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Fall 2007
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By Kerri L. Post and Brenda Swann
Florida's Native American Heritage spans more than 12,000 years. Indigenous peoples occupied the Sunshine State long before the Europeans arrived and their cultures are both historically marked and practiced today. Indeed, 95% of Florida’s past occurred before the Europeans arrived. Names such as Pensacola, Miami, Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee and Tallahassee are reminders of the Paleo-Indians who first lived here. Florida's early inhabitants built monuments from the most readily available materials - shells and dirt. Prehistoric middens and mounds are found in numerous historic sites across the state. One fine example is the Crystal River Archaeological State Park where a six-mound complex is evidence of one of the longest continuously occupied sites in Florida.
European contact began to take place on the Florida peninsula about 500 years ago, and bringing disease and warfare, was responsible for the demise of nearly all of the original Florida inhabitants. While there were numerous battles, in many instances they created mutually-beneficial co-existing communities. The Europeans constructed huge stone forts using Native American and runaway slaves for labor. There were also efforts to convert the Native Americans to Catholicism. In Tallahassee, Mission San Luis was the largest and most populated mission in Northwest Florida during the 17th century. Today, meticulous reconstructions of Apalachee Indian and Spanish structures, based on archaeological evidence, recreate a community that transports visitors to an era that disappeared three centuries ago.
In present day, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida are the two federally-recognized tribes in Florida. Approximately 3,000 people live on the Seminole and Miccosukee reservations today. According to the 2000 census, 39 different North American tribes are represented in Florida's population and more than 53,000 people in Florida claim Native American descent. The Seminole Tribe is often referred to as the "Unconquered Seminoles" because the Tribe never signed a treaty with the federal government.
In August 2007, the Seminole Tribe of Florida begins its 50th anniversary as a sovereign nation. Since the late 19th century, the Seminoles have contributed to Florida's tourism culture, establishing attractions, living in villages where they made and sold arts and crafts, giving guided tours and wrestling alligators. The sovereignty of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida was officially recognized in 1962. Both the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes are prominent in Florida tourism today. The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Seminole Big Cypress Reservation and the Miccosukee Indian Village and Museum of Tribal and Natural History off Tamiami Trail provide south Florida visitors the opportunity to experience Florida’s present-day Native American heritage.
Florida's Native American Heritage Trail guide is available online at the Web sites of the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and VISIT FLORIDA The Florida Department of State is providing copies to public libraries throughout the state, the Florida Public Archaeology Network, and the Division of Historical Resources’ regional offices. The guide may be purchased online at the Museum of Florida Hi
The Trail of Florida's Indian Heritage - For membership information, contact Brenda Swann at heritagepreservation@cfl.rr.com or visit www.trailoffloridasindianheritage.org.
For visitor information, go to www.VISITFLORIDA.com. You Should See The State You're In.