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Show Colorful Seminoles ClingTo Cling ClingTo ClingTo To Ancient Tribal Customs CustomsBy By BAUKHAGE BAUKHAGEAmivst , . , swt "J J and . " CommtnUtor Commenltlto Commentator N 'I/s 'I I s ' / Amivst Antll,11 Antll11 analyst WNU Service 1616 Eye . street .treet treet N W .Hasblnrton Hasblnrton . nasblngton ashington % D 0 CrhlS CThu C CTin rhlS ( ( Tin Thu u IS tht the Ih , first fi.st fist , . of two Iwo articles , " , . , ' In "Mthe Mthe " on onIh onthe Ih the themost , Ih the , effect ful ! of postusr postrear JOsts ( , , " conditions eondtrons , on sir mosl most / m JUndffJlootl snnderstood , W of < AmfflC Anerlcars , " - " " e/ e ez Sits Sitszonsthe . / , , M Mr MrBauhhage , . zons-the zons the ns-Ih ns Ih - Smnnole Seminole I"tI,1 ItI1 Indans Ind " ans . " , WIth z BfllJ1 Bauhhage htlg , reporting " Of'trng Oftrng ' f.om fom from , . fi.sJ.htmd fisJ.htmd fisJhtmd first-hand first hand fi.sJ.htmdOhlIN firsthandobsers , . . - OhlIN obsers ebstrniiofi Mlon atson ) I ISomewhere Somewhere North of the Ever Everglades Everglades Everglides EverglidesThe Is ttttmg lettmg setting over fiat fat fiatstretches fatstretches flatstretches glades gladesThe -The The - sun * un stretches of o ( saw grass making makmg a * afeatbered afeathered feathered featbered tllhouette silhouette of cabbage cabbagepalms cabbagepalms cabbagepalms palms on the far farhorizon in farhorizon horizon dropping droppinga g g.ry .ry ry . .rya a tint of hlae lilac hlaeamong lilacamong lilacamong - among the water waterhyacmth waterhyacinth s shyacinth hyacmth hyacinth In the thepond thet therw thepond t rw rwpond pond at my feet feetwhere leetwhere s swhere where lazy humP humPshouldered humpshouldered humpthouldered shouldered Brah Brahman Brahroan + eC eCman man cattle cool coolthemselves coolthemselves $ themselves RigId Rig Rigid + a aId id white cranes cranesstand cranesstand crinesstand stand undh undis undhturbed undisturbed undlturbed * turbed b by , . us usAbove usAbove usAbove Above great greathawks greathawks treathawlci hawks wheel and andas andas and11 as we pass paoSs a abey abevy bey bevy , . at of snipe Baukhage Baukbage Baukhagerises Baukbagerises Baukharerises rises like blackand blackand black blackand and white confetti tossed In the air airb airby air-- air airlint ' - - - - hand b by , . a -lint lint Clant giant Back at t the turn of tnatleads leads to the attractive headquarters headquartersbuild1n headquartersbuilding headquartersbuilding tnatI I build1n building , of the Brighton Semlnoe Seminole SemlnoeIndlan SeminoleIndian SemlnoleIndian ] Indlan Indian resen reservation aUon ation smoke curls cuds up upfrom upfrom upfrom from beneath a fire of logs in a apalmetto apalmetto apalmetto palmetto thatched cooking clukee chikee clukeeof chikeeof chikeeof of one of o1 the Semlnole Semlnoe Seminole ] camps Here HereIJve Herelive Herelive IJve live three generations of a smge single smgefamily singlefamily tinglefamily ] family group-yet group yet group - - yet a fairly large seg segment I Iment Imeat ment meat of the entire entICe Seminole Semlnoe ] nation nationfor nationfor nationtor for there are only 625 of them In inall Inall InII II all FlorIdaLIke FloridaLike Florida FloridaLike Like most tourists . when v.hen vhen I first firstcame firstcame came to Florida I was startled to tomeet tomeet meet face to face these women in intheir intheir intheir their gayly ga ) ly colored skirts their high highbead highbead highbead inI I bead collars their : ! astounding stoundmg hair hairdress hairdress hairdress dress the men less gayly clad but butstJII butstill butitill stJII still with their gay kerchiefs and andcowboy andcowboy I Icowboy cowboy hats the solemn children childrenI childrenrepllcas childrenreplicas childrenreplicas I repllcas replicas of o1 their mothers In their much in influence uence on the life llfe ana and hab hab1ts habits habits 1ts its and nd customs of the Seminole Seminolein In this short span as have the weight weightof weighto1 of o1 economic condlllons-the condlllons the conditions-the conditions conditions - the depres depresslon depresSion depression slon Sion followed by the high demand demandfor demandfor demandfor for labor during durmg prewar and war warperiods warperiods warperiods warperiodsFor periods periodsFor For more than three quarters quartcrs 01 of 01a ofa ola a century no Seminole Semmoe ] has o.ned oned owned o.nedland ownedland ownedland . land his possessions were lim 11m ted tedI tedto tedto tedto I to a few cattle and bogs hogs runm.l1g runml1g running runm.l1gwlld runningwild runningwild . wlld wild in the swamps and tohat to \\-hat hat what whatpersonal ' \ - whatpersonal hatpersona persona personal ] property he could store un under under under der the palmetto roof of his opcn open opcnfaced openfaced openfaced faced hut but in m the : Everglades rverglades Today Todaythere Todaythere Todaythere there are three reservations reservabons Wil William WilLiam WilHam liam Boehmer Indian agent at atBrighton atBrighton atBrighton Brighton saw that venture rise risefrom risefrom risefrom from its inception mccptlon He tells me ev every every every ery family on that reservation owns ownsa a car and one fam ly boasts fiveRadios fiveRadios five fiveRadios Radios are common as are elec dice electrIC dicetric electrie trIC flashlights and kerosene lantems Ian Jan Ianterns Janterns terns tome some knives kmves and forks and andother andother andother other practical gadgets and a lot lotof lotof lotof of store food and canned goods goodsHowever goodsHowever goodsHowever However there hl has * been no change change1n changeIn changeIn 1n In housing housmg styles Before the orlgl origi orlglDal original onginal Dal nal deal was closed in 1838 1938 one 01 of 01the ofthe olthe the Seminole Semmole leaders first madesure madesure made madeure sure ure that living habits habtts should not be beIntcrfered beInterfered beinterfered Intcrfered Interfered with He was quoted assaymg assaying as saymg saying Indians must live in ID air and sun sunshme sunshine sunshine shme shine Must dress as 8i1 their fathers fathersdress fathersdress fathersdress fathersdressBut dress dressBut But additional opportunity for em empoyment employment employment poyment ployment ] has brought about a de desire desire desire sire tor for an education As nearly as asI asI asI I could leam learn education to the Sem SemInole Semmole SemInole Inole mole means learning learnmg to speak Eng Englsh Englash English lsh lash ! and perhaps to read and write writeIt writeit writeit It Because the Seminoles Semmoes ] are nat oat naturally oaturally naturally urally intelligent , , it is no trick for forthem forthem forthem them to learn if i1 they want to But Butthe Butthe Butthe the labor demand likewise l1kewlse has in interfered interfered interfered terfered with the process When the thefamily thefamily famliy family gets a special Job lob ] 0b plckmg picking plckmgtomatoes pickingtomatoes pickingtomatoes tomatoes the children croldren go along and andpick andpick andpick pick too There are no penalties penaltiesfor penaltiestor for being bemg absent from schoolWith school schoo schoolWith ] With the shortage of teachers 01every o1every of 01 o1 | every kind it Is unlikely that tba the tho . ' . " , t.1 t1 ' . I \ < { . , . s . I - * ,1 1 , , . " t I t tar ar . 4 4e 4v 4t 4fr e t v : ; fr frs frM 434t s ' M 43-4 43 4 - - t 4 8 ; tg 'a a ' i + FC4 FC4e ? e .t t . .ty " y 4as $ eS eS"c "c c "cA A ; t1i v vd , -d d - dx da da d6y x a a 6y 6yC C . J oR oRyy ' 4 * d t ta a - { 1.ftr 1ftr 1.ftri i 1 1J 1p 1oR p yy r q K1 K1Q , Q ( r 6 6yw yw ywI'r.Mwa I'r.Mwa Ir.Mwa IrMwa I'r.Mwat " ' . . t > c , ; s fr , % u Yt3 . A f/4 f 4 / . , wr,6 r,6 r6 , y " 't t 'tb3 ' , x , } uY Y , w $ b3 r ra.y . ' 3a , , > . ' 4@a @ X14 X14Seminoles a.y ay wa wa3a r , . tn06 ar 3 3X14 Semmoles Seminoles cluster around ch1kee clukee In nah\e nah e natise \ costumes deep In For Flor ] ForIda FlorIda Ida Evergades Everglades ] bright flowing flo'ilmg floilmg ' garments arments-shopplng arments shopplng arments-shopping shopping armentsshopplngat armentsshoppingat - shoppingat at the Five and Ten/ Ten TenIt Ten ' / It is hard to believe that these theseca)1y thesegayly theseia ca)1y ca1y gayly > ) ly clad yet modest toBi folk so un unwarlike unwarlike unwarlike warlike that only three ( so far as asI asI asI I know ) enlisted in World War U II Uand IIand 11and and none were drafted once defeat defeat- defeated defeated . - ed the United Urnted States forces in three threewars threewars threewars wars itritching stretching from the time of o1 ofthe o1the ofthe the Revolution Revoutlon ] until almost the end endof endof endof of the last centuryBy centuryBy century centuryBy By then with their Chief Osceola Osceolatricked Osceolatricked Osceolatricked tricked into capture . while .hIle hIle at a peace peaceparley peacerarity parley arle ) ' all U but 1 150 0 of the SemInoles SemInoleswere Seminoleswere Seminoleswere were dead or had yielded to mass deportation massdeportation to the West But the 150 150never 150never 150never never gave In Because of o1 that fact tactthe factthe the theyare tradition has grown that they are re itiU still at vax war with W1th the United UnitedStates States StatesIt UnitedStatesIt It is true that no formal peace treaty peacetreaty ever was signed-they signed they signed - they have havehad havehad havehad had no chief since Osceola d ed in - have havefull havefull havefull full citizenship cillzenshlp However they made madetheir madetheir madetheir their first fint formal and voluntary voluntarymove voluntarymove voluntarymove move toward reconcl reconcil ] alien allon ation and co- co cooperation cooperation co cooperation - operation in 1938 A group of Sem SemInole Semmole Seminola Inole mole leaders meeting with Amer Amer1can Amerscan Aroerlean 1can scan officials in m the Everglades Evergades ] then thenasked thenasked thenasked asked the government lor for schools schoolshospitals schoolshospitals schoolshospitals hospitals and better horses and andcattle andcattle andcattle andcattleA cattle cattleA A program Immediately was wasdrawn wasdrawn wasdrawn drawn up and entered into mto with good goodwill goodwill goodwill will on both sides but it is a question question ques lion tion whether this step has had as upply supply ever will quite reach the thedemand thedemand thedemand demand even on the part of the busy busySeminoles busySeminoles busySeminoles Seminoles The school schoo ] in the Ever Everglades Everglades Everglades glades is closed at present Undoubt Undoubtedy Undoubtedly Undoubtediy edy edly ] when conditions change and andthe andthe andthe the Seminole Semmole again agam Is 1s confronted confrontedWith confrontedwith confrontedwith With job com compel compet pet tion tlon the govern government government government ment will be called upon to furnish furnishthe furnishthe furnishthe the largerdoses White Man s ] learning earmng in larger doses and with fewer Interrupt onsIn ons onsIn In any case neither prosperity nor noreducation noreducation education has as yet caused the Semmole Seminole thaSeminole theSemmole theSeminole to complain compaln ] about ros his roshO.1smg hishoasmg hishojsmg hO.1smg hO1smg hoasmg . situation A few modern modernhouses modernhouses modernhouses houses built bullt on one reservation were wereleft wereleft wereleft left unoccupied except for one oneporch oneporch oneporch porch There is 15 nothing nothmg wrong with witha a Semlnole Semlnoe Seminole ] chikee A chikee really reallyought reallyought reallyought ought to be translated room instead In Instead instead stead of o1 house since there are as asmany asmany asmany many separate chikees chlkees as required requiredfor for each family famly ] They are of t.o to two . . tv.odiffer tvodiffer t.odifferent twodifferent different tyPeS - - one for .ook ook . " ' , , "A A " n _ - _ _ _ . . _ " gUY gUYone one Theycons tor for s sleeping e"epmg eepmg " and living hying They cons withlow st of a thick palm fan root roof With low hanging eaves supported on poles onpoles and rafters There are no waUs wails nowalls nowaUs nowails In the living hut but but there IS a na ISa platform plaUorm a couple feet off the thaground theground hkbench lJkebench likebench ground and usually a bunk lJke like hk < bench whch wh cb ch thewomen can be used lor for the .omen omen women . as a work table as . well .ell ell as for aslor asfor sleep ngThese ngThese ng ngThese These dwellings d\\ellIngs d ellIngs dwellmgs \ are airy all right rightand and would be damp during dunng longsub a long sub tropic tropical a ] rainstorm ramstorm if it were not no < notor notfor tor for supplementary tarpaulin Now Eat Food FoodOf FoodOf I 01 Of White ManWhat ManWhat Man ManWhat What the White Man calls prog progress progress progress ress has done more to affect the eat eatIng eating eating I Ing habits of the Seminole Semmole than our ourcultural ourcultural ourcultural . cultural activities have affected ros his rosvlewpomt hisviewpoint hisviewpoint vlewpomt viewpoint Draining Dramlng and umbenng lumbering ] lumberingin umbenngm m in the Everglades Evergades ] have sharply re reduced reduced reduced duced food SOUl sources-dried sources dried souices ces-dried ces dried - dried creek- creek creekand creekand * - ' and ponds cutting timber and clnd forest for forest forest est fires have killed kliled off oil .lIdlle lIdlle wildlife wildlifeBut . wildlifeBut .lIdlleBut ! But the accessibility of the grocer grocery grocerystore grocerystore , store has tended to make up With withbakers I ' bakers bread beef bce ! coffee .ugar ugar sugar sugarsyrup . .ugarsyrup ugarsyrup syrup and canned fruits .ugarI I |