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Seminole Family Camp
Che-han-tah-mo? (How are you?)
Welcome to the Ee-toh-lit-kee (Seminole Family Camp) and the Cheekee-chobee (Big Chickee) Performance Stage.
Many believe that the name "Seminole" comes from the Spanish word cimarrón, which means "wild." The term also referred to "runaways" or "pioneers." In 1771, John Stuart, an agent of the British Government, was the first to use the term in writing, when he referred to the Creeks of East Florida as Seminoles. Soon, the name was used to indicate all of Florida's Native American people.
Chickees are living quarters, made out of pole and thatch, built to suit the Florida environment. Each chickee functions as a separate room. Seminoles might use one for cooking and others for working, storage, socializing, and sleeping. The tribe built these chickees for cultural presentations of Seminole traditional arts, crafts and foodways.
Today, an estimated 2,700 Seminole and Miccosukee people live in Florida. The Seminole Tribe of Florida has about 2,200 members and the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida Indians has about 500 members. Some still live in chickees and wear clothing derived from traditional styles.
Patchwork Sewing
Mary J. Coppedge creates colorful patchwork used in modern Seminole clothing. The women artisans of the Seminole adapt textile arts to suit traditional functions and changing needs. Patchwork is the process of sewing pieces of cloth into rows of designs, joined to make garments. Seminole women use the sewing machine to evoke fire, rain, or storm in traditional patterns.
Beadwork
Martha B. Jones makes contemporary Seminole beadwork necklaces, belts, and sashes. Using nylon thread, an odd (never even) number of beads, and a ten-inch loom, she patterns her beadwork on both traditional and original unwritten designs. In the 1992-1994 Apprenticeship Program, Jones was an apprentice in palmetto stem basket-making.
Dollmaking
Addie Osceola will be demonstrating traditional styles of dollmaking. The dolls are made of palmetto fibers, hand sewn to create the head and body, and dressed in traditional Seminole costumes.
Basketry
Jenny Shore constructs sweetgrass baskets. Seminole basketry, as it exists today, features old and new traditions, the use of native materials, and the influence of other cultural groups. There are two distinct types of basketry-- coiled and twilled. Seminoles make coiled baskets for the tourist trade from sweetgrass, which grows in open palmetto-covered fields. Artisans coil the bundles of grass and sew them together with embroidery thread. The bottom of the basket is usually made of palmetto fiber. Twilled baskets were once made of cane but are now made using split palmetto stems, a more readily available material. Palmetto-stem baskets, now almost obsolete, are used in pounding corn to separate meal from hard kernels.
Wood Carving
Victor Billie continues his family tradition of woodcarving. With only a pocketknife and hatchet, he produces decorative and utilitarian items from cypress, a soft, close-grained wood. He carves small alligators and tomahawks that he may sell to tourists; however, he also produces a distinctive style of spoon used to make the traditional corn-based beverage sofkee.
Cooking Seminole Foods
Lorene Gopher prepares traditional Seminole foods. Food sources in Seminole folklore include game meat such as deer, turtle, and fish, and vegetables such as corn, beans, sweet potatoes, and squash. Of these, corn is the most meaningful and frequently used. One product is sofkee, a cold beverage made of corn by combining hominy meal (hulled corn) with boiling water then allowing the drink to cool. In Seminole frybread, a batter mixture is fried in hot grease in a flat-bottomed pot over an open fire. Ms. Gopher's husband, Willie Gopher, chops wood for the fire.
Find the Seminole Family Camp
Near the South Gate
Take time to consult the map of the park. Visit the Ee-toh-lit-kee at the South Gate, east of U.S. Highway 41. From the other festival areas, musicians and storytellers gather at the Cheekee-chobee (Big Chickee) Performance Stage. Try free samples of fry bread and sofkee. Sho-na-bish! (Thank you!)
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Thank you to our
sponsors!
 American
Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Columbia County Tourist
Development Council
Dean & Company,
Inc.
Duffy Soto
Florida Blacksmith
Association
Florida Department of
State, Division of Historic Resources, Florida Folklife Program
Florida Folklore
Society
Florida Media, Inc
Friends of Florida Folk
George Steinbrenner
Hamilton County Chamber
of Commerce
Hamilton County Tourist
Development Council
Visit Florida
Lake City Community
College
National Endowment for
the Arts
South Florida Folk
Festival
Southern Arts
Federation
Stephen Foster Citizen’s
Support Organization
The New York Yankees
Tampa Foundation
The Seminole Tribe of
Florida
Town of White Springs
WCJB Television,
Gainesville
WJXT Television,
Jacksonville
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