Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-10
THE UNCONOUERED SEMINOLEs-ByF Frederic ]. Haskin

wv WASHINGTON, D. c., June 6.-After
w killing, robbing and betraying the
W Florida Seminoles consistently for
about a century, the American people, as
represented by congress and the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, now propose to educate civ
iliZe and convert them.
To this proposition the Seminoles reply in
effect: mo, thank you. We don't want any
of your brand of civilization. Besides, all
white men are liars. You have always lied
to us before. Why should we believe in
your protestations this timer"
The story of the Florida Seminoles has
come out in connection with the present eff
forts of the government to help them. 1t
reveals the fact that this tribe of 500 Indians
is an unconquered race, living on it's own
lands worshiping it's own god, making its
own laws, acknowledging no authority and
asking nothing of any one except 1.-The glo-
rious privilege of being independent"
The very name, Seminole, means revolu-
zionist or renegade, and was given these
Indians early in the eighteenth century,
when they declared themselves Independent
of the powerful Creek confederacy. About
hundred years ago they clashed with white
settlers in Florida, and General Andrew
Jackson went after them. There followed
little later the Seminole war, which was
the bloodiest, most expensive and longest
war ever fought by the United States gov
eminent. 1t was war OF determination.
This war also brought out one of the
greatest of Indian leaders in the person of
Osceola, chief of the Seminoles. Osceola is
the George Washington of the Seminoles.
His memory is still revered and his words
repeated by them His guiding principle
in life was never to trust white man, be-
cause all white men are liars, and this is
the maxim of the Florida Semino1es in their
attitude toward the government today.
The Seminole war ended in a treaty, which
was signed by few Indians, claiming to rep
resent 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 it
were first gotten drunk by the whites
This treaty provided that the Seminoles
should be taken out of Florida and removed
to the Indian territory in Oklahoma. All
of them who could be caught were removed,
in brutal way, which increased their hatred
for the whites. A remnant of the tribe
retired to the depths of the Everglades,
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 Seminoles of today.
In some way, which no one seems fully
to understand, these Indians acquired title
to about $4,000 acres of land, near the Ever
glades A large part of this was swamp,
but it contained "hammocks" of fertile land,
where the Indians could raise small crops
of vegetables. If they took up better lands,
some white man always came along, soon
as the land was cleared, and took it away
from the Indians. Thus they we're gradually
forced back to the one little tract of wilder
ness which was acknowledged to be theirs,
largely because no one else wanted it.
They live chiefly by hunting and fishing.
Catching alligatorss for their hides has long
been their most remunerative occupation.
For time they hunted the snowy egret and
other birds for their plumes, but now the
laws of Florida prohibit this. Game is get
ting steadily scarcer, and the Seminole's
nent home, but builds his camp on one of
the hammocks. His house is thatch roof
>rlpported on poles, having no walls, but a