a Chickee Near YouAs part of the 50th Anniversarycommittee, Seminole Broadcasting realizedthis was a special celebration andfelt they should put their energies intoproducing a video that reflected theinsights and stories from Tribal citizensin their own words. To achieve this, thedepartment reached out to Tribal citizensfrom all the reservations and askedthem to take part in interviews. As aresult, more than 60 interviews wereconducted and the direction of the videowas developed based on the commentsexpressed.The video was produced entirelyin-house and was shown as part ofthe 50th Anniversary celebration at theHard Rock Live. Tribal citizens whowish to get a copy of this video can callthe Seminole Broadcasting office ontheir reservation to order a free copy.Hollywood/Ft. PierceContact: Seminole Broadcasting –Lakisha Moore3560 N. State Road 7 (TeePeeBuilding), Hollywood, FL 33021Phone: (954) 985-5701, Ext. 10720Big Cypress ReservationContact: Big Cypress Broadcasting –Glynnis BowersFamily Investment Center 3rd Floor,HC61 Box 46, Clewiston, FL 33440Phone: (863) 902-3217Brighton ReservationContact: Brighton Broadcasting –Elizabeth MartinezBroadcasting Trailer/500 Harney PondRoad, Okeechobee, FL 34974Phone: (863) 763-6380Immokalee ReservationContact: Immokalee Broadcasting –Tushka HillAdministration Building, 295 StockadeRd., Immokalee, FL 34142Phone: (239) 867-5300, Ext. 16468Tampa ReservationContact: Tampa Broadcasting – KimCartagena6401 Harney Rd. Suite E, Tampa, FL33610Phone (813) 620-2882I think the 50th is a celebrationof the saving of a“Tribe from termination.We’ve always been here.We’ll always be here. Thatspirit is from the warriorswho fought the government.That spirit is in ourblood.— Max B. Osceola Jr., Hollywood”I hope I’m around forthe “ next one! You’ve gotyour memories from todayand they’re priceless.— Wanda Bowers, Hollywood”The signing of theConstitution “ andCorporate Charter I thinkis a symbol of genius andbright Tribal elders. I alsobelieve that our culture ...has always been strong. Ibelieve Seminoles willalways be‘Unconquered!’— Jesse Mitchell, Davie”

The Seminole Tribune 39 August 31, 2007Brighton Hosts Community DinnerBy Susan EtxebarriaBRIGHTON — The BrightonReservation hosted a community dinneron Aug. 18 in conjunction with the celebrationof the Tribe’s 50th Anniversary. Atthe dinner there were door prizes and awesomefood served by Renegade Barbeque’sChef Cleve Baker. Baker is a Brighton citizenwho now lives in Hollywood. ParkerJones provided the music at the dinner.Brighton Tribal CouncilRepresentative Roger Smith recognizedthe elders who were youth during the creationof the Constitution and Bylaws in1957. These included: Addie Osceola,Alice Snow, Rosie Billie and AgnesBowers.Josephine VillaSusan EtxebarriaAddie Osceola and Alice SnowSusan EtxebarriaSusan EtxebarriaBrittany SmithSandy Billie Jr.Susan EtxebarriaSusan EtxebarriaKassandra BakerTerry HahnSusan EtxebarriaHollywood Seniors Celebrate 50thSusan EtxebarriaRosie Billie leads the Fashion Show with seniors followingChris JenkinsFormer Ambassador Joe Dan Osceola says a few words.Chris JenkinsPresident Bowers reflects on his youth with the seniors.Chris JenkinsJudy-Bill Osceola enjoys the storytelling of President Bowers.I’m glad to be here to bealive “ and well to see the50th Anniversary that mymother and grandmothercouldn’t be here to see.But I’m here to see it forthem.— Leona ” Tommie Williams,Preschool DirectorI’m grateful that we’recelebrating “ this day. Ourpeople brought us to thisday. I feel elated with joyjust being here.— Cicero Osceola ”Big CypressBoard RepresentativeI’m honored to be a partof “ it and I’m glad my Tribehas been around for allthese years.— Amber Craig ”Brighton Seminole Princess

The Seminole Tribune 40 August 31, 2007I passed by the Council“ Oak so many times, butthis is my first time actuallybeing there. I’m so honoredto be here. I’m soproud to be Seminole onthis day — ‘ForeverUnconquered!’— Zach Battiest, ”Hollywood ReservationThe next 50 years is“ going to be interesting.The Seminole Tribe isvery blessed. We keepmoving up and hopefully,the younger generationmaintains. I’m very happyto see this.— James ” Billie, BigCypress Reservation.The 50th to me stands for the accomplishments“ the Seminoles of Florida haveendured, starting with the historical resistanceto President Andrew Jackson’s Removalpolicy and as we historically succeed ourendeavors for the prosperity of our people.Fifty years from now my grandchildren willwonder what it was like now in my era as Iwonder how it was 50 years ago …— Bobby Frank, Hollywood Reservation.”