El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-19
SEMINOLESA ARE
UNCONQUERED
Florida Indians Say All the
White Men Are
Liars.

1 10 educate, civilize and convert them
To this proposition the seminoles
/ reply in effect: No. thank you. We
don't want any OF your brand Of civ
/ ilization. Besides. all white men are
I liars. You have always lied to US
before. Why should we believe in
I your protestations this timer
The story Of the Florida Seminoles
has come out in connection with the
( present efforts of the government to
help them. It reveals the fact that
this tribe of 500 Indians is an I'M
/ conquered race, living on its own
I lands. WOrshipping its own God, max
Ing its own laws, acknowledging no
( authority, and asking nothing Of any
/ one except the glorious privilege Of
being Independent
Seminole Means "RevOiuflOnist.-
! The very name. Seminole. means
! revOlutionist or renegade, and was
] given these Indians early in the eigh-
/ teenth century when they declared
I themselves independent OF the pow
/ erful Creek confederacy. About 100
years ago they clashed with white
| settlers in Florida. and Gen. Andrew
/ Jackson went after them There fol-
lowed q little later the Seminole war.
which was the hlOOdiest. most ex-
pensive and longest Indian war ever
fought by the United States govern
I The Indians were hunted ike wild
/ beasts.
This war also brought out one Of
I the greatest of Indian leaders in the
person Of Osceoia. chief OF the Semi
noles. Osceola is the George Wash
1 ington OF the Seminoles. His memory
/ is still revered and his words repeat
ed by them. His guiding principle IN
! life was never TO trust white man.
because all white men are liars, and
this is the maxim of the Florida Sem
I inoles in their attitude toward the
government today.
The Seminole war ended in a treaty.
which was signed by a few Indians,
claiming to represent the whole tribe.
The Indians say that these chiefs did
not represent the tribe and had no
authority to sign treaty The sign
ing Of the treaty was not witnessed,
and it is claimed that the Indians who
made ii were first got drunk by
the whites.
Treaty Provisions.
This treaty provided that the Semi
noles should be taken out Of Florida
and removed to the Indian territory
in Oklahoma All OF them who could
be caught were removed. in a brutal
way. which Increased their hatred for
the whites 4 remnant OF the tribe
retired TO the depths Of the Ever
glades where no one could find them.
They never surrendered to the United
States. and never accepted the treaty
The descendants OF these are the
Florida Semin0les Of today
III some WAY WHICH no one HECIAS
fully to understand. these Indians ac-
quired title to about $4,000 acres OF
land. near the Everglades A large
part OF this was swamp. but II con-
tanned 'hammocks Of fertile land
where the Indians could raise small
crops OF vegetables. II they took up
better lands. some white man always
came along. as soon as the land was
cleared. and took II away from the
Indians Thus they were gradually !
forrdd h1rl 20 - ff~r1a NJ !
wilderness which was acknowledged |
to be theirs. largely because no one /
else wanted it.
They live chiefly by fishing and I.
hunting. Catching aligators for their J
hides has long been their most re-
munerative occupation For 4 time i
they hunted the snowy egret and I
other birds for their plumes. but now |
the laws Of Florida forbid this. Game |
is getting steadily scarcer. and the I
Seminole's problem OF life harder. He I
has no permanent home. but builds i
his camp on one OF the hammocks- 4
His house is thatch roof supported 1
on poles. having no walls. but a 4
wooden floor. His dress is scanty,
but highly individualistic- The Semi
noles are the most picturesque Of In
dams As relic of pre-Columbia
America. the tribe is worth vastly /
more in It's present primitive state
than its members viii ever be worth
as citizens.
Florida Presents Them Land.
Several years ago an agitation was
Seminoles- It resulted in the state of
Florida making them a present of
100000 acres OF land. The state de-
serves and has been given credit for
its generosity Some critics. however.
have pointed out that nearly all Of
this land is under about six feet OF
water.
About the same time some con-
gressmen went down and looked at
the Seminoles. They were shocked
into appropriating $4,000 for the edu-
cation and general -uplift' of >the
Indians. This appropriation was re-
peated for several years. This year
20, 600 is asked In connection with
this proposed appropriation OF $4,000
quite a debate over the Seminoles
broke out in congress Some of the
didn't want to appropri-
ate the money on the ground that
what had already been appropriated
had not been spent
This led the writer to Cato
Sells, commissioner of Indian affairs.
who has charge of the appropriation.
He admitted that very little Of the
money had been spent. and that very
little has been done for the Seminoles-
The reason is that the Seminoles do
not want anything done for them.
They do not care to be civilized. OF
10 learn the Christian religion They
white men are liars"
Mr.. Sells opened schools for them:
hey wouldn't go He tried to teach
hem farming and to make a health
survey OF the tribe. All Of mis- ef-
lorts have been met with evasion.
Before he can do anything for these
indians he must overcome the effects
# a century in which the whites have
and robbed them
Government for Justice.
1t was in connection with the mur-1
Ter OF an Indian that the bureau took
IS first step a few years ago toward
raining the confidence OF the Semi
roles. One of these Indians was on
lis way TO town with $500 worth of
Tered and robbed by a white man
FAMED Ashley As the local authori-
les did not seem Jealous in pursuing
Ashley. commissioner Sells sent a fed
raj officer after him. After dra-
matte hunt through the Everglades.
ashley was caught and turned over
o the authorities for trial and the
government man went home During
iisstrial Ashley mysteriously escaped.
The government man was sent back.
nd after another long hunt again
aught Ashley. who was finally con-
'icted. This incident convinced at
east some Of the Indians that the
United States government has n sense
+ justice.
o Florida a Shawnee Indian named
frank =. Brandon. 10 act as a sort
4 wandering supervisor to the In
ians- His real work is to win their
onfidsnce. To do this he has trav-
led all over the Seminole territory
With an OK team and a couple OF IN
ian guides talking to the people.
I IL