Despite living in Florida, some Floridians don’t know the true history behind the snakes, manatees and alligators living in the Everglades. As a freshman new to South Florida, I took a trip to the Everglades earlier this year, excited to see the animals and explore the swamps.
The trip, which was hosted by Iron Arrow (UM’s honor society whose goal is to provide protection, improvement and general welfare), became much more than spotting some alligators or touching the scales of an eight-foot-long burmese python. I left this adventure knowing more about Native American history than I ever had and feeling like I wasn’t educated enough on Indigenous culture.
This begs the question: how can we as Americans be more educated on Indigenous tribes and their culture? Entering college life, I thought I knew almost everything about my country and its history. Now, I’m not so sure. It’s undoubtedly fun to see the unique animals that The Everglades has to offer. But lots of visitors overlook an important part of this national park– its tribal origins. It is time to stop ignoring them and inform ourselves of their history as a student body.
Significant portions of history in America are fused with Native American history, yet we are still unaware of some important cultural and historical facts.
I’m sure you’ve heard about the voyages of Lewis and Clark with Sacagewea, the story of Pocahontas, or maybe even the Trail of Tears. However, you might not have ever learned about the fascinating tribal origins of Florida’s Everglades.
Curtis Osceola, UM alum and Chief of Staff for the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, led our group of students on a great river tour into the Everglades. Ocseola is a lawyer who represents indigenous defendants at trial, helping tribes like his who are struggling to keep their culture alive. This struggling culture is the hidden part of the Everglades many aren’t aware of.
He talked about the Miccosukee Tribe’s struggle to keep ownership of their land over the years. This included when British colonists claimed their land in the 1700s as well as the Second Seminole War in which the Indian Removal Act was enacted, forcing most of the Seminole tribes to leave their home abruptly and move west of the Mississippi River in the mid-1800s. The Miccouskee then moved into the Everglades, hidden within the swamps until the draining of the Everglades, when Florida became more industrialized.
As Osceola talked about the Miccouskee’s history with America, I became more intrigued. What I found very interesting was the Miccouskee’s involvement in the Cold War. The tribe leaders sent a declaration of their recognition as a tribe on buckskin to various world leaders. Only Cuba’s Fidel Castro would acknowledge the existence of their tribe, which led to Miccosukee support of the Cuban regime. This led the US to recognize the Miccouskee tribe officially as long as they cut all ties with Cuba and its dictator.
The events that led to the tribe’s diplomatic recognition in 1962 shocked me. If the US accepted the tribe sooner, there would be more appreciation of their culture and teamwork between the Indigenous and the settlers.
The determination of the tribe even after all its conflicts would not waiver. Today, 3,000 people live on Seminole and Miccosukee reservations. Seeing that these tribes still exist today, it is vital that history doesn’t repeat itself. The land and culture of the natives must be preserved and taught so that we can respect the members of the tribe and diversify our education.
When children learn to form opinions and become culturally competent, it teaches them to branch out and master the art of diversity in life. We are only harming future generations by not teaching them more Indigenous culture. Celebrating these cultures introduces the chance to learn more about our neighbors who might be descendants of these tribes. This unifies the community and helps us understand different cultures/upbringings.
National parks and areas such as the Everglades are advertised as tourist destinations full of exotic animals and river boat rides as opposed to areas rich in our nation’s history. So how can we as a student body uphold the Native American heritage and history as well as learn about it?
Land Acknowledgements are a critical step forward in recognizing the Indigenous people and their culture that surrounds us. Land Acknowledgements are when a person or group of people acknowledge the land and the tribe presiding in it. At universities, land acknowledgments are normally given before a public event. University of Miami’s land acknowledgement states the importance of the territories of the Seminole and the Miccosukee Tribe who resided within this land initially. This displays respect for Indigenous people and their culture.
While there is always room for improvement, UM does a great job of educating its students on the culture and history of Indigenous people. UM’S Native American and Global Indigenous Studies program amplifies the voices of Indigenous people by offering opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students to be involved in courses and events. Courses in this program include POL 568: Indigenous Politics From a Global Perspective and POL 326: Native American Politics.
UM also offers courses looking at Indigenous history from an archeological standpoint, such as APY 345: Blood and Chocolate: Ancient Civilizations of Mesoamerica and APY 384: Caribbean Archeology. The program’s events vary from film screenings, book talks, and conferences with a focus on events during Native American Heritage Month.
By educating ourselves and incorporating Indigenous culture in our lives, we can become a more diverse community. It’s also crucial to stand up for these tribes and preserve their culture as well as their right to keep their home. The next time I visit the Everglades, I’m going to encourage others to recognize the importance of who lives there and the history behind it, and I hope you will too.