Seminole Nation



To get started in American Indian Research

Basic Facts
The Seminole Tribe is part of the group known as the Five Civilized Tribes

Ancestral Homeland: Southeastern United States - Georgia and Florida

Linguistic Group: Muskhogean

Federal Status: Recognized

Leaders: Osceola

Miccosukee Tribe live on the Miccosukee reservation or along the Tamiami Trail

Tribal Headquarters

 * Seminole Nation-Indian Territory website

Brief Timeline

 * 1817-18: Seminole War; American troops under General Andrew Jackson. Jackson's victory led to Spain selling Florida to the United States.
 * February 22, 1821: Florida became part of the United States.
 * 1823 September 18, Treaty at Fort Moultrie Creek in Territory of Florida, with the Florida Tribes of Indians the tribe gave up 30 million acres of farmland and received .5 million acres in central Florida.
 * 1832 May 9,Treaty at Payne's Landing,Territory of Florida, annuity, removal, land cessions and to remove within three years
 * 1833 Mar 28, Treaty at Fort Gibson Major Phagan to superintend removal
 * December 1835 - August 14, 1842: second Seminole War lead by Osceola
 * 1835-1842: An estimated 4,000 Seminole had been removed from Florida. Those removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) became the Seminole Nation and one of the Five Civilized Tribes.
 * A refugee band of Seminole Negroes removed near the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas.
 * 1845 January 4, at Creek Agency, with Creeks and Seminole, annuity, rations, removal
 * 1856 August 7, Washington D.C., removal, with the Creeks
 * 1865 Treaty with the Cherokee and other Tribes in Indian Territory
 * 1866 March 21, Washington D.C.
 * 1953: U.S. Congress began a new policy of termination for the Indian tribes. The policy ended the protected trust status of all Indian-owned lands. The BIA began a voluntary urban relocation program. American Indians could move from their rural tribes to a metropolitan area. Many Indians relocated to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas and Seattle.It is estimated that 750,000 Native American migrated to the cities between 1950-1980.


 * 1957: Florida Tribe of Seminole incorporates - federal recognition

Agencies
Seminole Agency

Union Agency

Reservations
Big Cyprus Reservation

Brighton Reservation

Hollywood Reservation

Miccosukee Reservation

Additional References to the History of the Tribe
Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Seminole tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

Wilfred T. Neill. The Story of Florida's Seminole Indians. St. Peters burg, FL. Great outdoors, FHL Book 970.1 Al no 49

The Seminoles. by Edwin C McReynolds. {|FHL|93206|item|disp=FHL book 970.3 Se52m|}

Census Records
1900 Indian Territory, Seminole Nation. Konawa Genealogy Society.

1907 Census of Seminole County, Oklahoma. US Bureau of the Census

1930-1940 Indian Census Seminole of Florida:with birth and death records by Jeff Bowen also on film Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940. US Bureau of Indian Affairs - Seminole 1913-1940 FHL 581497-581498

1935 Florida State Census. Florida State Archives. 30 microfilm Online

1945 Florida State Census. Florida State Archives. 43 films On Line

Cemetery
Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery by Jim C. Ames

Enrollment
Dawes Commission Enrollment Records for the Five U.S. Indian Tribes

The Family History Library

On Line

Dawes Enrollment Applications

"Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914" (M1301). National Archives Catalog ID: 617283. Also known as "Dawes Enrollment Applications", "Dawes Enrollment Jackets" and "Dawes Packets" and "Land Allotment Jackets".


 * Dawes Packets (Fold3) ($)
 * (FamilySearch) - index only


 * Dawes Commission Enrollment
 * Eastern Cherokee- Guion Miller Enrollment

Other References
Ernest, John E. The Complete Seminole. Clearfield Co. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD 2012 ISBN 978-08063-5608-2 and

Freedman
African and Seminoles: From Removal to Emancipation by Daniel F. Littlefield.

The Black Seminoles: History of a Freedom Seeking People. By Kenneth W. Porter.

Indian Pioneer Papers
In 1936, the Oklahoma Historical Society and University of Oklahoma requested a writer's project grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in which interviews would be conducted with early settlers in Oklahoma who had lived on Indian land. More than 100 writers conducted over 11,000 interviews and were asked to "call upon early settlers and (record) the story of the migration to Oklahoma and their early life here." The University of Oklahoma Western History Collection has digitized the Indian Pioneer Papers which consists of approximately 80,000 indexed entries arranged alphabetically by personal name, place name, or subject. An index to the Indian Pioneer Papers may also be found at OkGenWeb Oklahoma Genealogy. A separate index of Indians interviewed may be viewed at: “Indians in the Indian Pioneer Papers” The interview of Willie Larney includes information about the Seminoles in Oklahoma.Family History Library microfiche number: 6,016,865(first microfiche number)

Military Records
Headquarters Records of Fort Gibson, Indian Territory 1830-1857

The Union Indian Brigade in the Civil War by Wiley Britton

Register of Deceased Veterans, Florida. Works Projects Administration

Enlistment Records of Indian Scouts who Served in the Scout Detachments at Fort Clark, Texas. by Donald A. Swanson.

School Records
Mekusukey Academy Seminole Nation (some text is written in Seminole)

Removal
The Indian Removal Act was signed May 26, 1830 by President Andrew Jackson. The Act initiated a policy of removal of American Indians tribes living east of the Mississippi River to land west of the river.

School Records
Mekusukey Academy (Oklahoma) Seminole Nation. Some of the t ext is written in Seminole. 6 films

Treaties

 * 1823 September 18, at Moultrie Creek in Territory of Florida, with the Florida Tribes of Indians
 * 1832 at Payne's Landing,Territory of Florida, annuity, removal, and land cessions
 * 1833 Mar 28, at Fort Gibson
 * 1845 January 4, at Creek Agency, with Creeks and Seminole, annuity, rations, removal
 * 1856 August 7, Washington D.C., removal, with the Creeks
 * 1865 with the Cherokee and other Tribes in Indian Territory
 * 1866 March 21, Washington D.C.

Vital Records
Florida Combined Death Index, 1877-1969. Florida Dept. of Health. 305 fiche

Family History Library
The Family History Library catalog has over 280 records of interest for the Seminole Indians

Important Web Sites

 * Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Constitution.
 * Constitution and By-Laws of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Ratified August 21, 1957.
 * Seminole Tribe Wikipedia
 * Seminole Nation-Indian Territory website
 * Seminole Native Americans http://seminolenativeamericans.blogspot.com
 * Native American Research http://nativeamericanresearch.blogspot.com
 * Indian Research http://researchindians.blogspot.com