the seminoles

Social Structure
In the SE, most people lived in family groups called clans. Clans live together in villages. Villages were led by a chief and a group of elders. Differences between clans often caused groups to form new tribes. In the 1700's, some Creek Indians formed a new tribe, called the Seminoles. In clans, people worked together to get food. Men hunted. Women cooked meals. Everyone planted and harvested crops. In most SE tribes, chiefs and other leaders made decisions for the village.

living on... the land!

• Every member of the Seminole tribe is born into a clan or family group 
• Children belong to their mother's clan.
• At one time, there were more than 20 Seminole clans in Florida
• Fourteen clans moved to Oklahoma. Eight remained in Florida.

cool facts

• When a Seminole boy becomes a man, he gets a new name. 
• The Seminole tribe is the most colorful tribe out of all tribes.
• The chiefs never wore feathers like some chiefs in different tribes did.
• A chickee is a home that is made of palmetto leaves, and cypress logs.
• Tribes have lived in the SE area for at least 5,000 years.

Food!

• The Seminoles ate these specific foods, 
• Corn, squash, bread, beans, cucumber 
• they also ate fruits and vegetables 
• Women and children gathered honey, berries, sweet potatoes, and acorns
• Men hunted deer, turkeys, and squirrels 

HOmes!

• Homes in the SE changed with the seasons.
• In summer, the Cherokee kept cool in the homes made out of clay.
• Layers of grass covered the roofs. In winter, they lived in round huts.
• They were made out of wood, mud, and grass.
• Tribes built homes with materials they got from the land.

HOmes!

• Homes in the SE changed with the seasons.
• In summer, the Cherokee kept cool in the homes made out of clay.
• Layers of grass covered the roofs. In winter, they lived in round huts.
• They were made out of wood, mud, and grass.
• Tribes built homes with materials they got from the land.

Homes Continued
The Creek tribe lived in river valleys. They built huts with wood frames. Clay from rivers covered the walls. The Seminoles built homes, called chickees, on top of posts made from tree trunks. Chickees had grass roofs and wood frames, but no walls.

CLOTHING!!!!
Native Americans of the hot SE needed little clothing. Women wore skirts or dresses. Men wore breechcloths with a belt, leggings, and moccasins. Children often wore no clothes at all! In the winter the weather was cool. Most people wore warm robes made from buffalo, bear, or deer skins, Women sewed the skins together with bone needles and sinew.

The Beginning of a New Tribe!
For thousands of years, American Indians had lived on the continent of North America. In the 1700's, many different groups moved into what is now northern Florida. People who European settlers called "Creeks" fled to Florida from Georgia and Alabama.

About the SE Seminoles
The Seminoles were artistic, clever people.

Trading and Economy
Seminoles traded to get what they couldn't make in nature. They traded goods and shared ideas with other tribes. Tribes living on the coast, like the Calusa, traded shells with inland tribes. Shells were used to make wampum. The Cherokee often used wampum belts to record the laws in history. Other tribes traded freshwater pearls, animal hides, maple syrup, and clay pipes. They traded these item for copper, iron, salt, and flint.

Leisure Time
Many SE tribes played outdoor games. Tribes often competed against each other. Stickball was a popular game. Tribes often played stickball to settle differences. Hundreds of players joined in a game. Players tossed a deerskin ball toward a goal using sticks with nets. Chunkey was another popular game. The Choctaw played chunkey by rolling a stone down a field. Two players threw a pole where they thought the stone would stop. The pole closest to the stone won! Stickball is one of the earliest-known games played by a SE tribes!

Traditions!
Most tribes held ceremonies to honor nature. The Green Corn Ceremony celebrated the first corn harvest of the season. During the ceremony, people gave thanks for good crops and peace between tribes. The ceremony also marked the start of a new year. During the celebration, tribes sang, danced, and held a feast. They also settled differences. Tribes lit a new fire as a sign that peace would continue! SE tribes celebrated a good corn harvest during the Green Corn Ceremony.

Passing on Traditions
In the 1500's, SE tribes didn't have a written language. Tribes told stories to share their history. Elders used stories to explain how their tribe begun. Other tales were about the nature and the land. SE Indians also used stories to teach others about their way of life.Through stories, people learned about the tribe's government and laws. They learned the importance of respect and bravery. In the SE, stories kept tribal history and tradition alive! Tribes often told stories to teach others about their past and traditions

CREDITS!!!!!!
We give credit to The Southeast Indians and all of the informational Seminole websites like www.mrdonn.org, www.bigorrin.org, www.seminoletribe.com
www.accessgenealogy.com and for Mrs. Kondracki for introducing us to everything about the SE Seminoles and Mrs. Kneller for letting us use the IPads to work on our presentation!