Do you know the difference in these two words: Muscogee and Miccosukee? HMMMM, do you??
Do you know what a chickee is?
Have you ever heard of the Ahfachkee School?
What about the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum?
If you were with me this week, you would have heard these words a LOT. I am attending a workshop this week called “Tribal Traditions in the Modern World: The Seminole Tribe, Their Voices and Their Stories.” Quite a mouthful isn’t it? I was lucky enough to be selected (with 37 other Florida teachers) by the Florida Humanities Council to get to be here, learning about the Seminole Tribe of Florida. I also got to come with my friends Joan Turner and Ann Stemmerman, which makes it even more fun. We are spending the week at the Clewiston Inn, a historic inn built in 1938, in the small town of Clewiston. I have an advantage over Turner and Stemmerman, as I was lucky enough (!!) to get to live here in “America’s Sweetest Town” for my last two years of high school. We’ll save more of that story for another day!
After a day and a half of intensive learning, I’ll just say this: most of what I thought I knew about the Seminole Tribe of Florida is a bunch of hooey. (Yes, hooey is a technical term!) I must admit, I’ve already had some stereotypical ideas in my own head revised – and we’re not even done yet.
I’ll share more about what I’ve learned but I will say this: the word “resilient” keeps coming to mind, over and over again. I’ll also say this which sounds a bit officious – I’m seeing a remarkable juxtaposition of modern and traditional. And just when I think I’ve just seen the most amazing thing – something else comes up. I’m tired, very tired already, but I’m fascinated with what’s coming tomorrow!!!
