Fort Pierce Community Hosts Indian Day Celebration

By Elgin Jumper

FORT PIERCE — The Fort Pierce community hosted a much-anticipated Indian Day Celebration on Sept. 22 at the Chopco Youth Ranch. This is the fourth year for the important event, organized by Sally Tommie, Fort Pierce liaison, Debbie Christophe, her assistant, Hope Sneed, Fort Pierce community involvement coordinator, Shamy Tommie, director of the Chupco Ranch, Mary Joe Micco, caterer, and the RMG-Redline Media Group.

During the daylong event, attendees enjoyed the traditional Seminole fare, provided by Mary Joe Micco of Brighton, that was served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A large white open-air tent was set up near the Chupco Office Building for the occasion.

“We’re excited you decided to join us this year for our celebration of Indian Day,” announced Sally Tommie, Fort Pierce Liaison. “This is by far the largest crowd we’ve ever had to date, and we hope to get bigger and better as we continue on.”

“The main mission of the day,” she pointed out, “is to provide a day where everyone could get together, break bread, enjoy the camaraderie we all bring together, and also to respect and appreciate what this day means to us as Native American people.”

The planning for this particular day had been meticulous, according to Hope Sneed, who said many Fort Pierce community members “collaborated and made this event a success.”

Attendees made the very best of the warm sunny day partaking in events including horseshoes, archery, a bounce house, rock climbing and a water slide, tomahawk-carving, stickball games, a Seminole fashion show and storytelling.

Sandra Fox, an Emergency Management Planner with the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Office of Emergency Management, directed the various games and activities that were much delighted in by the crowds.

“This is actually my first Indian Day Celebration,” Fox said. “I’m a relatively new employee with the Tribe, so this is great to come out and see the atmosphere, and meet some of the Tribal members I’m working for.”

In addition, a performance by Native American hip-hop artists Culture Shock Camp, featuring Indigo, Kiri, and Ke, performed in front of an enlargement of a Guy LaBree painting entitled Time Travel. There was a clear sense of family and community in Fort Pierce, and this was quite prevalent in every aspect of that fun-filled day.

“This is really nice,” exclaimed Remus Griffin, Bird Clan. “We’ve got a nice crowd here, so we’ve come a long way, and I hope it keeps on progressing.”

Tribal Preschool Director Leona Tommie Williams, who is originally from the area, but now resides in the Hollywood community, echoed Griffin’s sentiments.

“The celebration is very good,” said Tommie Williams, Bird Clan. “I’m proud to say I’m from Fort Pierce, and to see this going on, it’s very humbling. And I wish my grandparents, my aunts, and my mom was here to see all of this, to see that something good has happened with Fort Pierce.”

There were other Seminole visitors who traveled to Chupco’s Youth Ranch from Tampa, Brighton, Big Cypress and Hollywood. Next year celebration organizers will seek to include community members and elders from the Trail and Naples communities, and the Immokalee Reservation.

The Chupco community began with one specific family, consisting of Jack Tommie, Panther Clan, and Sally Chupco Tommie, Bird Clan. The Maker of Breath blessed this union with 13 children, and one of the children, Bessie Tommie, the last surviving member of the original family, was present in the audience. At the mere mention of her name, she received reverential acknowledgement and a fervent round of applause.

Sally Tommie also thanked Bobby Henry, Tribal elder and Tampa community member, “who takes very good care of the community, and our Tribal members.” Henry is also a widely-revered “Rainmaker,” said Tommie, and is often called upon by the state of Florida to bring on much needed rain in crucial times of drought.

Henry then took the mic to deliver a powerful prayer in the Miccosukee language, prior to the midday meal.

Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger was also in attendance. He addressed the gathering after Tommie.

“The turnout this year’s really exceptional,” he said. “And it’s good to see the Brighton people, the Hollywood people, and the Big Cypress people here.”

The crowning touch to the Fort Pierce Indian Day Celebration was the splendid fireworks display.