The Seminoles
Eastern Woodland Indians
How did Seminole Indian children live,
and what did they do?
• How did Seminole Indian children live, and
what did they do?
• Seminole children had chores and not much
time to play, but they did have palmetto dolls and
wooden toys. Like many Native Americans,
Seminole mothers traditionally carried their
babies in cradleboards on their backs.
• palmetto dolls
What were men and women's roles
in the Seminole tribe?
• Seminole men were hunters and sometimes
went to war to protect their families. Seminole
women were farmers and also did most of the
child care and cooking. Both men and women
took part in storytelling, artwork and music, and
traditional medicine.
What were Seminole homes like in
the past?
• The Seminole people lived in houses called chickees.
Seminole chickees were made of wood and plaster, and
the roofs were thatched with palmetto fiber. Here are
some pictures of chickees like the ones Seminole
Indians used. Originally, the Seminoles lived in large
villages of chickees arranged around a town square with
central buildings in it, like a meeting hall and a sports
field. But as the Seminoles moved south, they began
living in smaller groups in remote areas of the
Everglades. They also began building their houses on
wooden stilts that raised the floor two or three feet off the
ground. This protected their homes from flooding and
swamp animals.
Chickees-from start to finish!
What was Seminole clothing
like? Did they wear feather
headdresses and face paint?
• Seminole men wore breechcloths.
Seminole women wore wraparound skirts,
usually woven from palmetto. Shirts were
not necessary in Seminole culture, but
men and women both wore poncho-style
covers in cool weather. The Seminoles
also wore moccasins on their feet.
breechcloth
moccasins
The Seminoles didn't wear long headdresses. Seminole men usually shaved
their heads except for a single scalp lock. Originally, Seminole women wore
their long hair in buns. The Seminoles wore elaborate tribal tattoos, but rarely
painted their faces.
Today, some Seminole people still wear moccasins or a patchwork skirt, but
they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths. The Seminoles
didn't wear long headdresses. Seminole men usually shaved their heads
except for a single scalp lock. Originally, Seminole women wore their long hair
in buns. The Seminoles wore elaborate tribal tattoos, but rarely painted their
faces.
Today, some Seminole people still wear moccasins or a patchwork skirt, but
they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths.
What was Seminole transportation like in
the days before cars? Did they paddle
canoes?
• Yes--the Seminole Indians made flat dugout
canoes from hollowed-out cypress logs. They
steered these boats with poles rather than
paddles, and sometimes used sails made from
palmetto fiber. Over land, the Seminoles used
dogs as pack animals. (There were no horses in
North America until colonists brought them over
from Europe.)
What was Seminole food like in the
days before supermarkets?
• The Seminoles were farming people. Seminole women
harvested crops of corn, beans, squash, and peanuts.
They also ate many fruits including bananas, orange,
pineapples, and coconuts. Seminole men did most of the
hunting and fishing, catching game such as deer, wild
turkeys, rabbits, turtles, and alligators.
• Growing corn, beans, and squash together was known
as “the three sisters” grouping. Beans grew up the
cornstalk, while the squash covered the ground and kept
it moist.
What were Seminole weapons and
tools like in the past?
• Seminole hunters used bows and arrows.
Fishermen usually used fishing spears.
What are Seminole arts and crafts
like?
• The Seminoles are known for their tattoos and
beadwork.
• Each year a woman was given a string of beads
on her birthday. One new string was added each
year until the woman turned 40 years old. The
necklaces covered the woman’s neck up to her
ears and chin. When the woman turned 40, she
began to lay one strand of beads aside year by
year until only one strand was left. The Seminole
women never went into public without the
necklaces.