By Davondre Huyler, Contributing Writer
Appreciation and recognition must be shown to the Seminole women of Florida. The Seminoles migrated to Florida in the 18th century and are still around today. Seeing that they are a small percentage of the overall Florida population, they often time get lack of recognition.
The Seminoles are Native Americans that have been in Florida since the 1700s (18th century). However, their ancestors are the Creek Indians from Georgia and Alabama who migrated to Florida. They migrated to Florida because of ongoing conflict with Europeans, most notably the Spanish. They are sometimes called the “Unconquered People” because they didn’t allow the Spanish or anyone to eradicate them, their culture, and their way of life.
The Seminoles have many prominent women amongst their group, with Betty Mae Jumper being the most well-known amongst them due to her contributions.
Jumper (1923-2011) was the first female chief of the Seminole Tribe in Florida. She was born on the Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale reservation of the Seminole Tribe. She was not able to attend either segregated schools for white or for black children due to her Native background. Because of her ambition, purpose, and drive, she persuaded her mother to let her attend a boarding school for Indians in North Carolina.
Although Jumper has passed away, her work and efforts are still acknowledged up to this day,
Jumper was listed on the Florida Women of the Century list by USA Today in 2020. She contributed to her people by not only being their first chief officer but also by being their first health director.
Jumper’s main focuses were trying to gain better education and healthcare for the Seminole community with the addition of improving the tribe’s finances.
In 1970, she was appointed by President Nixon to the National Council on Indian Opportunity. The council’s goal was to encourage and create federal programs that benefit the Native American population.
Jumper was very active within the Seminole community; she even founded the Seminole Tribune newspaper and was the editor. Jumper is also the founder of the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET). USET is an inter-tribal organization that specializes in the development and improvement of tribal groups and all aspects of their lives.
Another prominent Seminole woman was Priscilla Sayen (1941-2014) Sayen was a former Miss Seminole in 1964. Then, she became the Secretary of the Seminole Tribe in 1979.
Sayen had served the Seminole community as secretary up until the day she died. Prior to becoming the secretary, she worked for the Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the United States Public Health Service.
Also, a former Miss Seminole (2008), D’Anna Osceola, has contributed to the Seminole community in many ways too.
Osceola is a member of the Seminole Bird clan, and she grew up on the Okeechobee Reservation. She has been serving as a public voice for Native Americans and this was observed during a past interview (2017) during National Native American Heritage Month. She gave a vast amount of insight into the Seminole culture and what it is like to be a Native American in Florida.
At the time of the interview, Osceola was serving as the executive assistant at the Florida Governor’s Council on Indian Affairs for three years. At the council, her focus was to serve the Indian youth and educate the public on Native American communities. Osceola organizes youth programs that help with the preparation of Native American teens to go to college.
Seminole women have faced many hardships throughout the years. They have learned to survive as minorities just as their ancestors did in the past when their tribes were threatened with removal. The Seminoles are an impoverished group of people, however, their right to own casinos has brought them a great amount of revenue.
With little to no support, Seminoles would appreciate donations of any item that can benefit their communities. This helps to put them in better economic status and carry on their traditions for years to come. Also, they currently have housing plans and real estate deals in effect to improve their living conditions.
You can contribute to the Seminole communities and organizations by donating money, clothes, food, and just about anything through many mediums, specifically the Internet and their addresses (for packages). You can also volunteer to be a guest speaker to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Seminole Tribe of Florida, they consider this as a donation as well. Some of the links to their websites are:
- https://seminole-store.com/donation.aspx
- https://bgc.semtribe.com/how-can-we-help/donations
- https://www.semtribe.com/stof
