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ORIGINS
OF THE SEMINOLE
The Seminoles
of Florida
by
Minnie Moore-Willson
A Heritage Classic, (Copyright, 1896, 1920; Copyright, 2003, Heritage Books, Inc.)
pp. 118 - 125
(The
following excerpts are reprinted by permission of author's
representative.)
PART
SECOND
THE PRESENT CONDITION AND ATTITUDE OF THE
SEMINOLES
p. 54
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.........
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... . ........... . . . . .
. .
At the close of the war, a few bands of the Indians refused to
submit to banishment and, concealing themselves in the fastnesses of
the Everglades, made their removal an impossibility. This part
of the tribe, according to their traditions, belonged originally to
the Aztec race and for this reason they claim a preeminence over all
the tribes of Aborigines of America.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE AZTECS AND EASTERN TRIBES
p. 120
Continued from page 119
his wanderings,
from the plains of Mexico, we meet him to-day in the confines of the
mysterious and weird Everglades.
Reaching Florida in 1750, under the name Seminole or Wanderers, his
history verges into a singularly distressing drama and forms a
tragical chapter in American history.
Tracing their lineage, as we may, to the Aztecs of Mexico, the
student must find in their usages and customs links that connect
their present history with that of the ancient tribes.
In this remnant, proud as the old Montezumas, may the scientist and
antiquarian find a history teeming with interest, while the novelist
may revel in story, both real and legendary - the most romantic of
Indian life that has ever been written.
If we accept the Le Plongeon theory of prehistoric Mexico, as well
as Professors Holmes and Seville's research of Mexican antiquities,
we must note the relationship between the early Central American
civilization and the Ancient Egyptians; and that the builders of the
pyramids and temples of Mexico and Yucatan were closely allied with
the architects of the Cheops.
After the conquest of Mexico by Cortez in 1519-20, the Muskogee
Indians left Mexico and gradually traversed the country till in 1620
we find them in Alabama, where they added other bands to their
ranks. The British name them Creeks, from the many small
streams that traversed the country.
Thus the great Muskogee tribe of the Mexican
p. 121
Empire vanquished
by Cortez became one hundred years later the Creek Confederacy, from
which branched the Seminoles.
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. .
The Similarity existing between the ancient Egyptian principles and
that of the Aztecs is conceded by scholars, and when the Florida
Indian follows so closely these old religious rites, with the theory
that the Florida Seminoles are traceable to the mighty Aztecs, may
we not feel a pride in these red children of the forest homes and
while it is yet possible preserve this almost forgotten remnant?
To-day the student may study, in the swamp fast-
p. 122
nesses, the
history of an ancient race, through the present-day Seminole.
Around the hereditary chief Tallahassee is the authority for the
government of the Cow Creek band. He is the honored chieftain,
whose duty it has been to teach to the younger generations the
traditions of his ancestors. "My grandfather, old, old man,
tell me, me tell my boys." The stories never diverge - the
same to-day that were told one hundred and fifty years ago, and
different slightly from the teachings of the vanquished Muskogeans
of the Mexican Empire.
In their weird camps, by a glimmering light from the camp fire, is
instilled into the youth the laws of the old turbaned tribe, laws
startling in the rites they contain. A brief reference to a
few of these observances must convince that there is at least a
keynote for a chapter that must prove both interesting and valuable
to science.
In the head dress of the Florida Indians, oriented in its effect,
one quickly recognizes a perfect imitation of that as worn in 1800
B.C. as shown in the statue from Tel Loh (Showing early Akkadian
type).
Passing through the realms of history, covering a period of 3,000
years, in 1563 we find Le Moyne's delineations of the turban, now
worn by Seminole Chieftains. Likewise might the dress of old
Tallahassee in his chieftain regalia be mistaken for the costume of
the patriarchs in the days of the Pharaohs, when the long tunic
embraced by the
p. 123
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.
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p. 124
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There tribal organization being a socialist and communist order, it
is not their policy to encourage individual land holdings.
Socialism finds its greatest example among the Seminoles and they
realize freedom in a greater degree than can possibly be found in
any community governed by man-made laws. They do not violate
any teachings of the tribe and are honorable and upright in their
dealings with one another and equally so with the white people with
whom they come in contact. Their law allows of individual
occupancy of land and the individual rights are respected, but the
Indian is not allowed to acquire title.
*
The Seminole, like his Aztec ancestors, shows an honorable contrast
to the other tribes of North American, in the treatment of the
women. No severe agricultural labor is imposed upon them and
the consideration shown them by the men would do credit to the high
civilization. . . ... . ..... .. . . .. ... ..
..... . ........................ . . ........................ . .
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. .. . .
. ..
*
From p.
87 of
Buffalo Tiger and Harry
A. Kersey, Jr.,
A Life in the Everglades
We can sit here today and that kind of stuff is not so important,
but years ago, let's say back in the 1950s and 1960s, communism was
a big deal; it was like poison. So that's what people started
calling Morton Silver and some of the lawyers we worked with.
Then we got to be called communists, too; we were communists - okay?
We didn't care because we knew what we were talking about ourselves.
When that kind of thing came up, things got tough. In other words,
when we got rolling a bit, when we were getting bigger and had more
power, newspapers and everybody seemed to know [about our
involvement with Cuba].
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