Seminoles

The Florida Seminoles migrated into northern and central Florida beginning in the early 1700s. The word “Seminole” formed from a combination of the words cimarron and simanoli. The Spanish term cimarron means “runaway” or “renegade.” The Muscogee term simanoli means “those that camp at a distance.” Following a series of wars against the United States in the 19th century, only about 200 Seminoles remained in Florida. The tribe obtained federal recognition in the 1950s and 60s, and has long been active in Florida politics, business, and culture. Seminole traditions that have been passed down into our own era include crafts like palmetto basket-weaving and doll-making, patchwork textiles and beadwork.