Tribal Historic
PReservation Office
Seminole Story Books
One of the primary goals of the THPO is to share the Seminole story. Most histories about the Seminole, and other Indigenous people, are written by those outside the Tribe, often without talking to any Tribal members. In 2019 we started the Seminole Story series to teach about important subjects in Indigenous history, from the Seminole perspective.
Egmont Key: A Seminole Story
The small island of Egmont Key sits in the mouth of Tampa Bay. It is home to a lighthouse, a state park, and a bird sanctuary. For the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the tranquil scenery also masks a dark place in their past, when Tribal members were held on the island against their will by the American government.
Cowkeeper’s Legacy: A Seminole Story
The history of Florida cowboys began over five centuries ago, with cattle taken from Spanish conquistadores by Seminole ancestors. This began a new tradition of ranching based on Indigenous knowledge, learned over generations working with native species like the Florida buffalo. Over the next 500 years the Seminole developed their cattle tradition, learning new ways from within and from without. The cattle tradition led to incredible prosperity. It helped the Tribe survive the harshest years, and helped the Tribe to not only recover, but thrive!
Tales from the Tamiami Trail: Stories from the Seminole, Miccosukee, and Independents About a Road Through the River of Grass
The original Tamiami Trail wasn’t travelled by car, but by foot and canoe. For the people living in Ancestral Florida the wetlands were an open road. While most lived along the gulf and ocean coastlines, smaller communities have always existed in the interior wetlands, living off the land in what is now the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp. When American speculators first talked about connecting the cities of Tampa and Miami by land, the Seminole and Miccosukee were still living in these wetlands, unconquered.
