Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is a federally recognized Seminole
tribe based in the U.S. state
of Oklahoma
. It is the largest of the three federally recognized Seminole organizations, which include the Seminole Tribe of Florida
and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Its members are descendants of the majority of the Seminole in Florida in the 1830s, who were removed to Oklahoma.
Seminoles remaining in Florida fought against US forces in two periods of war (the Second and Third Seminole wars) and peace was made without their defeat. Today, descendants of those people have formed two federally recognized Seminole tribes in Florida
, as well as the federally recognized Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida which separated in the 1960s from one of the Seminole organizations. Other traditional Seminole communities remain unrecognized.
in a process of ethnogenesis
, as remnant peoples from the region joined together and made a new community. They were members of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy. They are the descendants of Creek Apalache and Apalachicola, and also African-American peoples, who found refuge from European-American encroachment in the swamps of northern Florida in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
The War of 1812
and subsequent warfare caused a great increase in migration of Muscogee Creek people into Seminole lands. The 1823 population of Seminoles was estimated at 5000, but three wars fought by the US government decimated the Seminole population: the First Seminole War
of 1817-18, the Second Seminole War
of 1835-42, and the Third Seminole War
of 1855-58. At the time of the later two wars, most of the tribe had already relocated to Indian Territory
, following the signing of the Treaty of Payne's Landing
in 1832. The first Seminoles arrived in Indian Territory in 1832, and by 1842, 3612 Seminoles settled in the American West.
The Seminoles remaining in Florida gained federal recognition and their own reservation in the early 20th century. Since then, two more Seminole and Micosukitribes in Florida have been federally recognized.
The Seminoles in Indian Territory were confined to the Muscogee Creek Reservation and forced to follow their laws. Two bands of Seminoles upset by this situation left for Mexico in 1849, led by John Horse and Wild Cat
. Finally in 1856, the United States allowed the Seminole to govern their own reservation, in what is now Seminole County, Oklahoma
.
In Oklahoma, many tribal lands were broken up by the Dawes Allotment Act
of 1887, by which communal lands were allocated to individual households, after which the US government sold off some of the "surplus". Under the Curtis Act of 1898
, intended to assimilate the Native Americans, the tribal government was dismantled. The tribe was forced to turn over its institutions, such as boys and girls' academies, as well to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or state government to operate. The tribe eventually restored its government under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act
and regained jurisdiction over its land in 1935. In 1970 the tribal council reorganized again to more closely follow traditional Seminole government structure.
. Of 16,338 enrolled tribal members, 13,533 live within the state of Oklahoma. The tribal jurisdictional area covers Seminole County, Oklahoma
.
As of September 5, 2009, the tribe's Principal Chief is Leonard M. Harjo, serving a four-year term. Ella Coleman is the current Assistant Chief.
Tribal enrollment is based on direct lineal blood descent from an original enrollee on the Final Seminole Dawes Roll.
The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma operates its own housing authority, three casinos, three tribal smoke shops, three gasoline stations, one truck stop, an alcohol and substance abuse program, a business and corporate regulatory commission, several family services, a food distribution program, a judgment fund program, environmental protection program, and other social service programs. They also issue their own tribal vehicle tags. Their annual economic impact is $81 million.
The tribe is establishing a Seminole Nation Language Program, to revitalize its language. Traditionally, most of its people spoke Mikasuki, a Muskogean language, before learning English.
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation emerged in a process of ethnogenesis out of groups of Native Americans, most significantly Creeks from what is now Georgia and Alabama, who settled in Florida in...
tribe based in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. It is the largest of the three federally recognized Seminole organizations, which include the Seminole Tribe of Florida
Seminole Tribe of Florida
The Seminole Tribe of Florida is a federally recognized Seminole tribe based in the U.S. state of Florida. Together with the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, it is one of three federally recognized Seminole entities...
and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Its members are descendants of the majority of the Seminole in Florida in the 1830s, who were removed to Oklahoma.
Seminoles remaining in Florida fought against US forces in two periods of war (the Second and Third Seminole wars) and peace was made without their defeat. Today, descendants of those people have formed two federally recognized Seminole tribes in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, as well as the federally recognized Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida which separated in the 1960s from one of the Seminole organizations. Other traditional Seminole communities remain unrecognized.
History
The Seminole people originated in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in a process of ethnogenesis
Ethnogenesis
Ethnogenesis is the process by which a group of human beings comes to be understood or to understand themselves as ethnically distinct from the wider social landscape from which their grouping emerges...
, as remnant peoples from the region joined together and made a new community. They were members of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy. They are the descendants of Creek Apalache and Apalachicola, and also African-American peoples, who found refuge from European-American encroachment in the swamps of northern Florida in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
The War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and subsequent warfare caused a great increase in migration of Muscogee Creek people into Seminole lands. The 1823 population of Seminoles was estimated at 5000, but three wars fought by the US government decimated the Seminole population: the First Seminole War
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
of 1817-18, the Second Seminole War
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
of 1835-42, and the Third Seminole War
Seminole Wars
The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between the Seminole — the collective name given to the amalgamation of various groups of native Americans and Black people who settled in Florida in the early 18th century — and the United States Army...
of 1855-58. At the time of the later two wars, most of the tribe had already relocated to Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
, following the signing of the Treaty of Payne's Landing
Treaty of Payne's Landing
The Treaty of Payne's Landing was an agreement signed on 9 May 1832 between the government of the United States and several chiefs of the Seminole Indians in the present-day state of Florida.- Background :...
in 1832. The first Seminoles arrived in Indian Territory in 1832, and by 1842, 3612 Seminoles settled in the American West.
The Seminoles remaining in Florida gained federal recognition and their own reservation in the early 20th century. Since then, two more Seminole and Micosukitribes in Florida have been federally recognized.
The Seminoles in Indian Territory were confined to the Muscogee Creek Reservation and forced to follow their laws. Two bands of Seminoles upset by this situation left for Mexico in 1849, led by John Horse and Wild Cat
Wild Cat (Seminole)
Wild Cat, born Coacoochee or Cowacoochee , was a leading Seminole chieftain during the later stages of the Second Seminole War as well as the nephew of Micanopy....
. Finally in 1856, the United States allowed the Seminole to govern their own reservation, in what is now Seminole County, Oklahoma
Seminole County, Oklahoma
Seminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 24,894 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Wewoka. Before Oklahoma's admission as a state, the county was the entire small portion of Indian Territory allocated to the Seminoles. Seminole County has been an...
.
In Oklahoma, many tribal lands were broken up by the Dawes Allotment Act
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act, adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey Indian tribal land and divide the land into allotments for individual Indians. The Act was named for its sponsor, Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts. The Dawes Act was amended in 1891 and again...
of 1887, by which communal lands were allocated to individual households, after which the US government sold off some of the "surplus". Under the Curtis Act of 1898
Curtis Act of 1898
The Curtis Act of 1898 was an amendment to the United States Dawes Act that brought about the allotment process of lands of the Five Civilized Tribes of Indian Territory: the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee, Cherokee, and Seminole...
, intended to assimilate the Native Americans, the tribal government was dismantled. The tribe was forced to turn over its institutions, such as boys and girls' academies, as well to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or state government to operate. The tribe eventually restored its government under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act
Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act
The Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1936, also known as the Thomas-Rogers Act, is a United States federal law that extended the US Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. It sought to return some form of tribal government to the many tribes in former Indian Territory...
and regained jurisdiction over its land in 1935. In 1970 the tribal council reorganized again to more closely follow traditional Seminole government structure.
Today
The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is headquartered in Wewoka, OklahomaWewoka, Oklahoma
Wewoka is a city in Seminole County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,562 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Seminole County.Wewoka is the capital of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma.-Geography:Wewoka is located at ....
. Of 16,338 enrolled tribal members, 13,533 live within the state of Oklahoma. The tribal jurisdictional area covers Seminole County, Oklahoma
Seminole County, Oklahoma
Seminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 24,894 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Wewoka. Before Oklahoma's admission as a state, the county was the entire small portion of Indian Territory allocated to the Seminoles. Seminole County has been an...
.
As of September 5, 2009, the tribe's Principal Chief is Leonard M. Harjo, serving a four-year term. Ella Coleman is the current Assistant Chief.
Tribal enrollment is based on direct lineal blood descent from an original enrollee on the Final Seminole Dawes Roll.
The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma operates its own housing authority, three casinos, three tribal smoke shops, three gasoline stations, one truck stop, an alcohol and substance abuse program, a business and corporate regulatory commission, several family services, a food distribution program, a judgment fund program, environmental protection program, and other social service programs. They also issue their own tribal vehicle tags. Their annual economic impact is $81 million.
The tribe is establishing a Seminole Nation Language Program, to revitalize its language. Traditionally, most of its people spoke Mikasuki, a Muskogean language, before learning English.
Notable Oklahoma Seminole
- Fred BeaverFred BeaverFred Beaver was a prominent Muscogee Creek-Seminole painter and muralist from Oklahoma.-Background:Fred Beaver was born in Eufaula, Oklahoma. His Muscogee name was Ekalanee, meaning "Brown Head." He was the son of Willie Beaver and Annie Johnson, was raised in Eufaula, and attended the Eufaula...
(1911-1980), easel painter, muralist - John ChupcoJohn ChupcoJohn Chupco was a leader of the Hvteyievike Band of the Seminole during the time of their forced relocation to Oklahoma. From 1861-1866, he served as chief of the Seminole who supported the Union; the tribe divided over their loyalties during the war, with many supporting the...
(d. 1881), chief during the Trail of TearsTrail of TearsThe Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830... - John Frippo BrownJohn Brown (Seminole Chief)John Frippo Brown, a Seminole of the Tiger Clan, was a Confederate States Army officer during the American Civil War. He was elected by the tribal council as the last principal chief of the Seminole Nation before Oklahoma statehood.-Early life and education:...
, last elected Principal Chief before statehood - Alice Brown DavisAlice Brown DavisAlice Brown Davis was the first female Principal Chief of the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma, and served from 1922-1935, appointed by President Warren G. Harding. She was of Seminole and Scots descent...
(1852–1935), appointed in 1922 by President Warren G. HardingWarren G. HardingWarren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
as first female Principal Chief of the tribe - Enoch Kelly HaneyEnoch Kelly HaneyEnoch Kelly Haney is an American politician and internationally-recognized Native American artist from Oklahoma, He has served as Principal Chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma from 2005 until 2009, and was previously a member of the Oklahoma Legislature.-Early life and education:Enoch Kelly...
, politician and artist - Benjamin Harjo, Jr.Benjamin Harjo, Jr.Benjamin Harjo, Jr. is an award-winning Absentee Shawnee-Seminole painter and printmaker from Oklahoma.-Background:Harjo is half-Seminole and half-Shawnee and is enrolled in the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Harjo’s father was the late Benjamin Harjo, Sr., a full blood Seminole. Harjo’s...
, painter, printmaker, and youth advocate - Johnny Tiger, Jr.Johnny Tiger, Jr.-Background:Johnny Tiger Jr. was born in 1940 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capitol of the Cherokee Nation. His parents were Loucine Lewis and the Reverend John M. Tiger. His younger brother, the late Jerome Tiger was a celebrated artist. As a child Johnny traveled with his grandfather Coleman...
, artist