Council Welcomes UM President, New Seminole Princess

By Shelley Marmor

HOLLYWOOD — After invocation by Maggie Osceola, the Tribal Council welcomed the 2004–2005 Seminole Princess, Jo Jo Osceola. Osceola, 17, spoke briefly, saying she was honored to be the new princess, and assured the council that she would be happy to attend any events they needed her to in order to represent the tribe.

Immediately after, the council welcomed their special guest, University of Miami (UM) President Donna Shalala. She asked Osceola to stay after and speak with her about attending UM after she graduates high school.

“ She looks like a ‘Cane to me,” Shalala said about Osceola.

Shalala spoke to the council, including UM alum and Hollywood Representative Max Osceola Jr., about some programs the university would like the tribe to sponsor. This included sponsorship of a breast cancer program, an environmental program, an educational research program focused on keeping people in school, and a $2.5 million grant for UM’s Diabetes Research Institute.

“ Each one of them speaks to issues that pertain to the Seminole people,” she said.

After telling the council that Native Americans are two-and-a-half times more likely to contract diabetes, Shalala reminded them that finding out more about the disease will have secondary rewards.

“ [The research aims] to save lives,” she said. “But more importantly to save heartache.”

Tribal Treasurer Mike Tiger thanked Shalala for coming, and said the tribe is “looking forward to working closely with UM in the future.” Max Osceola Jr. also thanked Shalala, and said the council will discuss sponsoring these programs in the future.

Executive Administrator Ken Fields then went over the 10 item consent agenda, and the council unanimously approved the items. Fields then called Education Director Louise Gopher up to speak on a resolution that will honor the late Billy Cypress.

This resolution, which passed unanimously, changed the name of the Higher Education Scholarship Program to the Billy L. Cypress Scholarship Program. This change is fitting, according to Cypress’s widow Carol Cypress since “he really did love learning.”

Chairman Mitchell Cypress said the tribe will also honor Cypress at the Veteran’s Day celebration in Big Cypress next month.

The next resolution dealt with allowing tribal citizens to enter residential treatment programs, if the treatment they need is not provided by the family services department. Family Services Director Crissie Carter spoke on this resolution and the council unanimously approved it.

Director of Law Enforcement Mike Floyd informed the council on the next resolution. This dealt with expanding voluntary cooperation between law enforcement agencies. The resolution passed unanimously, and Seminole law enforcement can now share applicable information with surrounding area law enforcement agencies.

Fields then informed the council that the Seminole police department and the aviation department located the pilot, John Kagan, who crashed his Hughes 500 helicopter in Big Cypress on Thursday August 19. He commended those who were pivotal in Kagan’s rescue.

One of the final resolutions the council voted on was a sponsorship agreement with Winterfest, Inc., the company that puts on the annual Winterfest Boat Parade. The council approved this sponsorship unanimously, and now the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s logo will be featured on all advertisement for the boat parade, and all radio ads will mention the Hard Rock.

This sponsorship agreement will last five years, beginning with this year’s boat parade in December going all the way through to the 2008 boat parade.