Tribal Historic
PReservation Office
FAQ
Research:
Yes, you can, but it requires a permit that is granted after an internal review of the proposed research. See the section entitled “Research Permitting” on this web page for detailed information on submitting a research proposal.
Yes, you can, but it requires a permit that is granted after an internal review of the proposed interview and questions. See the section entitled “Research Permitting” on this web page for detailed information on submitting a research proposal. Please be aware that the Tribal Historic Preservation Office cannot arrange interviews with Tribal members.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida are the authority on their history and culture, and the Tribal Historic Preservation Office has produced resources that tell the Seminole Story as expressed by Tribal members. There are also publications by non-Tribal members that present accurate information on Seminole history and culture. Examples of THPO-produced histories and external publications can be found under “Recommended Readings” on this web page.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas (and other parts of the world) have been marginalized by settler-colonial societies and governments. A key component of marginalization is co-opting the histories and stories of Indigenous groups in ways that fit settler-colonial agendas. Not teaching the history of the Seminole is a direct attempt by mainstream society and culture to control and marginalize them.
History:
The Seminole are the descendants of the first people of Florida who came to the peninsula over 14,000 years ago. To read about the Seminole ancestors and their history you can visit: https://stofthpo.com/seminole-history/
No. The Seminole were not part of the Creek Confederacy. Roughly one third of the Tribe are descended from the Muscogee people who rebelled against the authority of the Creek Confederacy, and were known as the Upper Creek or Red Stick Creek. After the Creek Civil War in 1814 they sought refuge with the Seminole in Florida.
American histories record three Seminole Wars; Jackson’s invasion from 1817 to 1818, the first removal war from 1835 to 1842, and the third from 1855 to 1858. This captures the American perspective, marking the periods where Congress officially declared action. But for the Seminole people there was only one war. They came under armed and organized attack from America in 1812, and the fighting only ended in 1858. While there were negotiations and times where the Army did not directly engage them, the Seminole still faced regular aggression and violence from American settlers, militia, slave-catchers, and even lawmen throughout this period.
Because it is their home.
Before the Seminole War, Florida became a refuge for people who escaped Enslavement in America. Free African communities grew in Florida, home to those who had won freedom for themselves and their children, born free in Florida. These communities regularly traded and interacted with the Seminole, with some individuals even being adopted into the Tribe. Some Seminole had also purchased African slaves, who then lived in the Free African towns. When America invaded, the Seminole and Free African communities fought together. Much as Americans called all native people in Florida Seminole, they simply referred to the African allies as Black Seminole. While it was not a term they chose themselves, there are descendant communities who now proudly claim the title.
The Seminole War was never officially ended, and no treaty was ever signed by the Seminole remaining in Florida with either the United States or Florida governments. Those who stayed remained free in Florida to keep their culture and traditions, unconquered.
"The concept of data sovereignty...is linked with indigenous peoples' right to maintain, control, protect, and developed their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as their right to maintain, control, protect, and develop their intellectual property over these."
-Kukutai and Taylor 2016