AH-TAH-THI-KI MUSEUM OFFERS UNIQUE LOOK AT HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE FLORIDA SEMINOLES

Contact: Stacey Bomser/Janet Maizner
MAIZNER & FRANKLIN
(954) 761-8888

"The A-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is the fulfillment of our dream to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the Seminole people of Florida," said Seminole Chairman James Billie. "It is our intent to preserve, interpret and share the culture, language and customs of Florida’s Seminole Indians, who have lived here for nearly 300 years."

The first Seminoles were Southeastern Indians who moved into North Florida in the 1700's. By 1835 about 5,000 Seminoles lived in Florida. After three wars against the U.S. military, only 100 Seminoles remained. Today's Florida Seminoles are the descendants of those courageous tribal warriors who never gave up their fight. To this day, the Florida Seminoles are known as "the Unconquered."

The Seminole Tribe of Florida became federally recognized in 1957. Today, more than 2,000 Seminoles live on six reservations in South and Central Florida: Hollywood, Big Cypress, Brighton, Tampa, Immokalee and Fort Pierce.

The $12 million A-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum project is located on a 60-acre site adjacent to the beautiful Florida Everglades. The museum features a five-screen orientation theater, 5,000-square feet of exhibits, and over a mile of nature trails that lead to a “living” Seminole village and ceremonial grounds.

The exhibit gallery includes dioramas of Seminole culture, rare Seminole artifacts and military artifacts from the Seminole war period. Interactive computers will teach visitors about Seminole history and culture. The gift shop will feature a wide variety of Native American arts, crafts and music.

The living Seminole village shows how the tribe lived over 100-years-ago in the swamps and Everglades. Visitors will learn how the Seminoles prepared the root of the coontie plant to make bread, how they prepared the saw palmetto and sweetgrass for crafts, and how they prepared a cypress log for carving into a traditional dugout canoe. Traditional Seminole dances will be performed at the Seminole ceremonial grounds.

A one-mile boardwalk nature trail winds through a virtual jungle of ferns, vines, shrubs and trees. Signs along the trail will teach visitors about the lush greenery of the Big Cypress Swamp.

The A-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is located in the heart of the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, 17 miles north of Alligator Alley (Interstate 75), Exit 14, between Fort Lauderdale and Naples.

Home · History · Culture · Tourism & Enterprises · Government · Services · Employment

Copyright © MMIV Seminole Tribe of Florida
6300 Stirling Road
Hollywood, Florida 33024
Phone: (800) 683-7800
URL:
All questions/comments: tribune@semtribe.com
Webmaster: webadmin@semtribe.com
Web site maintained by Seminole Tribe of Florida