E-Mail to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I have never written before today but have always wanted to tell you all a very deep-hearted and profound thank you for allowing FSU to use the name of the greatest Native American Tribe. I have loved being a Seminole by virtue of my being a graduate of FSU, but more so, because the Seminoles represent the pride, the spirit and virtue of humanity.
I have also always bragged to my students–I am a teacher–of the fact that the Seminoles are the Unconquered! Please know that I am one woman proud to be associated with the name Seminole and I thank you for allowing my great university to continue to wear that name proudly as well.
Thank you again and Go Seminoles,
Sarah Hammock
Dear Editor,
Recently, we viewed a news article about the buffalo soldiers and the Seminole Indian Tribes. We loosely use the word “news” referring to the African American News and Issue online news site, Vol. 11, Issue 26, “The Hidden History of The Buffalo Soldiers.” It left us with a few questions in regards to the Seminole Nation, or as author Mario Marcel Salas states, the “Black” Seminole Nation.
According to Salas: “The history of the Black Seminole ‘Indians’... The story begins in Georgia and South Carolina where the Red Seminoles lived and rebelled against the Creeks or ‘White Sticks,’ as they were known. Many of whom had accepted ‘white ways,’ and were considered “traitors” by the “Red Sticks,” later to be called Seminoles. These Native Americans, after an internal civil war, fled to Florida, where they intermingled with free black Spaniards....”
Our questions are: Are these terms red stick, white stick actually part of your heritage or are they concocted terms used only by Salas? Who or what is John Horse A.K.A. Juan Cavallo in relation to the Seminole or “Black” Seminole history?
What happened to the Seminole or “Black” Seminoles in Mexico before the Mexican Revolution?
Last question but most important question to us would be; What is the history between Black Americans of African decent and Seminole Indians in North America?
Thank you for your time.
Continued success in all your endeavors,
Two Very Curious House Wives
Dear Two Very Curious House Wives,
The term Red Sticks is fairly familiar to us all in the more common French-Baton Rouge. It refers to the “red stick” or war symbol placed in certain towns that were at war against the U.S. Army under General Andrew Jackson. Their political movement was based on “nativist” or fundamentalist tribal views that were intended to preserve and protect the culture.
There was a war that was variously referred to as the Creek war, the Creek Civil War and the War of 1812, which led to a migration into Florida of these Red Sticks after 1813. I have never heard of the term “white sticks”.
John Cavallo AKA John Horse was a major Black Seminole war leader. He was a friend of Wildcat, the Seminole leader. Wildcat went to Mexico and became an officer in the Mexican army. John Horse went with him. They had an arrangement with the Mexican authorities to fight the Comancheros.
Life in Mexico was found to be preferable to life on the reservations in Oklahoma. After the Civil War some of these people migrated into Texas. Three Black Seminoles who had come back to Texas won the Congressional Medal of Honor during actions against the Indians while serving in the U.S. Army.
I don’t know what relationship any of this has with the Mexican Revolution.
As for a history of the Black Seminoles I would refer you to the works of Daniel Littlefield; particularly “Africans and Seminoles” or “Africans and Creeks.”