The Miccosukee Indian Tribe of Florida: Survival in a Harsh Environment

The Miccosukee Indian Tribe of Florida was federally recognized in 1962 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Secretary of the Interior. According to well-known Tribal Historian and author, Jerald T. Milanich, “Floridians were amazed in 1962 when the Miccosukee Tribe was federally recognized by the federal government. Few people realized that the Miccosukee had long been in Florida; most people simply thought they were Seminoles.”

Miccosukee Indians were a part of the Creek nation living in north Florida north of the current city of Tallahassee. The village or town of Miccosukee or Mikasuki was settled by members of the Miccosukee Tribe and its believed had become part of the developing Seminole Nation, north Florida neighbors immediately west of Miccosukee. It was mapped by the British in 1778 and originally called Mikasuki. The British records note there were 60 homes, 28 families and designed with a typical Creek town square. Andrew Jackson invaded the village in 1818 and defeated their Chief Kinhagee and destroyed the homes and farms. Like many Georgia and north Florida Creeks they left following the raids by the U.S. government forces and joined the Seminoles in Florida. Nearly all of written history declares the Miccosukee people as being part of the Seminole, perhaps being distinguished by being Mikasuki-speaking versus the Hitachi-speaking Seminole.

During the Indian Wars of the 1800s, most of the Miccosukee were removed to the west, but about 100, mostly Mikasuki-speaking Creeks, never surrendered and eventually hid out in the Florida Everglades. To survive in this new environment they had to adapt to living in small groups in temporary “hammock style” camps spread through the Everglades’ vast river of grass. The Miccosukee stayed isolated in this environment for about 100 years, resisting efforts to become assimilated into the growing Florida population. Then the Tamiami Trail was built across the Everglades from Miami to Naples in 1928. The Tribe was now exposed and eventually accepted the New World’s concepts while retaining their traditional ways.

As we previously discussed, the Seminole Tribe was proposed for termination of Indian rights and privileges in 1952. “Being proposed for termination galvanized the Seminoles.  On October 9, 1953 an emergency meeting was called at the Indian agency headquarters in the Dania, Florida Reservation. There were two issues to be considered:  First, convincing the U.S. government that the Seminole Tribe was not ready to take over management of its own affairs, and second, convincing the government that all native people living in Florida were not Seminole.” In August 1957 the Seminole Tribe of Florida received its federal recognition without the Miccosukee people.