The Seminole Indians of Florida

Seminole Indians of Florida, by
Clay MacCauley

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Title: The Seminole Indians of Florida Fifth Annual Report of the
Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,
1883-84, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1887, pages
469-532
Author: Clay MacCauley
Release Date: September 1, 2006 [EBook #19155]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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* * * * *
Smithsonian Institution--Bureau of Ethnology.
THE SEMINOLE INDIANS OF FLORIDA.
by
CLAY MacCAULEY.
* * * * *
CONTENTS.
Page.
Letter of transmittal 475 Introduction 477
CHAPTER I.
Personal characteristics 481 Physical characteristics 481 Physique of
the men 481 Physique of the women 482 Clothing 482 Costume of the
men 483 Costume of the women 485 Personal adornment 486
Hairdressing 466 Ornamentation of clothing 487 Use of beads 487
Silver disks 488 Ear rings 488 Finger rings 489 Silver vs. gold 489
Crescents 489 Me-le 489 Psychical characteristics 490 Ko-nip-ha-tco
492 Intellectual ability 493
CHAPTER II.
Seminole society 495 The Seminole family 495 Courtship 496
Marriage 496 Divorce 498 Childbirth 497 Infancy 497 Childhood 498
Seminole dwellings-- I-ful-lo-ha-tco's house 499 Home life 503 Food
504 Camp fire 505 Manner of eating 505 Amusements 506 The
Seminole gens 507 Fellowhood 508 The Seminole tribe 508 Tribal
organization 508 Seat of government 508 Tribal officers 509 Name of
tribe 509

CHAPTER III.
Seminole tribal life 510 Industries 510 Agriculture 510 Soil 510 Corn
510 Sugar cane 511 Hunting 512 Fishing 513 Stock raising 513 Koonti
513 Industrial statistics 516 Arts 516 Industrial arts 516 Utensils and
implements 516 Weapons 516 Weaving and basket making 517 Uses of
the palmetto 517 Mortar and pestle 517 Canoe making 517 Fire making
518 Preparation of skins 518 Ornamental arts 518 Music 519 Religion
519 Mortuary customs 520 Green Corn Dance 522 Use of Medicines
523 General observations 523 Standard of value 523 Divisions of time
524 Numeration 525 Sense of color 525 Education 526 Slavery 526
Health 526
CHAPTER IV.
Environment of the Seminole 527 Nature 527 Man 529
ILLUSTRATIONS
Plate XIX. Seminole dwelling 500 Fig. 60. Map of Florida 477 61.
Seminole costume 483 62. Key West Billy 484 63. Seminole costume
485 64. Manner of wearing the hair 486 65. Manner of piercing the ear
488 66. Baby cradle or hammock 497 67. Temporary dwelling 502 68.
Sugar cane crusher 511 69. Koonti log 514 70. Koonti pestles 514 71.
Koonti mash vessel 514 72. Koonti strainer 515 73. Mortar and pestle
517 74. Hide stretcher 518 75. Seminole bier 510 76. Seminole grave
521 77. Green Corn Dance 523

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
Minneapolis, Minn., June 24,1884.
SIR: During the winter of 1880-'81 I visited Florida, commissioned by
you to inquire into the condition and to ascertain the number of the
Indians commonly known as the Seminole then in that State. I spent
part of the months of January, February, and March in an endeavor to

accomplish this purpose. I have the honor to embody the result of my
work in the following report.
On account of causes beyond my control the paper does not treat of
these Indians as fully as I had intended it should. Owing to the
ignorance prevailing even in Florida of the locations of the homes of
the Seminole and also to the absence of routes of travel in Southern
Florida, much of my time at first was consumed in reaching the Indian
country. On arriving there, I found myself obliged to go among the
Indians ignorant of their language and without an interpreter able to
secure me intelligible interviews with them except in respect to the
commonest things. I was compelled, therefore, to rely upon observation
and upon very simple, perhaps sometimes misunderstood, speech for
what I have here placed on record. But while the report is only a sketch
of a subject that would well reward thorough study, it may be found to
possess value as a record of facts concerning this little-known remnant
of a once powerful people.
I have secured, I think, a correct census of the Florida Seminole by
name, sex, age, gens, and place of living. I have endeavored to present
a faithful portraiture of their appearance and personal characteristics,
and have enlarged upon their manners and