All about the ancient tribes
Today, the majority of Seminole Indians communicate in English. Some Seminoles are also fluent in one of the two native Seminole languages, Miccosukee or Creek, which are spoken by a minority of the population. These two languages are related yet distinct, much as English and German are from one another.
Members of the Seminole tribe today speak one or both of two languages: Maskókî and Mikiskî, which are related to the Seminole language.These are the only two dialects that have survived from among the dozens of dialects that were spoken by their forefathers and foremothers throughout the Southeast.Maskókî, which is incorrectly referred to as ‘Creek’ by English speakers, is the primary language.
In addition to quail and duck, the Seminole tribe brought deer, pigs, opossum, rabbits, and even the rare bear to the table to feed their people. Seafood, turtles, and oysters were readily available, and the hardworking tribe was skilled in the cultivation of a wide range of cereals, vegetables, roots, and fruits. The Seminoles ate in a communal setting—as well as casually.
They fished with fishing spears from the tops of dugout canoes or from the shallows of the wetlands and canals that surrounded their region. The Seminole fisherman relied heavily on these spears as his primary equipment.
The Seminoles of Florida refer to themselves as the ‘Unconquered People,’ as they are descended from a small band of 300 Indians who managed to evade capture by the United States army during the nineteenth century. Over 2,000 people reside on six reserves in Florida – situated in Hollywood, Big Cypress, Brighton, Immokalee, Ft. Myers, and Fort Myers Beach.
The Seminoles were also farmers in addition to being warriors. Corn, beans, squash, and Indian potatoes were all grown in gardens by women. They also had little plots of land where they grew pumpkins, sugar cane, rice, sweet potatoes, and other fruits such as bananas, huckleberries, melons, and grapes, among others.
For many years, the Seminoles were forced to live in virtual isolation in and near the Everglades. They lived in chickees, which were open-sided shelters that were well-suited to the marshy habitat in which they resided. They were able to subsist through hunting, harvesting wild foods, and planting crops such as maize, pumpkins, and potatoes, among other things.
Seminole tribes are predominantly Christian, and they adhere to both Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Their traditional Native religion, which is exhibited via the stomp dance and the Green Corn Ceremony, which are both conducted on their ceremonial grounds, is also observed by them.
According to legend, the Seminoles believe that life revolves around a circle, starting in the east and moving north, west, and south. The bands of color on the flag represent the four points of the compass: yellow represents the east, red represents the north, black represents the west, and white represents the south.
The Seminole and Misccosukee Indians of Florida created beautiful works of art. In addition to clothes and finger-woven or bead-embroidered accessories, their arts and crafts, which are mostly done by women, include pottery, basketry, and doll making, among other things.
What weapons did the Seminole use? The weapons used by the Seminole included, war clubs, knives, gunstock clubs, bows and arrows, spears and axes. The Europeans introduced muskets and subsequently rifles.
What mode of transportation did the Seminoles use? Their mode of transportation was a canoe. The canoes were painted in the colors of the family.