E-Mail to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I few years ago I was a teacher at Manderson Day School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. While there I wrote some little verses to help my students learn their colors. They loved them.
Are you aware of any magazine that solicits items for Native American children? I would like to submit my verses and other little stories for children. I think a leaflet or section of a magazine devoted to interests of children would be a great help to the teachers on the reservations.
Thank you for your help,
Ethel Rybarczyk
RED
Red is the blood of the buffalo
That used to tread the plains,
And red is the blood of my heart
That sings along my veins.
But redder still in the autumn
When Jack Frost shows his skill,
Is the red of the maple and sumac
In their glory on the hill.
Dear Editor,
I am an American who lives in the Netherlands in Europe and I miss the energy I always get from powwows and other rituals of Native Americans. Now I have talked to my city and they will allow me to set up a big Native American festival, is there a possibility that you could come over.
The date would be June 8–11, when we have a full moon, or June 22–25.
Please let me know if you could me available.
Thank you very much,
Yvonne Dijt
Dear Miss Dijt,
Thank you for your invitation and your genuine appreciation of our culture. Unfortunately, our programs are planned 12 months in advance and considering following up on your invitation would require foreign travel, we do not have the funding or resources to dedicate to your event.
If your committee has the funds to contract entertainers please contact us again and we will provide you with Tribal citizens who provide this form of entertainment as a paid service.
Again, thank you for your invitation and your interest in Native America!
Sincerely,
Tina Marie Osceola, Executive Director
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Museum Department
Dear Editor,
I am a law student from Japan and now studying at Queen Mary, University of London as an undergraduate associate student. As one of my modules, I am taking one linguistic course, Language in the U.S.
I will give a presentation about language profile in Florida this week. I have researched into language issues among indigenous languages in Florida and found your web site. I am now very interested in the Seminole Tribe and its culture.
Therefore, I would like to introduce any language issues the Seminole Tribe has faced in my presentation. However, I am wondering what kind of language problems the Seminoles has been struggling exactly and how to preserve their own language.
It would be great if I introduce your response in my presentation. Would you do me a favor? Could you answer my following questions?
Who and how many people can speak the Seminole language now?
How is the Seminole language used? i.e. At home, at school, at special occasions like any ceremonies and so on
Have people tried to maintain their own language? If yes, how do they do for it?
What is the most remarkable feature of the Seminole language in terms of grammar (structure) and pronunciation?
They are my questions. However, if you let me know more about the Seminole language or other things, I would be very glad. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Madoka Yoshino
Dear Ms. Yoshino,
There are 3,000 Indians within the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Approximately one quarter to one third of our people speak our language. We speak 2 languages, Creek and Miccosukee.
Many of our elders still use their language everyday in the home. Most of the younger generations do not speak their language on a daily basis. Many younger people can understand their language, but they do not converse in it. Sometimes our language is used at Tribal functions or at ceremonies.
We are in the process of teaching our children to speak, read and write their language. We have one school that teaches grades kindergarten through 12th on a daily basis and another program that teaches students kindergarten through fifth grade one day per week.
The Okeechobee County School Board endorses and supports this program. We are in the process of opening a charter school that will teach grades kindergarten through fifth so that we can have a school that focuses on and specializes in teaching our children cultural/language lessons.
We offer languages classes to all age groups at all of our reservations in an effort to pass on and preserve our language. Our language is an oral tradition and we only began writing our language in 1979. We recently wrote and published a dictionary.
We have 19 letters in our alphabet and many of our letters have different sounds than the sounds of the English alphabet. We do not pluralize our sentences by adding “-s” or “-es” to the end of a word. We pluralize them by the verbs that we use in the sentences.
I hope that I have answered your questions. Please feel free to write me back if I can assist you further.
Lorene Gopher
Director of Cultural Programs
Education Department
Dear Editor,
I first want to say that I am sending this email with sincere intentions. I have lived in Southwest Florida for more than 20 years and have spent a majority of my life outdoors. My job is in construction; my hobbies are saltwater fishing, beach going, nature so you get the picture I spend a lot of time outdoors!
The other day while working I was driving down the road in West Punta Gorda Mangroves and witnessed a hawk carrying an Erget-looking bird in its talons. This struck me as a rare event in nature that I just got to witness.
I shared this with my wife and then I said I bet there is some meaning I wonder if I could contact the Seminole Tribe to get an interpretation of the event. So with that said, I am not joking around or wanting to insult you I just know it has to have meaning and would like to request your spiritual interpretation as to its meaning to my life.
Respectfully submitted,
Brett Martin
Dear Mr. Martin,
Thank you for contacting the Tribe and for finding us on your sighting. That must have been quite an experience.
There are many legends and stories that surround both of the birds that you saw. What you saw was an amazing part of the natural cycle and although at first glance it doesn’t appear to have anymore significance than just that. You must also remember, however, that everyone has their own set of circumstances and spiritual guides.
This experience may mean something to you and you just need to find it within yourself to figure it out. The creator has a way of sending us messages and sometimes we need to decode them. Good luck in your journey.
Sincerely,
Tina Marie Osceola, Executive Director
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Museum Department
Dear Editor,
Hi, my name is Ashley McNulty and I am a student at Western Washington University in Washington State. I am currently in attending a class called “Native Peoples of North America” and we are to do a presentation on a current issue facing Native Americans.
I would like to get your thoughts or opinions on schools using Indian logos or themes as school mascots. Anything you could tell me would be extremely helpful as I am trying to get as many viewpoints on this topic as possible.
Thank you for your time and thoughts,
Ashley McNulty
Dear Ms. McNulty,
Thank you for your request for information on the position of the Seminole Tribe of Florida on the use of Indian-themed mascots or logos.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida was thrust into the center of this issue because of Florida State University’s use of our Tribe and one of its leaders, Osceola, as part of its athletics program. The NCAA sought to disallow FSU to use the Seminoles and Osceola as part of their program and our Tribe fought that measure. It is important to note. However, that in regards to the global issue of Indian-themed mascots, it is the Tribal Council’s position that all sponsoring organizations get the approval of the affected Tribal Council.
The following is the transcript from an interview that I conducted with WNPR on the issue:
“As a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida I am proud to share my culture and heritage with Florida State University’s students, alumni, and fans. The NCAA’s initial review and subsequent action to characterize FSU’s use of our Tribe’s symbols and images as ‘hostile and abusive’ was made without regard for our opinion and input. To me, the disregard for our Tribal government is far more insulting than the mascot issue.
Florida State University seeks to keep an open line of communication between the Tribe and their institution and actively solicits our opinion on issues that affect the University as well as programs and/or services that may be of use to the Tribe.
As an example, Florida State hosts a youth conference for our Tribal youth on their campus. This opportunity allows Seminole students to become familiarized with campus life and college level instruction. This year alone we have four students on campus with four more to begin classes this fall. FSU also has three Seminole graduates, of whom two are my very own cousins.
I cannot describe the feeling that I get when standing among a crowd of FSU fans cheering for their mascot, Osceola. FSU has consulted with our Tribe about Osceola’s costume as well as other symbols. In fact, our Tribe plans on adding to the authenticity of Osceola’s costume by providing replicas of items the real Osceola would have worn in the 1830’s.
The NCAA and the world should understand that FSU’s use of Osceola as a mascot brings the real Osceola’s spirit to life and even though it’s during a sporting event, what other event in our society would provide us the opportunity to teach people about our culture and heritage? We are Florida’s Seminoles…We are the Unconquered…We are proud. That is our story.
Today, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has an enrollment of more than 3,000 members. We have our own government led by five elected council representatives. The council is our legislature. To be ignored or overlooked by the NCAA, a large group comprised of scholars and academics, is frightening in this century.
I urge the NCAA to look within and ask themselves, to review what they have failed to learn…or better yet, maybe they could follow the lead of FSU or ask FSU to teach their organization about Indian Tribes and Government today.
I am confident that the NCAA will support the spirit of Osceola and the heritage of the Seminole Tribe of Florida by allowing Florida State University to stand proud and stand fierce as Seminoles!”
Sincerely,
Tina Marie Osceola, Executive Director
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Museum Department
Dear Editor,
I have a question about Seminole culture/customs… considering all of the hurricanes you have experienced recently in Florida, I was wondering if there is any kind of ceremony or invocations in Seminole culture whose purpose is to ask for protection from the elements.
I may try to include it in a fictional novel I am writing, with your permission. I would also like to use a traditional name for a character and was thinking of Abiaka because the character is a very spiritual person.
I have enjoyed reading about your history very much. To be an unconquered people is worthy of the highest admiration.
Thank you,
Russ Wood
Mr. Wood,
Thank you for your interest in our culture.
Your question is of an interesting nature because in our culture we cannot divulge the details of our ceremonies or ritual, but we can reveal that yes, we do have religious practices and beliefs concerning these storms.
Although, I cannot discuss the particulars of these ceremonies, I can tell you that one common belief shared by Seminoles is that one cannot run from the storm. We believe running from the storm will cause it to follow you.
In our modern world of emergency preparedness, it dispels the need for evacuation routes. Again, thank you for wanting to include our Tribe in your novel.
Sincerely,
Tina Marie Osceola, Executive Director
Seminole Tribe of Florida
Museum Department
Dear Editor,
I’m writing about U.S. government war crimes, especially early precedents for lawless violations of treaties. I’m looking into the attacks by Gen. Jackson against Seminoles in the period from 1816 to 1818.
I’d like to ask Dr. Wickman about sources for gaining knowledge of that period of time, especially Indian sources and Indian analysis. Also, contact with any other people knowledgeable such as historians and anthropologists would be helpful.
Thanks,
Kelly Patrick Gerling, Ph.D.
Dear Dr. Gerling,
Thank you for your interest in our Tribal culture. Dr. Wickman no longer works for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has a Museum department and a Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO). Between the two entities, we employ anthropologists and archaeologists that specialize in the history of the Seminoles as well as the Southeastern U.S.
If you have any questions, please contact, Willard Steele, David Blackard, Jim Pepe or Anne McCudden at (863) 902-1113.