The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-03-25
$50
Florida Indians.

has recently been among them. - In
reply we have prepared the following
account of the Indians of Florida.
The remnant of the Florida Indians,
supposed to number about six hundred,
though their actual number is not known.
are living today in Manatee, Monroe
and Dade counties, in the southern por-
ton OF the great Peninsula, some two or
three hundred miles from Alachua coun-
ty, their former home.
They occupy what is known as the
swampy Everglades and the Big Cypress
swampS. One band, known as the
Greeks, live near Lake Istok-paga, in
Manatee county.
In pride and poverty, these people,
whose ancestors fought desperately for
the lands which they claimed by the
right of conquest, drag out mere exist
ence in The least desirable portion of
their once powerful domain rather than
trust the Governments promise of bet
ter homes, school-houses and riches,
with a title in fee simple, beyond the
Mississippi. The same mistrust and
dread OF exile which actuated those who
refused to sign the treaty for removal in
the times of Osceola and 'Billy Bow
legs haunt them to-day, and while
they are perfectly peaceful and inoffen-
sive, yet they watch the advancement of
civilization with jealous eve, and those
who have penetrated their domains
either on government duty or pleasure,
declare that their movement is watched.
While they cannot be seen, as they
evade strangers in every possible way,
yet one may rest assured that they keep
themselves well informed of all that is
going on around them. They are deci-
dedly uncommunicative, and keep their
own counsel.
The Seminole in Florida to-day is the
Seminole of forty years ago. He is nat
urally intelligent and self-supporting.
The Government neither provides any
thing for them nor exercises any control
over them. AS they cling to their
homes, so do they cling to their primitive
style Of dress, ancient customs and re-
Ggious rites. The main body lives in
Monroe county.
The Seminoles were originally Greek
Indians. They separated from their ma
ton about the middle of the 18th century
and settled in the Alachua county por-
ton of the peninsula. 1t was to retain
possession of this eden of the South
that they fought so desperately and SO
persistently against the whites. They
adopted remnants of other Indian tribes
into their nation, as well as many runa-
way slaves, until they became a people
numerous, proud and wealthy" They
kept slaves too, and it is said that they
still hold slaves who have never learned
that their brothers who were held by the
white men are now free. When Florida
was purchased Of the Spanish Govern
ment and became territory of the Uni
ted States, many difficulties arose be-
tween the white settlers and these Indi-
ans, until finally the Government decided
that the easiest way to solve the problem
was to remove them west of the Missfs-
sippi. An attempt to force this brought
on q war, which lasted seven years,
costing our government sixty millions of
dollars and the lives of nearly two thou
{ sand men. Those of the Indians who
were not captured and would not sur
render, fled further south and were per-
mitted to remain in peace until the
continued encroachments of the whites
brought about what is known as the
Chilly Bowleg's war;" He and many of
his followers were captured and sent to
join their brethren in the West. Tiger
Tail, Tustenugga and old 'Chitco, with
few followers, being still at liberty and
refusing to surrender, fled into the very
heart of the Everglades, where many of
them and their descendants still contin-
lie to live, asking for nothing but to be
let alone
They are in the main of good physical
development, graceful and active, OF
medium height, with broad shoulders
and swarthy complexion. Their dress
consists OF a tight-ftting "hickory," or
home-spun hunting shirt, belted at the
waist with a band of raw-hide, from
which is hung long sheath-knife. They
have coarse black hair, which is shaver
from the sides of the head excepting just
above the te nples, with crest on the
crown that terminates in carefully
braided scalp-lock at the back. They
wear enormous turbans extending the
width of their shoulders, formed of sew
eral bright-red shawls. Powder horns
and rawhide pockets slung from their
shoulders, their leggins and mocasins,
complete their attire.
The women are exceedingly neat and
clean, evidently taking great pride in
their personal appearance. Their luxu-
rious growth OF hair is gracefully tied in
knot on the crown of the head and
| banged in front. They wear tight-ftting
| jackets and two or three skirts of differ
! ent lengths, the inner one reaching to
! the ankles while the outer comes ONLY to
| the knees. Their jackets, which are
short, do not meet the skirt by two or
three inches, thus leaving exposed belt,
so to speak, of unadorned Seminole
around their necks are strings upon
strings of blue and white beads, com
pletely covering their shoulders and ex-
! tending upward toward their chins: nu-
merous silver ornaments and soft buck
skin moccasins complete their attire.
The dress of the old women is similar,
but not so elaborate, while that of the
children under twelve is limited to a
n string of bright-colored beads. All tes-
u timonv confirms the fact that they are