We know that Florida has a melting pot of diverse nationalities and
cultures, mainly the Latin American and European. However during my
holiday at Florida, I chanced upon a middle-aged women while chilling by the beach. Through her, I learnt that there is actually another group of population since the
early establishment of Florida that lived till today.
They are the Seminole
of Florida, meaning "wild people" or
"runaway." They were the descendants of just 300 Indians who
escaped being slaves when the land of India was invaded by the French and
British. While the Red Indians was forced to make the Black Indians and
Africans slaves, only the Seminoles refused and escaped into the swamps of
Florida.
As she told me how
her ancestor helped their tribe to gain freedom, she started tearing and became
very emotional.
She shared how from 1739 to 1858, the Seminoles and other
refugees waged three wars with the United States to finally gain their freedom out of
slavery. Only in the late 19th century they began venturing out to trade.
They lived through agriculture and selling crafts and improved their
independence by adopting a legal form of government.
They currently visit
schools and festivals across the state, performing traditional dance and music
to share their history with non-Indians.
It was amazing for me to
know that the existence of the Seminole has impacted Florida today, such as the woman in Florida's flag and names of many Florida places that was taken from Seminole languages, both Creek
and Miccosukee.
After hearing such disconcerting yet surreal story about Seminole, a part of Florida's history, I am so glad to know that its culture and tribe still lived till today to share their stories to the rest of the world.
The lady whom i spoke to:
The lady whom i spoke to:
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