Icon of the Seminole Tribe

By Judy Weeks

BIG CYPRESS — On Dec. 24, 2005, another chapter in the history of the Seminole Tribe came to a close. Tommie Jumper, thought to be the oldest living member of the Tribe, passed away at the age of circa 105 years.

Born into the Panther clan in 1900 in the woods east of Copeland, Fla., in what is today Collier County, Tommie Roberts later married Harley Jumper. This union produced 12 children, with seven still alive today. She had more than 125 direct descendants spanning five generations.

On Mother’s Day 2005, the Immokalee community recognized Jumper with an appreciation luncheon. The gym was packed with family members and friends who wished to honor this wonderful woman.

Growing up in a time when South Florida was still an untamed wilderness, she had the opportunity of experiencing the lifestyle of our ancestors first hand. She knew the hardships of survival on the frontier, bearing your children in the woods and living off the land which her creator had provided for his children.

Like the majority of our ancestors, life was not easy for her but a most rewarding experience. As time passed and the landscape of their existence changed, Tommie and her husband moved around from one area to another, living in Copeland, on the Trail, in Hollywood, Brighton, Big Cypress, Rock Island and Immokalee. She made a home for her family wherever they set up camp.

Friends in the next generation fondly remember their parents taking them to Tommie’s camp. No matter how hard the times, there was always food and good companionship.

After the passing of her husband, Tommie made her permanent home at Big Cypress, only leaving there to live with her daughter, Delores, in Immokalee when her health became fragile. After a succession of illnesses this past year, she asked to return to her Big Cypress home for Christmas.

The family gathered for a big celebration, which included not only the holiday season but her birthday that would have taken place on Jan. l.

Tommie was very alert for the festive occasion and enjoyed interacting with her loved ones and friends in the surroundings of her own home. It was as though her life had come full circle and she was ready to lay down and rest.

Like many elders, Tommie had a deep faith in her Creator and prayed daily. Many of the community members remember her walking to and from church on a regular basis. Although she could not read or write and had a limited understanding of the English language, she cherished her Bible and spent long hours with her friends talking about the lessons found within its pages.

Her daughter Delores Jumper said: “Mom would pray every day for the Tribal leaders to give them wisdom and understanding to guide them down the proper road in caring for their people.”

Chairman Mitchell Cypress reiterated the following remarks he made in the article “Oh, The Changes I Have Seen” from July 1, 2005 issue of The Seminole Tribune.

“In recognizing Tommie, you give special recognition to all of our mothers, who are the roots of our culture. She is representative of the strong willed, determined, self-sacrificing women who have kept the Seminole Tribe alive during the hard times. Our young people today owe their existence and future to these women.”

“They bore their children in the woods, fed and cared for them off the land and taught them to be self-sufficient and responsible. When I looked at Tommie, I saw my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother squatting barefoot by the fire, preparing our food. A meal from meat they cleaned themselves, vegetables they grew and corn they roasted and ground by hand as their mothers did before them. I see them hunched over a sewing machine, weaving a basket or carrying firewood.”

“These tasks are no longer performed today. It is because of the character and determination they have passed on to us that we can prosper in today’s world. No matter how far we go, we should always remember where we have come from. Our past helps to shape our future. Cherish our elders, they are our treasures, and through their blood the Seminoles will stand strong.”

The Jumper family deeply appreciate the sympathy and help they have received from everyone during this difficult time and will keep you in their prayers.