The Steadfast Seminole! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Creek

Many groups of Native Americans, including the Creek, Choctaw, and Chickasaw, migrated into northern Florida in the 18th century due to early conflicts with European colonists in the present-day United States. Florida was controlled by Spain at the time; however, many of the indigenous tribes who lived there in the 1500s had been wiped out by disease, war, or voluntary relocation. As these newcomers mingled and merged with the people already occupying the area, a new culture group called the Seminole emerged. It is believed that the Seminole group was originally comprised mostly of Lower Creeks from Georgia, however, by 1771 the name "Seminole" was used to describe the Native Americans who lived in Florida.

The term "Seminole" is derived from either a Creek word, "simanó-li", or a Spanish word, "cimarrón", which means "runaway".

Answer: Osceola

The Seminole became a thriving culture after their relocation to northern Florida, and were able to establish themselves further south as their settlements grew and flourished. Essentially left alone by Europeans until 1821, when the United States acquired Florida from Spain, the people found themselves being pressured to give up their lands and fighting a series of wars with the United States Army. While some of the Seminole chiefs had signed the Treaty of Payne's Landing, agreeing to move to land west of the Mississippi River, other chiefs organized an uprising. Osceola became the leader of Seminole resistance during the Second Seminole War (1835-42); he was, however, captured under a flag of truce and died during his imprisonment.

There were three Seminole Wars altogether; the First Seminole War was from 1816-19, the Second Seminole War was mentioned above, and the Third Seminole War was fought from 1855-58.

Answer: Chickee

Also called chickee huts or platform dwellings, the chickee is an open shelter with a raised floor and thatched roof. Previously the Seminole had lived in log cabins, but when they were pushed further south into the Everglades during the Seminole Wars, they adopted a home using materials that were at hand - bald cypress logs to hold up a roof made from palmetto thatching - and similar to those that had been used by earlier indigenous people during the period of Spanish colonization.

Today chickee huts are still used by Native Americans who live in the Everglades and are used by camping visitors as well. Some Florida homes and businesses also attempt to emulate the unique design.

Answer: Green Corn Ceremony

Also called the Great Peace Ceremony, the Green Corn Ceremony was an annual celebration practiced by many groups of Native Americans held at the beginning of the corn harvest and new year. While each tribe had its own special traditions associated with the celebration, it was generally a time of fasting, praying, purging, forgiveness, purification, and dancing for seven or eight days. For the Seminole, it was also a time when 12 year-old boys become men and were given a new name by their chief.

There are many groups of Native Americans today, including the Seminole, who still hold a type of Green Corn Ceremony. Traditions may vary, however, the idea behind the ceremony for each group is still the same.

Answer: Black Drink

Used in purification rituals, black drink is still made from yaupon holly leaves and branches. Roasting causes the leaves and branches to release caffeine; afterwards, the solution is boiled in water until it becomes black drink. Even though this is a process that dates back thousands of years, the exact recipe and method used in its manufacture is unknown - so - as a word of warning - yaupon holly berries are poisonous and kidney failure can result from drinking solutions that are made from holly leaves.

And - what is the effect of black drink on its consumer? It is a massive dose of caffeine equivalent to at least 3-6 cups of strong coffee - perhaps more.

Answer: Mikasuki

Also known as Muskogee, Miccosukee, and Hitchiti, the Mikasuki language, a written language that uses a Latin alphabet, is still spoken by an estimated 500 people who live in Florida. They are members of two of the three recognized groups of Seminole - the Seminole Tribe of Florida, recognized by the U.S. federal government in 1957, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, which received federal recognition in 1962.

By the way, the third federally recognized group of Seminole is the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma. After the Oklahoma group was split from the ones in Florida, there was little contact between the groups of people for over a hundred years, which resulted in some cultural variation.

Answer: Bristly Thistle

"Cirsium horridulum", also called "bristly thistle" and "horrid thistle", is a native plant to the eastern coast of the United States. It not only has sharp spines on the edges of its leaves, but also on its flower heads. While some Native Americans boiled the leaves and mixed it with whiskey to use as an astringent or for medicinal purposes, the Seminole use it to make blowgun darts. The blowguns, constructed from switch cane, are believed to have been used to hunt birds.

The Seminole, experts at living in the swampland, hunted and fished a variety of wild animals, including wild turkeys, alligators, and deer; in addition they raised agricultural crops, such as corn, squash, and beans. Eventually they also became cattle ranchers.

Answer: Italwa

The basis and organization of Seminole society, the itálwa, was similar to a town or group. Each was self-governing, however, groups would band together when necessary. Although membership in the itálwa was matrilineally based - a person's status was derived from their mother - only men held political and social positions of leadership.

The Seminole were further divided into clans. When two people married, the man would join the clan of his new wife.

Answer: Black Seminole

Originally, when the Spanish held Florida, they used the indigenous Native Americans who lived there to help defend their land claim; when war and disease decimated those people, other Native Americans, as well as free blacks and escaped slaves were welcomed into Spanish territory to serve the same purpose. In 1738 the Spanish settlement at Fort Mosé was founded as a free black town in Florida after King Charles II of Spain gave blacks their freedom. In spite of their Seminole bloodline, Black Seminole have typically lived in their own communities on the fringe of Seminole towns.

Today that is still the case in Oklahoma, where many of the Seminole were relocated at the end of the Second Seminole War. There are communities of Black Seminole remaining in Florida, and also found in Texas, the Bahamas, and Mexico.

Answer: Abiaka

Also known as Ar-pi-uck-i, or Sam Jones, Abiaka was not only a medicine chief, but also a war chief during the Second Seminole War from 1835-42. Refusing to move to an area west of the Mississipi River after signing the Treaty of Payne's Landing with the U.S. government, Abiaka claimed that the Seminole representatives had been coerced to sign. During the resulting conflict, Abiaka served as a war chief during the Battle of Lake Okeechobee, Battle of Lake Okeechobee, and Battle of Pine Island Ridge.

Abiaka is credited with being the leader who kept at least some of the Seminole established in Florida. He simply refused to leave, living with his clan deep in the Everglades.