 Photo courtesy of the Seminole Tribe of Florida Above, two Seminole ladies wearing traditional Seminole clothing |
the early 19th century Seminoles wore
clothing made from hides or skins
similar to that of other Southeast tribes. Furs and hides provided warmth
against the cool climate of the area around Georgia where many Seminoles
still lived. President Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policies of the
1830's and the ensuing Seminole Wars, sent the remaining Seminoles fleeing
ever southward into Florida. In the 1840's approximately 300-500 of the
surviving Florida Seminoles sought refuge by disappearing into the
Everglades. For several decades the Seminoles lived quietly, free from the
influences of other tribes or much interference from the outside world.
With the Wars stopped, families finally emerged from the Everglades, and
turned to trade as their main economy. There were no roads, no motorized
vehicles. The swamp provided alligator hides, egret plumes, and a rich
supply of trade items from its mysterious world. The Seminoles loaded up
their families into dugout canoes and poled into the Miami River, eventually
reaching town (Miami) some sixty miles away. Here, at outposts, families
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