Seminole Indians
Where do the Seminole Live?
• The Seminole lived in the southeast
region, specifically in the state of
Florida.
• They started out in northern
Florida, but when the Americans
attacked them, the Seminole tribe
retreated further south, into the
Everglades.
Who are the Seminole Indians
• The Seminole people were once part of
the creek tribe
• They farmed the southern regions of
what is known today as Georgia and
Alabama
• When European settlers arrived, some of
the creek people decided to stay behind,
while others moved to northern and
central Florida
• These people became known as the
Seminole (which means “runaway” or
“Wander”
What did they eat?
• They planted corn, beans, squash and other
vegetables and fruit
• They fished and hunted, often catching
alligators in the Florida swamps
• On land the Seminole hunted deer , bear,
raccoon, squirrel, and birds
• The gathered roots and potatoes
• Each family owned a vegetable garden
• Corn was an important staple in the Seminole
diet
• It was often used to make a corn dish called
hominy or it was ground into meal to make
cornbread
What did they wear?
• They wore colorful cotton clothing decorated
with striped or plaid designs
• The women wore long-sleeved blouses and
skirts that touched the floor
• Wore necklaces made of glass beads
• It was common for Seminole women to wear
several pounds of beaded necklaces that
reached all the way to her ears
• Men wore colorful shirts and plaid turbans on
their heads
• When the weather was cold, men wore coats
with ruffles called long shirts
What are Chickees?
• The Seminole living near the Everglades
built open-sided wooden huts called
chickees
• A chickee was built on a platform raised
about 3 feet off the swampy ground, and
it had a thatched roof constructed of
palmetto leaves
• The roof kept out rain
• The Seminole slept in hammocks
• The Seminole spent most of their time
outdoors
Chickee
How did the Seminoles travel?
• They made flat dugout canoes from
hollowed-out cypress logs
• They steered the boats with poles
rather than paddles
What were the Seminole
villages like?
• Was made up of many families
• Families in the villages were related through their
mothers
• All women and children belonged to the same clan
(vocabulary word)
• Seminole women worked near camp, taking care of the
children, cooking, sewing, and gardening
• Seminole men hunted, fishing, and farming
• In the early summer, the Seminole prepared for an
important festival- the green corn dance
• Seminole villages came together to celebrate the festival
by dancing, playing games, and feasting
• The naming ceremony was held that year at the green
corn dance festival