volume xxviii • number 7 may … frank receives award from uida, nabl see osceola, ......

www.seminoletribe.com Volume XXVIII • Number 7 May 18, 2007

InsideWhat’s

Howard Tiger FishingTournament

7

Immokalee Culture ClassesPage 11

Gathering of NationsPage 31

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Hurricane Season 2007 . . . . . . .29

By Chauna Aguilar/Okeechobee NewsOKEECHOBEE, Fla. — The City of

Okeechobee has honored the past and present byrenaming West Fifth Avenue to its rightful name,which dates back to the beginnings of Okeechobeearound 1914, when maps depicted “Osceola” as oneof the Seminole Indian names that adorned the streets.

This renaming of a street in honor of theSeminole Tribe of Florida, Inc., which is celebratingtheir 50th anniversary of incorporation this year, isone step in honoring the connection and history thatOkeechobee and the Seminole Indians have held andmaintained for many years.

Okeechobee Mayor James Kirk and CityCouncil Members Lydia Jean Williams, DowlingWatford, Lowry Markham and Clayton Williamsjoined Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. PresidentMoses Osceola, Brighton Representative AndrewBowers and Tribal Ambassador Joe Dan Osceola forthe renaming ceremony on April 21.

Betty Williamson of the OkeechobeeHistorical Society and former Judge William Hendryshared their extensive knowledge of Okeechobee, pastand present, giving the spectators a glimpse into therelationship between Okeechobee residents and theBrighton Seminole Tribal citizens and how that rela-tionship has continued over the years.

By Shelley MarmorBIG CYPRESS — Two baby alligators,

Liberty the Florida panther and Ocala the Harris hawkwatched the Earth Day festivities from under the shadeof the cypress trees across the street from the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on April 22. The animals were themain attraction at the celebration for the variousgroups, including the Ahfachkee School students, whomade their way to the festivities — but there was muchmore going on.

Under a large tent, representatives from theWater Resources Department and EnvironmentalHealth Program set up interactive booths and distrib-uted a wealth of information on Earth-related topics.

Environmental Scientist Alyssa Jacobs had a

By Chris JenkinsTAMPA — The Tribal Council passed 17 resolu-

tions at its special meeting at the Crown Plaza Hotel onApril 17:

Resolution 11: Issuance of a one-day beveragepermit for the retail sale of beer only at the Cinco De MayoCelebration sponsored by the Immokalee Youth Ranchlocated on the Immokalee Seminole Indian Reservation;

Resolution 12: Second amendment to serviceagreement with Burns and McDonnell EngineeringCompany, Inc., to provide the professional engineering andresident project representative services required during bidsolicitation and construction of the Big Cypress WesternWater Conservation Restoration Project, Basins 1 and 4;

Resolution 13: Florida Atlantic University copy-right transfer statement for Nathan Dorn, Ph.D, for relatedwork to invasive fish species on the Big Cypress andBrighton Reservations;

Resolution 14: Cadstruct contract change order

ReservationCommemoratesEarth Day

Council Passes 17Resolutions at SpecialMeeting in Tampa

Ray Becerra pets Liberty, a Florida panther.Felix DoBosz

� See EARTH, page 30

Seminole Tribe of Florida Osceola descendants gather in Okeechobee for the renaming ceremony.

Chauna Aguilar/Okeechobee News

City of Okeechobee Reclaims Its Past as AvenueRegains Original Seminole Name

By Chris JenkinsATLANTA — A lifetime of

achievement spans a large amount ofwork. For Tribal citizen and business-man Joel Frank Sr. his work is yet to becompleted, but what he has accom-plished thus far was honored amongguests and friends at the Cobb GalleriaCentre on April 18.

“To have this lifetime achieve-ment bestowed upon me — I feel this isnot the end of my life, I’ve still gotmany more years to go, and I’m lookingforward to the future,” Frank said.

The United Indian DevelopmentAssociation and Native AmericanBusiness Leaders presented its BusinessServices’ Lifetime Achievement Awardto Frank and the Seminole Tribe at aspecial luncheon. The award is giveneach year to the outstanding individualor Tribe contributing to the tradition andeconomic advancement of AmericanIndian/Tribally owned businesses.

Receiving such an honor was asurprise to Frank, but long overdue formost who know of his work in his com-munity and for his people. TheHollywood, Fla. native and member ofthe Panther clan has worked for theSeminole Tribe since the early 1970s.

As director of the GrantsFormulation and Government RelationsDepartment for more than three years,he oversees funding opportunities anddevelopment for grant applications aswell as maintaining relationships amongfederal agencies and Native Americanorganizations.

“I was surprised because all thethings that I’ve done are to be consid-ered for the benefit of the SeminoleTribe, for Tribal members and Indianpeople in general, and on all the differ-ent boards that I’ve sat on I alwaysassumed that this is what I’m supposedto do,” he said. “I’ve never really

� See COUNCIL, page 4

� See DONEY, page 35

By Emma BrownTALLAHASSEE — Perseverance is a word that

Brighton’s Kyle Doney doesn’t take lightly. It has come tobe a part of every aspect of his life.

On April 27, his perseverance paid off as hewalked across the stage at the University Civic Center toend one journey and begin another. On this date Doneyreceived his bachelor’s degree in political science fromFlorida State University (FSU).

He has proven through his educational endeavorsto be an intelligent young man of integrity with a great willto succeed. Working with Doney, members of theEducation Department came to realize what a dedicatedperson he is, a young man with a vision that is indestructi-ble. He set his educational goal and did everything in hispower to attain it.

Kyle Doney EarnsBachelor’s Degreefrom Florida State

Proud parents Kenny and Marilyn Doney with their son.Photo Submitted by Emma Brown

� See FRANK, page 7

TribalAmbassador Honored for Lifetime AchievementJoel Frank Receives Award From UIDA, NABL

� See OSCEOLA, page 33

Joel Frank accepts his award and Pendleton blanket at the ceremony.Chris Jenkins

ELECTION RESULTSTribal Council Board of Directors

Mitchell CypressCouncil Chairman

Max B. Osceola Jr.Hollywood

David R. CypressBig Cypress/Immokalee

Roger SmithBrighton/Tampa

Johnnie Jones Sr.Brighton/Tampa

Cicero OsceolaBig Cypress/Immokalee

Gloria WilsonHollywood

Richard BowersBoard President

TRIBAL COUNCILGENERAL ELECTION

MAY 14, 2007OFFICIAL BALLOT COUNT

OFFICE OF CHAIRMAN ANDRESERVATION REPRESENTATIVE

Mitchell Cypress: BigCypress/Immokalee 170;Brighton/Tampa 160; Hollywood230; Nonresident Absentee 16;Resident Absentee 24, Total 600

Moses B. Osceola: BigCypress/Immokalee 149;Brighton/Tampa 159; Hollywood 169;Nonresident Absentee 11; ResidentAbsentee 12; Total 500

David R. Cypress: BigCypress/Immokalee 141; ResidentAbsentee 9; Total 150

Daniel Jumper: BigCypress/Immokalee 60; ResidentAbsentee 5; Total 65

Manuel (Mondo) Tiger: BigCypress/Immokalee 99; ResidentAbsentee 1; Total 100

Sandy Billie Jr.:Brighton/Tampa 23; Resident Absentee1; Total 24

Andrew Bowers Jr.:Brighton/Tampa 96; Resident Absentee4; Total 100

Matthew J. Gopher:Brighton/Tampa 11; Resident Absentee0; Total 11

John Wayne Huff Sr.:Brighton/Tampa 35; Resident Absentee1; Total 36

� See ELECTION, page 2

The Seminole Tribune

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from the internet at:www.seminoletribe.com/tribune.

The following deadlines apply toall submissions for inclusioninto The Seminole Tribune:

Issue: June 8, 2007Deadline: May 23, 2007

�Issue: June 29, 2007

Deadline: June 13, 2007�

Issue: July 20, 2007Deadline: July 5, 2007

�Issue: August 10, 2007Deadline: July 25, 2007

Contributors:Emma Brown, Judy Weeks,

Tony Heard, Iretta Tiger,Susan Etxebarria, Jessica Young,

Gordon Oliver Wareham

If you need a reporter or you would like to submit an article, birthday wish orpoem to The Seminole Tribune, please contact the Editor-In-Chief VirginiaMitchell at (800) 683-7800, Ext. 1260, fax (954) 967-3482, or mail to: The

Seminole Tribune, 6300 Stirling Road, Hollywood, Florida 33024.

Please note: Late submissions will beposted in the following issue.

Editor-In-Chief: Virginia MitchellEditor: Suzanne Smither

Assistant Editor: Shelley MarmorProofreader: Elrod Bowers

Business Manager: Darline BusterGraphic Designer: Melissa Sherman

Design Assistant: Stephen GallaProduction Assistant: Lila Osceola-Heard

Reporter: Chris JenkinsPhoto Archivist: Felix DoBosz

Receptionist: Valerie Frank

Please send all letters to 6300 Stirling Road, Hollywood, FL 33024 � [email protected] �

Can you guess who this U.S. Marine veteran is?

Tribune Archive Photo

By Dr. Dean Chavers[Editor’s Note: Dr. Chavers is director of Catching the

Dream, a national scholarship and school improvement organiza-tion in Albuquerque, N.M. He welcomes your comments on thiscolumn, inquiries about scholarships, and inquiries aboutCatching the Dream grants. His e-mail address [email protected]. The opinions he expresses are hisown. © Copyright 2007]

A student called me the other day to ask for help withscholarships. This is not unusual — students call us every day toask that. What was also usual was that her counselor at Tuba CityHigh School had done nothing to help her find scholarships, applyfor college or find the right college. She was totally on her own.

This brought me back to one of my basic questions:What do counselors do?

When I went to high school back in the 1950s, we hadno counselors. Then when I went back 30 years later to ask aboutmy test scores, Mrs. Mitchell, who taught home economics whenI was in school, was the counselor.

She had no records of any tests onme — SAT, IQ, or otherwise. I know Itook the SAT and I know I took some testone day in school in my free period.Instead of being outside playing baseballwith the other boys, I had to stay insideand take this test. It told Mrs.Scarborough, the Latin teacherwho made me take it, that I wassupposed to be a truck driver.

From that day to this Ihave not trusted those aptitudetests. The last thing in the worldI am going to be is a truckdriver. This test apparentlysaid I wasn’t supposed togo to college, eventhrough I finished high schoolas the valedictorian. What?

The girl from Tuba City,Ariz. was in a similar predica-ment. Instead of calling me inSeptember of her senior year, shewas calling me in April. The prob-lem? More than 80 percent of thescholarship deadlines have alreadypassed.

She can still win scholarships, butthere are not many opportunities this year. She canstill apply for most of them next year — a year late — butshe will have to get through her first year and do well to be ableto win them for her last three years.

I don’t blame counselors totally for their failure to helpIndian students. Whether they are in Tulsa or Tuba City, theynever seem to believe that Indian students are college material.But let’s face the facts; neither does hardly anyone else in Indianschools.

Indian schools are so out of date as to be unbelievable.They are still “vo-tech” oriented, when 70 percent of the non-Indian students in the U.S. are going to college. The college-goingrate for Indian students is still only 17 percent. It has not changedsince Dr. Alexander Astin first published the data on it in 1983.

I did a study 10 years ago and found that 17 percent stillholds. And since 82 percent of Indian college students drop out,only 1.5 percent of Indians will ever earn a college degree. Thecomparable figure for non-Indians is 29.3 percent.

We are slowly slipping further and further behind the restof the nation. We have been at 1.5 percent for at least 30 years.During that time the non-Indian college graduation rate has gonefrom 15 percent to 29.3 percent — almost double.

This situation does not have to continue. High schoolcounselors can do their jobs, as evidenced by such schools asWellpinit, the Navajo Preparatory School, Mount Edgecumbe,Chugach, Mashantucket Pequot, Mississippi Choctaw HighSchool, Saint Michael, Salmon River, White Swan and SouthernUte. All of these schools have gone from mediocre to exemplary

in the past 20 years. When will the others learn?It breaks my heart every time I hear about Indian stu-

dents being ignored by their schools. I wish I could wave a magicwand and change things.

Unfortunately, to make improvements, one has to con-vince recalcitrant human beings to change their attitudes and theirways. I know it’s hard. I had to do classroom observations a fewweeks ago at a school and it broke my heart. Sixth graders werestill doing long division, which they should have learned in thirdgrade. Seventh graders could hardly read. Eighth graders weregoing on next year into general math instead of Algebra I.

How long, oh Lord, do we have to keep going on thisway? When will counselors believe that Indian students can andshould go to college? When will they start putting them into col-lege prep classes instead of into bonehead classes?

When will the school boards start to insist on some high-er goals for students? When will the schools with mixed ethnicpopulations, where 85 percent of Indian students attend, stoptracking Indian students into bonehead classes and Anglo studentsinto college prep classes?

When will counselors start advising students to take theACT or SAT in their sophomore year instead of the last time they

have a chance to take it as seniors? At least95 percent of Indian students make a

lower score on the ACT than they thinkthey should. They will have a 3.6 GPA

and expect to score at the 90th per-centile or higher. Instead theywill score at the 50th percentile,

and be completely frus-trated and demoralized.

If they had takenthe test as sophomores,

they could have caught thisreality and done somethingabout it. But if they waituntil the last minute, theywill have no chance to take

it again and improve theirscores.

When will counselorsstart to help Indian students todecide on their careers? Morethan 80 percent of Indian stu-dents still put “undecided” ontheir SAT survey forms.

And the students whoare undecided tend to drop out like

flies, while the students with careergoals in mind tend to complete college. They may and often dochange their majors, but those who have decided on a major stillfinish college.

When will counselors help students prepare themselvesfor life by starting a program of reading in middle school orbefore? Indian students now read no books at all outside the class-room, which is a sure way for them to leave high school unpre-pared.

In a national study we recently completed, we found thatthe illiteracy rate among Indian people is 70 percent — at least 30percent higher than for any other ethnic group. That includesmore than 20 percent of Indian high school graduates, most ofwhom cannot pass the state competency tests.

My favorite bugaboo: When will counselors start to helpIndian students find and win scholarships? There seems to be abuilt-in belief that Indians are too dumb or too lazy to win schol-arships, so why even try?

And the rare counselor who does point Indian students toscholarships points them toward the tiny handful of Indian schol-arships, which is a big mistake. Indian students should try for allscholarships, of which there are more than one million in the U.S.

I have been at this since 1970 and little has changed.Will it ever change? It probably won’t until Indian students andparents start demanding better from schools and counselors. Let’sbe more pushy about this.

Counselors Need to Help Students

The Seminole Tribune 2 May 18, 2007

Hello Mr. Steven Bowers,

Thank you, “Sho-naa-bisha” inyour tongue, for your kindness to myfather, brother and me as we spent theweekend in your Hard Rock Hotel. We aredoing everything possible to help raisemoney for the Homes For Our Troops

(HFOT) Foundation, so that I may realizethe ability to be a productive citizen onceagain and own my own home. Though thehome will have to be built to allow for myloss of limbs and brain injury, I know itwill give me a chance of regaining myindependence, while realizing that I foughtfor all Americans to have the “AmericanDream.”

Your kindness and support to helpus are greatly appreciated, and as I contin-ue to gain strength and mobility, I willmake every effort to pass your kindnessforward in helping other veterans as theyrecover from our fight for freedom. I amvery grateful to you and enjoyed meetingyou and learning more about you and yourbrothers.

I told my speech therapist that Ilearned some very important words inanother language and asked her to try totell me what language it was. She said itsounded like Native American, but couldnot tell me which tongue. I told her it wasSeminole, then asked her to tell me whatshe thought “Ma-doh, Ma-doh, Ma-doh”might mean and I stumped her again. Wehave fun in therapy and I’m doing muchbetter since I regained my ability to swal-low properly and try to enunciate properly.I’m glad to know some of your words, andagain say Sho-naa-bisha to you for yourkindness in helping us achieve my goal.

From this warrior to another, maythe Great Spirit always give you strength.

Enjoy the pictures we attached.

SSG P. Russell Marek, U.S.Army (ret)

Dear Editor,

My name is Liz Haeuptle and Iam a student at Ball State University inMuncie, Ind. I am doing a museum exhibiton Native American mascots. I am contact-ing you because I am looking for a nativeaudience/individuals and their opinionsconcerning this subject. I am presenting allsides of the issue, but especially NativeAmerican, and would really like to displaytheir voice. I would really appreciate it!

Thank you for your time!

Liz [email protected]

Dear Editor,

We would like to invite yourTribal citizens to participate in the 5thAnnual All Nations Bowling tournament tobe held at the Holiday Lanes in OklahomaCity, Okla. on June 1-3, 2007. I haveenclosed an entry form and basic informa-tion pertaining to this tournament. Theentry deadline is May 25.

Thank you for announcing thetournament through your newspaper.Please contact me for more information.

Alma Johnson(405) 275-5466

Charlie Micco saddles up his horse.

Tribune Archive Photo

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAYon Monday, May 28, 2007

Thank you to all those who paid theultimate price to help keep this

country free for everyone

Incorrect photo credits appearedwith the article titled “On Eagles’ Wings:Faith, Hope and Basketball” in the April27 issue of The Tribune. The photosshould have been credited to On Eagles’Wings.

Photo Quiz Answer

Correction

Roger Smith: Brighton/Tampa98; Resident Absentee 3; Total 101

Elton Carl Baxley: Hollywood 78;Resident Absentee 1; Total 79

Max B. Osceola Jr.: Hollywood169; Resident Absentee 10; Total 179

Leoma Motlow Poore: Hollywood25; Resident Absentee 1; Total 26

Gordon O. Wareham: Hollywood23; Resident Absentee 1; Total 24

BOARD OF DIRECTORSGENERAL ELECTION

MAY 14, 2007OFFICIAL BALLOT COUNT

OFFICE OF PRESIDENT AND RESER-VATION REPRESENTATIVE

Richard Bowers: BigCypress/Immokalee 149;Brighton/Tampa 137; Hollywood 120;Nonresident Absentee 13; ResidentAbsentee 8; Total 427

Jason Don Billie: BigCypress/Immokalee 9; Brighton/Tampa 4;Hollywood 23; Nonresident Absentee 0;Resident Absentee 0; Total 36

Amy Johns: Big

Cypress/Immokalee 25; Brighton/Tampa45; Hollywood 38; Nonresident Absentee3; Resident Absentee 3; Total 114

Tony Sanchez Jr.: BigCypress/Immokalee 101; Brighton/Tampa92; Hollywood 136; Nonresident Absentee9; Resident Absentee 17; Total 355

Todd Kevin Osceola: BigCypress/Immokalee 38; Brighton/Tampa43; Hollywood 85; Nonresident Absentee2; Resident Absentee 8; Total 176

Paul Bowers Sr.: BigCypress/Immokalee 128; ResidentAbsentee 5; Total 133

Cicero Osceola: BigCypress/Immokalee 170; ResidentAbsentee 9; Total 179

Willie Johns: BigCypress/Immokalee 45; Resident Absentee3; Total 48

Johnnie Jones Sr.:Brighton/Tampa 142; Resident Absentee4; Total 146

Theresa Nunez: Brighton/Tampa19; Resident Absentee 0; Total 19

Jack Smith Jr.: Brighton/Tampa57; Resident Absentee 2; Total 59

David D. DeHass: Hollywood 77;Resident Absentee 3; Total 80

Marcellus Osceola Sr.: Hollywood64; Resident Absentee 4; Total 68

Gloria Wilson: Hollywood 154;Resident Absentee 6; Total 160

�ElectionContinued from page 1

By Judy WeeksIMMOKALEE — Land was

dedicated for new beginnings on April 20at the Lena Frank Drive RedevelopmentKickoff Celebration.

Housing Director Troland V. Clayopened the ceremonies by saying, “It hadinitially been discussed that the site on

which you are seated might be used forspec homes. However, in an attempt tounderstand the needs of your community, itwas decided that more people could beserved by some form of transitional hous-ing. Out of this reasoning, a plan wasdeveloped for seven three-bedroom town-houses and eight two-bedroom apart-ments.”

He continued, “This is just one ofthe 54 projects in Immokalee on the tableright now and we are expending every pos-sible effort to turn these into reality withina reasonable period of time. If everythingfalls into place on this particular site, bid-ding can take place in late June with con-struction slated for September or October.This is just the tip of the iceberg. TheSeminole Tribe is in various stages ofdevelopment on 291 projects across all oftheir reservations.

As the population of the SeminoleTribe has gradually increased over the past20 years, the need for housing on its reser-vations has become a matter of great con-cern. In recent years, it has become appar-ent that provisions need to be made as soonas possible in order to accommodate theyounger generation and their new families.In addition, many Tribal citizens havefound it necessary to live off the reserva-tions but have indicated a desire to returnto raise their children in their own ethniccommunities.

Immokalee has been determinedto be an area of critical concern withregard to housing and every effort is being

made to address these problems with greathaste. The Seminole Tribe of FloridaHousing Department, under Clay’s direc-tion, instituted a series of community meet-ings to come up with solutions.

Unfortunately, the wheels ofbureaucracy turn very slowly and involvethe interaction of many different agencies

before actual construction canbegin. Delays have proven to bealmost insurmountable during pastefforts. Concerns of the SouthFlorida Water Management District,the Environmental ProtectionAgency, Fresh Water Fish andGame and Archeological Surveysfor Historic Preservation, as well asthe impact on the current infrastruc-ture, can be overwhelming.

At a community meetingseveral months ago, Tribal citizensheard a progress report and madesuggestions toward developing aplan to meet the requirements ofthe community and expedite theseprojects. It was noted that the dem-olition of old structures that are nolonger in use would make availableproperty that had already met thegovernmental criteria. Months —and in some instances years —could be deducted from theapproval process.

A few of the older, sub-standard residences have alreadybeen razed to make way for recon-struction. In order to more rapidlyaccommodate the most individualsin the shortest period of time, an increasein the density of housing would be neces-sary. It was decided that if rental apart-ments and townhouses could be construct-ed on the abandoned youth center andlibrary site, a great deal of progress couldtake place almost immediately.

Architectural renderings and pro-posed floor plans were submitted in recordtime and met with almost immediateapproval. Following the normal sequenceof events, demolition, engineering and thebidding process are moving forward.

Representing the descendants ofLena Frank, who were seated up front at

the ceremony, Carol Cypressgreeted the audience:“Welcome here today onbehalf of my mother, LenaFrank, and the women whoseforesight created this reserva-tion. They are still with us,guiding and pushing for a bet-ter future and would beamazed by what has grownfrom the seeds they planted.”

The audience wasthen treated to a brief historyof the Immokalee SeminoleCommunity. Sometime duringthe 1950s, Alice Osceola, IdaCypress, Sally Johns and LenaMotlow came to the outskirtsof the rural agricultural com-munity of Immokalee and builttheir chickees in the woods bythe curve on Indian CampRoad. Within a few years, thecamp was enlarged to includethe families of Lena Frank,Mary Watts and Lucy John.

This was during thedays of segregation when veryfew public schools would per-mit the enrollment of NativeAmerican children. These

enterprising women recognized that theiroffspring would need every possibleadvantage to succeed in their rapidlychanging environment. Immokalee wouldeducate their children, so it became theirdestination. In addition, their village placedthem in close proximity to the farms wherethey could find employment to supporttheir families.

By 1968, Mildred RobertsSherrod was instrumental in obtaining fromthe Collier family the first piece of proper-ty on which the reservation is now located.

Those resourceful, determinedSeminole women were no longer squatters.They worked by day in the fields and spentevery available moment they could sparebuilding chickees and moving their fami-lies to their new homes. Lena Frank wasone of these strong women and a vital par-ticipant in establishing the ImmokaleeSeminole Reservation.

Numerous Tribal officials were inattendance for the redevelopment kickoffand took advantage of the opportunity toshare their memories of Immokalee andshow their pleasure at being able to partici-pate in the new developments in the com-munity.

Chairman Mitchell Cypress said:“The Seminole Tribe of Florida is happy tobe able to nurture the seeds planted bythose strong women so long ago in that lit-tle camp in the woods. The Lena Frank

Drive Redevelopment is just thefirst of many projects that willcarry on the legacy of yourancestors and benefit your fami-lies.”

Tribal Attorney JimShore pointed out that the effortsof the community’s leaders wereresponsible for the accomplish-ments that had taken place herein the last 35 years. ViceChairman Moses Osceola com-plimented the efforts of theHousing Department and itsachievements in the past year.

He said, “What we reallyneeded here was to bring thepeople back into the commu-nity. Immokalee is no longerleft over and it is receiving theattention it is due.”

“This has been a longtime coming and it is goodthat Troy has taken the reinsof the Housing Department,”said Big Cypress CouncilRepresentative David Cypress.“This is only the first phase aswe go non-stop to meet theneeds of this community.”

Hollywood CouncilRepresentative Max Osceolaasked, “Do you know whatB.C. means? Before Casinos!We have always been rich inhistory, family and culture. ForLena, this is just the beginningof her vision, not the end.”

Immokalee LiaisonRalph Sanchez said, ‘I want tothank the Council, Housing andSeminole Community members forbringing our families back together.”Board Liaison Raymond Garza echoedhis sentiments by remarking, “Housingcame when we called. I thought we were

just fishing, but they bit and this is proofthat our ideas count.”

Elaine Aguilar offered the invoca-tion and gave a moving tribute to thewomen who founded the community.Nancy Motlow recalled the words of Lenaand Ethel Frank. “They continually askedHUD to help their children and wouldn’tgo away. Their persistence won out andblock houses replaced the chickees.”

New Housing is on the Way for Lena Frank DriveConstruction of Townhouses, Apartments Begins in Fall


(L-R) Fort Pierce Liaison Sally Tommie and Chairman Mitchell Cypress examinethe plot plan for the proposed Lena Frank Drive residences.

Judy Weeks

Billie Lauren Cypress is intrigued by the housingmemorabilia at the kickoff celebration.

Judy Weeks

Carol Cypress gives a short history of the Immokalee Reservation and memories ofher mother, Lena Frank.

Judy Weeks

Demolishing the old Immokalee Youth Center to make room for the Lena Frank DriveRedevelopment Complex

Judy Weeks

(L-R) Benny Motlow, Chairman Mitchell Cypress and Immokalee Chamber ofCommerce Director Richard Rice discuss the new housing complex.

Judy Weeks

Carla Cypress swings Billie Lauren Cypress atthe Lena Frank Drive Redevelopment KickoffCelebration.

Judy Weeks


By Felix DoBoszHOLLYWOOD — It

was a beautiful spring after-noon on May 2. As manyHollywood Tribal employeeswere leaving for the day, sev-eral employees and friendsgathered in the chickee on thenorth side of the parking lot inthe Henry J. Gopher EmployeePark. That’s where Tribalemployee Doreen Marshalljoined her husband-to-be, GuyPollina, just before exchangingwedding vows.

Dressed in an elegantwhite suit, Marshall, officemanager for the President’sOffice, and Pollina, dressed allin black, were married in acivil ceremony.

The groom, who sayshe’s a firearms distributor, avidphotographer and decoratedVietnam veteran, is originallyfrom the New York City area. Hesaid he met Marshall at his localcountry club about nine monthsago. Marshall and Pollina, bothpreviously married, said neitherhad any idea that this encounterwould lead to a lifetime commit-ment as husband and wife.

The notary public whoperformed the ceremony also hap-pened to be Marshall’s sister,Sandy Selner. Selner is also aTribal employee, working ascoordinator of office operations inthe Chairman’s Office.

Selner is the widow ofHenry Gopher, who the park was

dedicated to in 2002. She said thiswas a sweet way to honor andremember Gopher.

“It’s wonderful my sister isgetting married in this park becauseit’s Henry Gopher’s park,” Selnersaid. “I loved Henry very much andso did she.”

After Marshall and Pollinasaid their vows and exchanged rings,employees, family members andfriends happily congratulated thecouple with flowers, cards and bestwishes. Their guests were havingfun as the bride and groom posedfor photos and ate some of theirwedding cake while joking around.

The newlywed coupleannounced they would soon leavefor their honeymoon — a romantic,seven-night cruise to Alaska.

Tribal Employee Weds at Headquarters ParkDoreen Marshall Ties the Knot in the Chickee

Friends, family and co-workers joined Doreen and Guy for the ceremonyin the chickee at the Henry J. Gopher Employee Park.

Felix DoBosz

The happy couple, Guy and Doreen PollinaFelix DoBosz

Submitted by Keeno KingBIG CYPRESS — When you put two musi-

cal Seminole born again believers together — onefrom Oklahoma and one from Florida — the result isenough Gospel songs to fill a CD.

Keeno King on vocals and Jonah Cypress onguitar have joined forces in their first recording ven-ture.

In the past, the duo were members of a groupknown as Big Cypress Gospel, with the late LeonardMcCullough and Steve Dotson, with Ronnie Billie onthe drums.

Jonah andKeeno, food servic-es supervisor atAhfachkee School,say their newrecording is nothingfancy, just singing asimple message insimple songs. Theysay they believe thesongs are presentedin such a way thatpeople who listen tothe CD will beblessed by thesounds. They sayGod gave them agift to sing andplay, and they areusing it for hisglory.

Truebelievers in JesusChrist who heed thebiblical call to “beye separate from theworld,” theseChristian men sing only good old gospel music. It istheir hope and prayer that someone will hear the songsand get saved, that someone hurting will be uplifted,and someone sick will be comforted.

Some of the songs on the CD are inMuskogee Creek. “Heleluyvn Yvhikares” is probablythe No. 1 song in Muskogee Creek. This is sung just

about every Sunday in churches throughout Oklahomaand Florida, according to Keeno. So they have put itto music with guitar. They hope that some childrenwill learn the song when they listen to it over andover.

The song “Will the Circle be Unbroken” isoffered in memory of Keeno’s mother, WiseyEmarthle. He says she is waiting to meet him in heav-en, where the family circle will never be broken again.

Jonah and Keeno have sung at revivals,gospel sings and senior citizens’ get-togethers.Keeno’s goal through this recording is to help raise

funds for his old church in Oklahoma, Cold SpringsBaptist. He quotes the Bible: “It is more blessed togive than to receive.”

Keeno and Jonah would like to say thanks toKeeno’s wife, Betty, and daughter Lindsey in helpingto fund this recording. You can reach Keeno at (863)599-0439 or (863) 983-6348 for more information.

Seminole Gospel Singers to Release New CD

Seminole Gospel singers Keeno King (L) and Jonah Cypress (R)Photo Submitted by Keeno King

No. 1 for additional work related to the construction ofthe Seminole Tribe of Florida Police DepartmentPolice Station on the Tampa Seminole IndianReservation;

Resolution 15: Gulf Building Corporationagreement phase 1 change order No. 3 for additionalwork related to Immokalee administration;

Resolution 16: Engineering ServiceAgreement between the Seminole Tribe of Florida andMiller Legg and Associates for engineering servicesrelated to small and capital improvements projects atall Seminole Indian reservations;

Resolution 17: Engineering ServiceAgreement between the Seminole Tribe of Florida andJordan Jones and Goulding, Inc. for engineering serv-ices related to infrastructure at all Seminole Indianreservations;

Resolution 18: Engineering ServiceAgreement between the Seminole Tribe of Florida andR2T, Inc. for engineering services related to small andcapital improvement projects at all Seminole Indianreservations;

Resolution 19: Amendment of SeminoleTribe of Florida 401K plan;

Resolution 20: Approval of SecondAmendment to American Airlines Arena suite licenseagreement;

Resolution 28: Approval of subcontract withJenkins and Charland, Inc. for the parking garage atSeminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood;

Resolution 29: Approval of subcontract withTiltcrete, LLC for the parking garage at the SeminoleHard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood; and

Resolution 33: Agreement and consent togrant of easements along N. 64th Avenue (FPL asgrantee), Hollywood reservation.

�CouncilContinued from page 1

The groom’s son Nick Pollina (L) and bride’s son Arden Taber,Ph.D. (R) look on as their parents wed. The bride’s sister, SandySelner, a notary public, reads the vows.

Felix DoBosz

By Judy WeeksIMMOKALEE — The small rural community of Immokalee

has been host to the Harvest Festival for over 20 years. Until recently it included a cattle drive, parade, rodeo and car-

nival. This line-up was replaced by a block party during the past threeyears.

Wishing to return the festival to its original format, RichardRice, executive director of the Immokalee Chamber of Commerce,headed a committee that approached the Seminole Tribe for assistancein organizing a parade.

The result was overwhelming. The event was scheduled forApril 14 and the Tribal community responded with enthusiasm.Immokalee Preschool Center Manager Michelle Aguilar Ford spreadthe word all the way to Hollywood and organization got under way.

Ford’s vision for the Preschool Float included a small chickeewith a garden to represent the growth and development of the children.Kenny Joe Davis Sr., parent and director of the Immokalee SeminoleYouth and Livestock Ranch, provided a flatbed trailer and constructedthe required chickee. His son, preschool student K.J., had a blast help-ing Dad collect and tack the palm fronds.

Raymond Mora and Dennis Gonzalez procured topsoil,banana trees, and dozens of young tomato and pepper plants to createthe garden. Volunteers from the Utilities Department came to the rescueby building a frame and tarp to protect the tender plants when hardrains threatened. Child size garden tools were used as props and the

center’s Ruby Garcia donated a wooden John Deere tractorfor the occasion.

Passengers on the float included current studentsBrandon Posada, Aspen Tommie and Caniah Billie with for-mer students Chelsey Ford, Jade Tapia, Lindsey and LaurenPosada, accompanied by Michelle Ford and LorrainePosada. Everyone wore Seminole clothing to complete theatmosphere.

Lonnie Gore, site manager at the Senior Center,enlisted the willing services of Building and Grounds andthe Council employees to construct an elaborate chickee andcamp setting. Immokalee Council Liaison Ralph Sanchezdonated the supplies and Kenny Joe Davis Sr. provided thepoles for the construction project, while Abe Rockwelldonated the fans.

With Culture’s Victor Billie attending to detail andGore, Gayle Greer, Paula Agado and Linda Reyes volunteer-ing, the project quickly became a reality.

The cooking chickee was authentic right down tothe last detail with fire grate, pots, kettles and a stalk ofbananas. Attending to the cooking chores on parade daywere Rachel Billie, Delores Jumper, Mary Sanchez andNancy Motlow. Elaine Aguilar watched as Linda Frankground corn for sofkee in the foreground.

The Immokalee Community float was a creation of theadministrative staff, Recreation Department and Tribal communitymembers. Working together, they assembled a chickee and picnic areawith a small picket fence in tribal colors. Project planners and partici-pants Juanita Martinez, Tracey DelaRosa, Vanessa Aguilar and CeciliaPequeno joined Tribal community youth on the float with the theme“United As One.”

Members of the Seminole community at Brighton broughttheir beautiful patchwork-covered trailer adorned with a wide varietyof Seminole dolls in many shapes and sizes. The living dolls on boardin beautiful Seminole attire were Brighton Seminole Princess AmberCraig, Brighton Junior Miss McKayla Snow and Lil Miss FloridaSeminole Krysta Burton.

Miss Florida Seminole Brittany Yescas rode a horse in themounted guard accompanied by Gabriel Acosta and Carl Presley of theImmokalee Seminole Youth and Livestock Ranch. Junior MissSeminole Tianna Hali Garcia waved to the crowd from a blue sportscar.

In addition to the Seminole Tribe’s entries, there were church-es, schools, police, ROTC, cheerleaders, Color Guard, Collier CountyCommissioner Jim Coletta and Hendry County Commissioner Bill

Maddox. FloridaCommunity Bank did afantastic job of creating afloat covered with peoplecostumed as vegetables toenhance the agriculturaltheme.

The entire paradewas full of the multicultur-al flavor that makes up theImmokalee community.

The SeminoleTribe won trophies in threecategories for their entries:1st-Immokalee PreschoolFloat, 2nd-BrightonPrincess Float and 3rd-Tribal Community Float.Honorable Mention wentto the Seniors’ Float.Chamber of CommerceDirector Richard Riceawarded the trophies at ameeting of the ImmokaleeAdvisory Board.


The Immokalee Seminole community was represented by all ages on their “United as One” float.Judy Weeks

Linda Frank grinds corn on the Immokalee Seniors’ Float.Judy Weeks

Junior Miss Seminole Tianna Hali GarciaJudy Weeks

(L-R) ISY&LR Assistant Director Gabriel Acosta, 2007 Miss FloridaSeminole Brittany Yescas and Carl Presley ride as the mounted guard inthe parade.

Judy Weeks

(L-R) Rachel Billie, Delores Jumper, Mary Sanchez and Nancy Motlowride in the cooking chickee on the Seniors’ Float.

Judy Weeks

Tribal citizen Benny Motlow (L) accepts Harvest Festival trophies fromImmokalee Chamber of Commerce Director Richard Rice on behalf ofthe Seminole Tribe.

Judy Weeks

Future farmer Brandon Posada rides his John Deere tractor on theImmokalee Seminole Preschool Float.

Judy Weeks

Brighton Seminole Princess Amber Craig, Brighton Junior Miss McKayla Snow and Lil Miss FloridaSeminole Krysta Burton are living dolls in the Harvest Festival Parade.

Judy Weeks

Little Aspen Tommie (C) tends the garden while Preschool Center ManagerMichelle Ford (L) and former student Chelsey Ford (R) watch.

Judy Weeks

K.J. Davis shows his dad, Kenny Joe Davis Sr., how to tack cab-bage fans for the chickee on the float.

Judy Weeks

Multicultural Flavor Spices Harvest Festival Parade


By Judy WeeksIMMOKALEE — The Council for the

Seminole Tribe of Florida reviewed progress on theMaster Plan for Immokalee at its special meeting onApril 20.

During the previous two years, CollierCounty officials and an advisory board had beenworking with a consulting firm to devise a MasterPlan for the unincorporated community of Immokalee,Fla., of which the Immokalee reservation is a part.

In order to remain well-informed and stayabreast of any new developments that might affect theImmokalee Tribal community, Chairman MitchellCypress has asked that the Seminole Tribe have a rep-resentative present at meetings of the ImmokaleeLocal Redevelopment Advisory Board and ImmokaleeMaster Plan and Visioning Committee. Both groupssay they enthusiastically welcome any Tribal partici-pation.

The ILRAB and IMPVC held their regularmonthly joint meeting on April 18 to discuss theprogress being made on the Master Plan and work ona lengthy agenda which included both old and newbusiness. Tribal citizen Benny Motlow and a secretaryattended the meeting and prepared minutes for theinformation of the Tribal Council.

As a result, Motlow invited Fred Thomas, amember of both the Advisory Board and the VisioningCommittee, to make a presentation at the TribalCouncil meeting.

Thomas began his address to the councilwith an explanation of the goals and objectives ofboth organizations and their desire to be compatiblewith the outlook of the Seminole Tribal community.

According to Thomas, the Master Plan isbeing designed to change the development code forthe rural community of Immokalee and its surroundingagricultural lands.

Placing a regional context map on an easel,he indicated the proposed future land use which hasbeen designed to help the community compete andbecome an industrial hub. He discussed the adverseeffects of the NAFTA agreement on the local agricul-tural economy and the desire to reverse these losses.

Beginning with an analysis of the Ave MariaUniversity construction and the Barron Collier Corp.development program for its surrounding properties,

he pointed out the tremendous effect it would have onthe local economy.

In addition, Thomas enumerated both pro-posed and approved plans for road construction thatwould impact the area’s development. He said the fol-lowing transportation projects are on the table: widen-ing CR 858, Camp Keais Road, and SR 82 from I-75to SR 29 with a bypass behind the Immokalee Airport.“The Heartland Corridor for central and south Floridais in early planning stages and we support this valu-able transportation artery which would help to revital-ize our community,” Thomas said.

“We are in a central location to compete forindustry and commercewith the potential for atourist destination, multi-cultural corridor anddevelopment of an eco-tourism venture. Thenewly approvedTradeport will attractunprecedented industrialand commercial opportu-nities,” he concluded.

Thanking coun-cil members for theirinterest, Thomas reiterat-ed that the SeminoleTribe is welcome to sendrepresentatives to theirmeetings and he hopesthat they will want tojoin in the future growthof Immokalee.

Fred Thomas presents the proposed Master Planagenda to the Tribal Council.

Judy Weeks

Max Osceola, Andrew Bowers and David Cypress listen intently to FredThomas’ presentation at the Tribal Council meeting.

Judy Weeks

By Judy WeeksIMMOKALEE — The

Immokalee Seminole YouthEmployment Program was estab-lished for the purpose of teachingresponsibility and self-reliance whileoffering educational incentives. Inorder to be eligible for the program,the applicant must be enrolled inschool and maintaining a good gradepoint average.

Two young people havemet the above criteria at theImmokalee reservation and are tak-ing advantage of the opportunitiesavailable through the program.

Jordan Rodriguez, 14, is astudent at Immokalee MiddleSchool, where he has been earningabove average grades. For extra cur-ricular activities, he enjoys bothbaseball and football. As a sportsenthusiast, Rodriguez said he dreams

of a career on the athletic field but realizesthis is unlikely in such a competitiveatmosphere.

Rodriguez’s favorite subject inschool is world history, where he is learn-ing about other races and cultures and theirrelationship to the lands where they reside.He said he is especially intrigued by thevarious styles of clothing that have evolvedover time and the way they help theirwearer adapt to different environments. Heis even giving some thought to clothingdesign as a profession.

Cheyenne McInturff is an A/Bstudent at Immokalee High School with agreat deal of artistic talent. At 16, she isleaning toward a veterinary career, butisn’t sure that she could handle the emo-tional part of the job. If this doesn’t materi-alize, she said she realizes the need forhigher education still exists and will majorin business administration and digital arts,particularly computer animation and spe-cial effects.

Drawing isn’t McInturff’s onlytalent. In the summer of 2006 she competed in theIndigenous Games and was the first female goldmedal winner in Traditional Archery.

Rodriguez and McInturff come straight from

school each afternoon and reportto Immokalee Librarian CrisMarrero, who assigns them to awork detail. Most afternoons arespent assisting the younger chil-dren with their homework,ceramic projects and computerskills.

The homework assign-ments in high school areextremely heavy so McInturffmust leave work each day at 5p.m. As the library closes,Rodriguez begins his second shiftas a monitor in the gym where hedoes setup, cleanup and mainte-nance chores under the directionof Walter Campbell andRaymond Mora.

According to their supe-riors, both of these youthfulemployees show leadership quali-ties, have a great deal of patienceand are very well liked by theyoungsters they work with.

(L-R) Cheyenne McInturff helps Lauren Posada, while Jordan Rodriguez examines Suhey Lagunes’ceramic project.

Judy Weeks

Immokalee Seminole YouthParticipate in Employment Program

Jordan Rodriguez explains a difficult math problem to Eliza Mora.Judy Weeks

James Mora gives his teacher’s aide, JordanRodriguez, a hug.

Judy Weeks

Cheyenne McInturff helps Ezekiel Roberts learn his numbers whilecompleting a follow-the-dots puzzle.

Judy Weeks

Jack Aguilar tells Cheyenne McInturff that he wants her tostay and help him on the computer.

Judy Weeks

(Back to front) Jordan Rodriguez, CheyenneMcInturff, Jack Aguilar and Neo Motlow (sittingon lap) practice computer skills in the ImmokaleeLibrary.

Judy Weeks

Council Views Immokalee Development Plan

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By Felix DoBoszHOLLYWOOD — Boxes are being filled

and piled high. The moving men are coming to take usaway. Yes, that’s right. The Broadcasting andCommunications departments, including The SeminoleTribune, are moving out of the headquarters buildingat 6300 Stirling Road and going to a famousHollywood landmark.

Community Channel WSBC will remain atthe Tribal headquarters.

Chickees are the traditional Seminoledwellings, but now some Tribal citizens and employ-ees are moving into a tepee — the old Tepee Western

Wear building, that is. Broadcasting andCommunications are in the process of relocating intothe newly renovated tepee. A few changes haveoccurred inside already, such as the removal of wallsand installation of a dozen work stations and carpet-ing. If you are not familiar with this location, look fora large tepee on the roof next to the Warriors Boxinggym on State Road 7 and across the street from theHollywood Seminole Classic Casino. The new addressis 3560 N. State Road 7.

In the next issue of The Tribune, please lookfor more information about the move after the twodepartments settle into their new offices.

looked or thought of [my efforts] assomething that would be consideredachieving; I just assumed it was a wayof life.”

Fellow department and Tribalemployees Tom Gallaher, YolandaLiesdek, Robert Delorimiere andClifford Boodram joined Frank at theceremony.

Frank said receiving an awardwas a unique experience for him: “I’vebeen involved in helping identify people[for their accomplishments], but neverdid I ever think about me as identified asone of those,” he said.

The guest of honor said themain goal for him has always been thecontinued support and welfare of nativepeople — children in particular. As oneof the first Indians to attend college,education is an important issue to him.

“The Tribe’s very existence isthrough the children, because that is thefuture of the Tribe,” Frank said. “As awarrior of the Seminole Tribe, I want toprotect the people, making sure that theyhave a … decent life.”

Part of his passion towardchange and prosperity for natives wassparked by an incident involving a fel-low Tribal citizen in years past. As manychildren were being taken from theirreservations and placed in foster homesthrough state or private organizationsand agencies, Frank decided to do some-thing about it.

“The highlight of my careerwas being involved in creating theIndian Child Welfare Act, back in thelate ’70s,” Frank said. “It gives Tribesand families an opportunity to say wheretheir children should be placed and stillmaintain their identities.”

Those efforts led toother opportunities includingstints as president of theNational Indian GamingAssociation, ExecutiveAdministrator for the Tribe, acommissionership with theNational Indian GamingCommission and becomingExecutive Director of theSeminole Tribal HousingAuthority.

His work continues ona different course now, but forthe same causes. Frank said allthe efforts of the GrantsFormulation and GovernmentRelations staff are gearedtoward education, housing andother areas that promote Tribalwelfare.

“We’re a small staff inthis department, but we have ahefty responsibility,” he said.

�FrankContinued from page 1

Joel Frank addresses the audience during his acceptance speech.Chris Jenkins

Frank displays his award and Pendleton blanket alongside Lee Tiger (R)and Ken Robbins (C).

Chris Jenkins


Deer Clan Productions Entertainment performers John Grant(L) and Daniel Tramper (R).

Chris Jenkins

Communications, Broadcasting RelocateDepartments Leave Headquarters for Tepee

Construction is already underway at the TepeeFelix DoBosz

Business Manager Darline Buster of theCommunication Department packs up her belong-ings in preparation for the move.

Felix DoBosz

The new home of Broadcasting and Communications at the former Tepee Western Wear store.Felix DoBosz

By Felix DoBoszBIG CYPRESS — On April 25,

Ahfachkee School celebrated spring with afield day at the BC softball field.Approximately 150 students from kinder-garten through 12th grade competed inthese fun-filled activities.

The children wore different col-ored T-shirts to identify them as membersof the Black, Green, Blue, or Red team.The field games required skill, coordina-tion and teamwork while striving to winpoints. Older students took the time tooffer their younger team members encour-agement and a helping hand.

The activities consisted of picnicgames such as sneaker scramble, javelinthrowing of Styrofoam noodles, waterbucket brigades and sack races. Most ofthe kids seemed to enjoy these challenginggames and were laughing and smilingthroughout the sunny day. Students andteachers enjoyed a delicious lunch that wasserved up by Sonny’s BBQ under theshade of the big white tent. Winning teamswere awarded medals with engravings onthe back and colorful ribbons for theirachievements.

PE Teacher and Coach RandallCleckler explained the field day activities:“This is just a time we can come togetherand have some sportsmanship, some coop-eration, and some team building skills. Wehave 10 stations set up for 10 differentgames and sock hop relays, most of themare relays, some water relays, and bucketbrigade. We have an Olympic copy catevent throwing swimming noodles as ajavelin, that’s for distance. We also havecan catch, they’re throwing tennis ballsinto different size buckets for points. Wedo have an obstacle course and a tug ofwar for champions. We have a sneakerscramble. They tend to enjoy that one —it’s a lot of fun. Winning team gets 10points and losing team gets 5 points, andthen they can be rewarded or points takenaway for behavior and conduct … that’sup to the teachers.

“At the end we’ll accumulatethose points and we find out the top team,which goes immediately to the champi-onship tug of war. We time the remainingteams in the obstacle course and they bidfor seeds there and whoever wins theobstacle course goes to the championshipagainst the first team and then everybodyelse is placed according to time. They getmedals for grand champions. Everybodygets a medal … the last three teams gethonorable mentions.”

It was a fun-filled event andeveryone involved looked like a winnerand really had a good time.


By Susan EtxebarriaBIG CYPRESS — April was National

Financial Literacy Month. To emphasize its impor-tance, the Ahfachkee School hosted an event to teachstudents how to be wise with money.

Principal Terry Porter explained: “Ever sincethe acquisition of the Hard Rock chain, a lot of peoplefrom the media have been asking questions about theSeminole Tribe. They are coming from the outsidein, but I believe what’s really important atAhfachkee is what we are doing on the inside tohelp our children understand that this acquisition isa great responsibility that they will have to managesomeday for future generations.”

Porter said the lessons he and the school’steachers want the children to learn go beyond fis-cal responsibility. These are the children who willsome day be Tribal leaders, he said.

“We want to teach the students to becomecritical thinkers, to learn how to be good decisionmakers, not just to achieve financial success, but tobecome productive citizens, while at the same timebeing committed to the preservation of their cul-ture.”

Because most children do not fully under-stand yet what hardships were endured by theirancestors, it is important they learn from their eld-ers, respect their sacrifices and honor their culture,he said.

One way to accomplish this, Porter said,is to encourage more community involvement inAhfachkee School and to teach the children thevalue of teamwork.

As a first step,Big Cypress residentswere invited to theschool’s FinancialLiteracy Program onApril 16 to engage inafter-school activitieswith the students andtheir teachers at theHerman OsceolaGymnasium.

Students madetwo presentations aboutprinciples of moneymanagement.

Fourth-gradersperformed a skit titled“Hey! Where’s MyPaycheck?” It was writ-ten and directed by thestudents with the assis-tance of their teacher,Orlando Garcia, andteacher aide, JuliusGray.

The skit wasbased on an actualongoing school projecttaking place in whichstudents earn“Ahfachkee dollars” topurchase items at their

classroom store or save for field trips. The object is to teach students there are

rewards for good behavior and following class rules.Just as they would on the job, they earn purchasingpower for being on time and doing their assignedwork. The students’ “Ahfachkee dollars” go into aschool checking account. Spending has consequences,so the project is a tool for learning how to manage

money. Students may receive smaller paychecks ifthey do not obey the class rules, so it is also a behav-ior modification tool that teaches children there areconsequences for messing up on the job.

The high school students showed off theirnewly learned skills, creating a slide show, known inthe business world as a PowerPoint presentation.Titled “Save Your Money,” it told a story about twopigs named Swish and Slam, famous basketball starswho made a lot of money. One pig saved his money,but the other always spent his. When both pigs hadserious injuries, one was broke and couldn’t afford togo to the doctor, but the other could pay for goodmedical care.

After the performances, two challenginggames paired adults with students to practice criticalthinking and team building.

Critical thinking is how one makes wise deci-sions; team building is how one works with others toachieve worthwhile goals. Both are qualities neededfor successful living, Porter said. “We have to teachthe children to be critical thinkers so they don’t forgetabout their past. We have the opportunity at the school

to start a good foundation to preserve the culture. Iwant the students to understand that the Seminoleswere always wealthy, but their wealth was not meas-ured in terms of money — it was measured in theirkinship, sense of community and culture. TheSeminole community is the key to their rich past,” hesaid.

Porter said he hopes community residentswill understand that this is their school and to realizehow fortunate they are to have it. “We have mademany strides at the school but we still have a long wayto go,” he said.

The children seemed very interested andexcited about the games as they paired up with theircommunity partners in the team-building experience.

The first game was “Float Your Boat” and thetask was to build a boat or raft that would float in a

tub of water. Everyone had the same amount of alu-minum foil and tape to work with to make a boatsmaller than an 8 ½-by-11-inch piece of paper, withsides no more than 2 inches high.

The children and their partners had to usetheir critical thinking skills to make a boat that, onceput in water, could carry a load of golf balls. The boatthat could hold the most golf balls and still float wouldwin.

When they were ready, the teams gatheredaround the tub of water to take turns floating theirboats. The watchers enthusiastically counted out loudas golf balls were added one by one.

These shallow boats varied greatly in size andshape. Some sank after five or six balls were added.Some boats still floated holding 12 golf balls; otherseven more. With many teams competing, it took quitea long time but no one seemed to mind. When oneteam stacked up 18 balls it seemed unbelievable thatsuch a thin structure of aluminum could hold up somuch weight.

Everyone cheered when student BennyHernandez and his partner, Jose Solano, won the

game. Their tiny aluminum boatheld 28 golf balls.

The next game was a sail-boat race. Each team had to makeanother aluminum foil boat, thistime with a paper sail and a straw.Then the boat would be put in a longnarrow trough of water, about 5inches deep at one end where a bigfan would blow on the sails of theboat and send it down the trough.The boat with the fastest speedwould win. No one was allowed totouch the boat once it was put in thewater.

The winners of the boatrace were sisters Monique andMichele Jimmie, whose handmadecraft finished the race in a phenome-nal 6.9 seconds. Their prize waslunch with Porter and a Wal-Martgift card.

The second place winnerswere Jazmine Billie and TrinityWilliams with 8.7 seconds. In third

place were were Benny Hernandez and Jose Solanowith 8.8 seconds.

The program ended with a buffet dinner pre-pared and served by the school’s cafeteria staff.

Porter said he really appreciated that histeachers and staff spent their extra time to produce awonderful program, and he hopes there will be evenmore community participation in school events in thefuture.

Porter extended special thanks to KeenoKing, food services supervisor, and the Ahfachkeekitchen staff for preparing a delicious meal.

In closing, Porter acknowledged Big CypressCouncil Representative David Cypress for his encour-agement and support of this special event.“Councilman Cypress really promotes teamwork andis truly supportive of Ahfachkee School,” he said.

Ahfachkee Students Learn the Value of Money and Community

Boat race (L-R): Haden Littlebear, Matthew Bluebird,Christian Alexander and teacher Alison McCulloch.

Susan Etxebarria

The fourth grade students had a team building workshop in which they per-formed a skit entitled “Hey, where’s my paycheck?” (L-R, Front row) SabreBillie, Katherine Bert, (L-R, Second row) Christian Alexander, Kaitlin Osceola,Leandra Rodriguez, Leauna Billie, Michelle Jimmie, Nathaniel Jim, (L-R, Backrow) Gloria Brooks, Mathew Bluebird, Haden Littlebear and Mika Lopez.

Susan Etxebarria

Jasmine Billie (L) and Trinity Williams (R) play a game called “FloatYour Boat.”

Susan Etxebarria

Ahfachkee School Field Day Turns into Fun Day for Students

Students from the Red team walk across the field to prepare for the next race.Felix DoBosz

Students pass buckets of water down the line without spilling any, learning teambuilding skills.

Felix DoBosz

Young students from the Blue team run across the field in a relay race.Felix DoBosz

Students sneakers piled high in a pile.Felix DoBosz A young Green team student receives an

assist from a bunch of older students inthe sack race.

Felix DoBosz

The sneaker scramble has kids throwingoff their sneakers, then racing to putthem back on quickly.

Felix DoBosz

An older student helps a young Greenteam student along in the sack race.

Felix DoBosz

A young Red team student smiles as hehops to the finish line in the sack race.

Felix DoBosz Students in the Bucket Brigade emptywater buckets mounted atop theirheads.

Felix DoBosz


By Felix DoBoszHOLLYWOOD — It was a pic-

ture perfect afternoon on April 24 with nota cloud in the big blue sky, just a nice softbreeze with plenty of sunshine for the “Onthe TRAIL” events at the softball field.

Health —especially diabetesawareness and pre-vention — and cul-ture were the topicsof the day for theyouth programaimed mainly at 8-to-10-year-olds.

James Holt,a counselor for the Boys & Girls Club ofthe Seminole Tribe of Florida, said,“TRAIL stands for Together RaisingAwareness for Indian Life. It touches on a

lot of different things, but the mainfocus is on diabetes. The messageto kids is: Being healthy is a life-time choice, and by making thatchoice of being healthy you greatlyincrease the chance of preventing

diabetes andother dis-eases.”

MaxOsceola Jr.,Hollywoodcouncil repre-sentative,offered wel-coming

remarks and motivation for the kidsand parents in attendance. Speakingto the children, he said, “We wantyou to be healthy, because we wantyou to be here for a long time andso with this diabetes training thathelps you, because they are sayinganother thing, that an ounce of pre-vention is better than a pound ofcure. What that means is that if youcan prevent a disease, that’s betterthan treating it, OK, so what you learnmakes you healthy, and when it makes youhealthy it makes your family healthy, andwhen it makes your family healthy, itmakes our Tribe healthy.”

Gloria Wilson, Hollywood boardrepresentative, told the kids how importantit is to learn good nutrition early by eatinghealthy foods with reasonable portions, andhow important it is to stay healthy.

Leoma Poore, member of theboard of directors of the Boys & GirlsClub, joined Osceola and Wilson in pre-senting achievement certificates to the kidswho passed the diabetes health program.

Michael Jock, Pueblo of Acoma,N.M. Tribal member and education coordi-nator of the Pueblo of Acoma Boys &Girls Club, was the featured guest at thiscultural exchange event. He gave a littlepep talk to the kids and promoted this mes-sage: “I’m still learning and going toschool, so continue to learn and have funtoday, all right.” This dynamic young manand leader from the sister club in Pueblo ofAcoma is also a guitarist.

When the local community bandHybiskus entertained the gathering underthe shade of a big white tent, Jock joinedright in and enjoyed himself. With R.C.North on vocals and lead guitar, Big BadBob (aka Robert North) on drums and EricBricker on bass, the group played classicrock tunes that everyone except the kidsseemed to recognize.

Hybiskus started off with someoriginal tunes, followed quickly by theJohnny Cash classic “Folsom PrisonBlues,” which turned into an instant fanpleaser. The band then dusted off a slowand haunting “Knockin’ on Heaven’sDoor,” a Bob Dylan classic, as kids lis-tened and munched on a healthy mealsprovided by the Boys & Girls Club. Afterthat slow song, it was time for a catchyfoot stompin’ rendition of another Dylan

classic, “All Along the Watchtower.” RCsang it out, “…and the wind began tohowl.” Hybiskus concluded with BobSeger and the Silver Bullet Band’s ’70sclassic, “Turn the Page.”

The kids performed a dance num-ber called “The Evolution of Dance.” Itwas a fun-filled segment demonstrated byIsabel Tucker and Marissa DiCarlo fromthe Boys & Girls Club. They danced inunison, laughing to a wide assortment ofpop music dances from the past 50 years,compressed into mere minutes. Each newsample tune was met with spontaneouslaughter from everyone watching these twotalented and amusing performers whodanced out the steps to these hits from thepast.

Looking to the future, emceeThommy Dowd, assistant director of theBoys & Girls club, said he’s excited abouta new club program to keep kids safe whilesurfing the internet. Titled “NET SMART,”it will be implemented by Officer UlyssesBoldin of the Seminole Police Department.

The Evolution of Dance

The songs are played con-secutively in the video, with two ofthe same songs played twice(Duration in minutes of any partic-ular song-clip played in that origi-nal video are shown in parentheses.)

* “Hound Dog” - Elvis Presley(00.00 - 00.14)* “The Twist” - Chubby Checker(00.14 - 00.31)* “Stayin’ Alive” - The Bee Gees(00.31 - 00.38)* “Y.M.C.A.” - The Village People(00.38 - 00.56)* “Kung Fu Fighting” - CarlDouglas (00.56 - 01.03)* “Keep On” - The Brady Bunch(01.03 - 01.17)* “Greased Lightnin’“ - JohnTravolta (01.17 - 01.28)* “You Shook Me All Night Long” -AC/DC (01.28 - 01.42)* “Billie Jean” - Michael Jackson(01.42 - 01.50)* “Thriller” - Michael Jackson(01.50 - 01.58)* “Oompa Loompa” - Willy Wonka,a soundtrack of the film: WillyWonka & the Chocolate Factory(01.58 - 02.04)* “Mr. Roboto” - Styx (02.04 -02.14)* “Break Dance (Electric Boogie)“ -West Street Mob (02.14 - 02.28)* “Walk Like An Egyptian” - TheBangles (02.28 - 02.36)* “The Chicken Dance” - BobKames (02.36 - 02.42)* “Mony Mony” - Billy Idol (02.42 -02.57)* “Ice Ice Baby” - Vanilla Ice (02.57- 03.11)* “U Can’t Touch This” - MCHammer (03.12 - 03.42)* “Love Shack” - The B-52’s (03.42- 03.46)* “Apache” - The Sugar hill Gang(03.46 - 04.02)* “Jump Around” - House of Pain(04.02 - 04.15)* “Baby Got Back” - Sir Mix-A-Lot(04.15 - 04.22)* “Tub thumping” - Chumbawamba(04.22 - 04.32)* “What Is Love” - Haddaway(04.32 - 04.40)* “Cotton Eye Joe” - Rednex (04.40- 05.01)* “Macarena” - Los Del Rio (05.01 -05.06)* “Bye Bye Bye” - N’Sync (05.06 -05.29)* “Lose Yourself” - Eminem (05.29 -05.33)* “Hey Ya!” - Outkast (05.33 -05.39)* “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” - Jay-Z(05.39 - 05.49)* “Ice Ice Baby” - Vanilla Ice(Lyrics played: “Yo, let’s get outtahere. Word to your mother”.) (05.49- 05.52)* “Bye Bye Bye” - N’Sync (Lyricsplayed: “Bye, bye, bye”.) (05.52 -06.00)

Children who completed the TRAILDiabetes Prevention Program:

Luke Baxley Jr.Neyom OsceolaKnananochet OsceolaDorian JumperRiver DillionDeila HarjoFairuza BillieAnissa OsceolaDevan BowersAmanda DicarloRaymond OsceolaMarsha OsceolaRaevin FrankMarissa DiCarloBaylee MiccoTameron WilcoxTristen WilcoxIsabel TuckerEden JumperAaron OsceolaJonathan Bowers

“We want you to behealthy, because we wantyou to be here for a longtime” – Max B. Osceola Jr.

Young Neko Osceola looks surprised to hear his name.Felix DoBosz

The band Hybiskus performs at the “On the TRAIL” event forB&G Club. R.C. North on vocals and lead guitar, Big Bad Bob (akaRobert North) on drums, Eric Bricker on Bass, Michael Jock fromPueblo of Acoma, on Rhythm guitar.

Felix DoBosz

The evolution of dance performed by talented Isabel Tuckerand Marissa DiCarlo from the B&G Club.

Felix DoBosz

Michael Jock, a Pueblo of Acoma, shared his message: “I’mstill learning and going to school so continue to learn andhave fun today, all right.”

Felix DoBosz

RC North plays guitar and sings vocals as his dad RobertNorth plays drums in the background.

Felix DoBosz

The evolution of dance is a real kicker as performed by Isabel Tucker and MarissaDiCarlo from the Boys & Girls Club.

Felix DoBosz

Kids Get On the TRAIL to Lifelong Good HealthBoys & Girls Club Promotes Diabetes Prevention, Cultural Exchange


By Judy WeeksIMMOKALEE — Culture is an important

part of everyone’s life. It helps us to understandwho we are, what we are and where we came from.

Seminole Tribal citizens are very consciousof the need to pass on these basic concepts in aneffort to keep the Tribe strong and preserve its his-tory as well as prepare for future generations. Withthis in mind, culture is taught on each of the reser-vations.

Immokalee’s Culture Department hasalways been available but with the advent of thenew administration building, it is beginning toflourish. Its headquarters are now located on thesecond floor in conjunction with the library and theEducation Department. After-school programs have

placed the children within easy access of the cultureactivities. In addition, the seniors’ facilities arelocated on the ground floor and this makes it easyfor them to participate in the program.

At the end of each school day, the young-sters pour into the library for homework, tutoringand extracurricular activities. As they complete theirassignments, they can move into the culture areawhere projects and assistance are readily available.Beading, storytelling, wood craft, sewing and basketmaking are becoming a regular schedule and thegroup of participants is growing daily.

A number of seniors have joined CarolCypress in the early afternoons to learn the historicand time-consuming art of creating bandolier bags.These beautiful pieces of artwork have deep roots inthe Seminole culture and originated among the

inhabitants of theSoutheastern UnitedStates. They are not onlyfor ornamentation but havespiritual significance aswell.

Each bandolierand its corresponding bagare a one of a kind art-work. Designed and craft-

ed by the warriors theyadorned, these power-ful instruments wereworn for religious cere-monies, councils, mat-ters of state and con-flict. So powerful istheir spiritual aspectthat only the warriorsand elder women of theclans could be involvedin their creation.

Carol Cypresshas spent years learningthe correct methods forproducing these works

of art and was commissioned to make the onesworn in the life size displays at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum in Big Cypress. In addition, she hastwo of her finished products on display in thecurrent “Native Artists: Masters of Tradition”exhibit.

With a small group of interested seniorssurrounding her, Carol explained the care thatmust be taken in selecting the proper materials,cutting out the pattern and laying out the bead-work designs. With a careful eye to detail, shedemands accuracy at all times and keeps meas-uring devices and markers close at handthroughout the creative process. She stresses thatobserving is learning.

By the end of the second day, her stu-dents were well along on their creative journey.They had cut out the fabrics, basted the innerfacings and laid out their beading patterns.

Meanwhile, the youngsters were busyputting together small purses. Selecting theirbeads and laying out the patterns was an easytask compared to the actual beading operation,which was a very time-consuming learningexperience. However, the children appeared tobe deeply engrossed in their project and eager tocontinue.

On April 24 Brian Zepeda of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum staff gave an informativepresentation to the entire group. He discussedthe history and cultural significance of the ban-doliers in a comprehensive manner that was welladapted to such a wide range of ages. Givingclose attention to the proper selection of materi-als and tools, he then proceeded to the actualfabrication.

Zepeda’s captive audience hung on hisevery word as he described the occasions whenthe bandoliers were worn and the many sources

of

information available on the subject. For instance,he has closely studied old portraits, photographs andmanuscripts while creating the ones he wears duringhistorical reenactments.

Those entering the culture room on the sec-ond day could hear hand crank sewing machinessinging away as children as young as 7 were learn-ing the art of Seminole patchwork. Rachel Billie,Ruth Osceola and Amy Clay had their hands full asthey instructed such a large group of youngsters.First they taught the careful selection and cutting ofthe fabrics as well as tearing of strips to fashion thedesigns.

Despite the inconvenience of needles thatwouldn’t remain threaded, it was incredible to wit-ness the accuracy of these beginners. With each

attachment of fabric,they became moreadept at gauging thedistance between theseams. Their initialfrustration was turn-ing into confidenceand ultimately youcould see the pride intheir workmanship.Many of the young-sters had completed2-foot-long designsby the end of the sec-ond meeting.

All the stu-dents had one thing incommon. Theyrepeatedly remarkedabout what a goodtime they were havingand asked how soonthey could return.Learning can be fun,especially when yourheart is in your work.

Eliza Mora is intent on stitching her first length of Seminole designs.Judy Weeks

Lily Mora pays close attention to detail as she gauges the distance betweenstrips.

Judy Weeks

Brian Zepeda gives a detailed description of thematerials required to do fine bead work.

Judy Weeks

Ruth Osceola hand-bastes her bandolier strap.

Judy Weeks

Cheyenne McInturff has needle threading down to a science.Judy Weeks

(L-R) Carol Cypress teaches Nancy Motlow and Ruth Osceola the properway to interface their fabrics.

Judy Weeks

Rachel Billie shows Lily Mora how to connect her fabric to create designs.

Judy Weeks

Culture Classes Attract All AgesKids, Seniors Master Tribal Crafts

By Susan EtxebarriaTAMPA — In 1993, Sister Mary Elizabeth Lagoy,

a Catholic nun, showed up one day at Brighton SeminoleReservation wanting to speak with the education adviser. Atthat time, it was Nancy Shore.

Shore recalled receiving a phone call from ateacher at Ahfachkee School at Big Cypress. The teacherreferred the nun, who was offering her services as an educa-tor to the Seminole Tribe.

“We needed all the help in the education depart-ment that we could get at that time, so it was good to getvolunteers,” Shore said.

The next step was to get approval from JohnWayne Huff, the Brighton Council Representative. “He said,

‘Anything you can do to help our people,’ ” Sister MaryElizabeth recalled in a recent interview.

The nun remained at Brighton for the next fouryears, devoting her life to educating students and adults.Her work was primarily as a tutor and she worked with allage groups — college students, and younger children aswell as adults who were studying for their GEDs.

On April 21, Sister Mary Elizabeth celebrated hergolden jubilee — 50 years as a nun. Five tribal educatorsfrom Brighton whose lives were deeply touched by this ded-

icated nun attendedthe ceremony. Itwas hosted by theTampa MissionCentre at theAcademy of theHoly Names.

NancyShore, Louise

Gopher, Diane Smith, Jenny Shore and Mabel Haught werespecial guests at Sister Mary Elizabeth’s table at the lunch-eon. Rose Marie Knigge, a long time employee of theBrighton Health Clinic, and Robbie Shore also sat at thetable along with two of the nun’s relatives.

The ceremony included a special liturgical servicehonoring Sister Mary Elizabeth and six other jubilarians. Allseven women renewed their vows in the religious order ofthe Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary. This reli-gious order was founded by Marie Rose Durocher in 1843in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada.

The priest who presided over the liturgical cere-monies, the Rev. Robert Wiseman, recited these words:“Dear Sisters, born again in Christ through baptism, you arecalled to be members of Christ’s Body and God’s priestlypeople. You have pledged to follow closely in the footstepsof Christ Jesus. Now, following in the spirit of BlessedMarie Rose Durocher, you come to renew your religiousvows made 50 years ago.”

“Part of my fulfillment in life is to help others,”Sister Mary Elizabeth said. “I believe everyone has giftsand talents and we all need to use them, and if we can helpanyone along that path, that’s what it’s all about.” Sheadded humbly, “Sometimes we have success and sometimeswe don’t.”

Mabel Haught says she attained her self-improve-ment goal because of Sister Mary Elizabeth. Worried aboutdiabetes, Haught wanted to learn about eating the rightfoods. “She helped me when I attended a course at IndianRiver Community College. When I was in my late 40s, Itook a class in nutrition therapy to learn about diabetesmanagement, and without her I might not have passed theclass,” Haught said. “But she was there for everyone. Shenever said no when anyone asked her for help.”

Diane Smith said her eldest daughter was veryfond of Sister Mary Elizabeth: “She was really influentialand a good tutor for the kids. We sure hated to see her go.She has a gift for teaching and working with the kids; andthe kids just loved her.”

After the luncheon, the women from Brighton sur-prised Sister Mary Elizabeth with gifts, which she openedcheerfully.

“I am touched and pleased with the gifts,” the nunsaid. “I love you guys and I left a big part of my heart withyou in Brighton.”

Sister Mary Elizabeth started the first summerschool at Brighton, Jenny Shore recalled. “It was good forher to come to Brighton. After she started the summerschool program, our education program branched out fromthere, and now we have the Pull-Out Program [weekly cul-ture classes at Brighton for local children attendingOkeechobee schools] and soon we will have our own char-ter school.”

Nancy Shore said Sister Mary Elizabeth broughtother volunteers, other nuns, college students and educatorsto help the Tribe develop the summer school program atBrighton. Culture classes were introduced at the summerprogram as well.

Louise Gopher said Sister Mary Elizabeth is awonderful and inspirational person who quietly went abouther work. “She came to teach and asked nothing of us,” shesaid.

The nun holds a bachelor’s degree in education anda master’s degree in social work. She taught school for 17years. She also worked with the Mohawk, Onondaga andAlgonquin tribes in Syracuse, N.Y. before volunteering withthe Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Sister Mary Elizabeth now lives in Albany, N.Y.and is writing a history book about Kateri Tekakwitha, whowas beatified — the second step toward becoming a saint— by Pope John Paul II in 1980. The first Native Americancandidate for sainthood, Blessed Kateri is honored by theCatholic Church as the patron of ecology and the environ-ment. In writing this book, Sister Mary Elizabeth will onceagain lend her skills to an Indian cause.

After the celebration, the nun traveled to Brighton,where she stayed with Nancy Shore for two days and wasable to visit with many friends in Brighton.

Mission Honors SisterMary Elizabeth for YearsOf Service at Brighton

Enjoying their reunion are (front row, L-R) RobbieShore, Nancy Shore, Sister Mary Elizabeth and LouiseGopher; back row (L-R) Diane Smith and Jenny Shore.

‘She came to teach and

asked nothing of us.’

— Louise Gopher


Submitted by Keith Jumper, Kaylee Jumper, StevieBillie and Jessica Lopez

On Jan. 24, the 7th and 8th grade studentsfrom Ahfachkee School left to the Tampa/St.Petersburg area for two days. The students and teach-ers who went were: Tia Osborne, Tana Bear-Osceola,Kaylee Jumper, Keith Jumper, Hudson Jumper, JessicaLopez, Billy Cypress, Kegan Cypress, ReggieCypress, Stevie Billie, Natasha Billie, Malachi Baker,Miss Eileen Hagar, Mrs. Margarita Lugo and Mr. JoeBenson.

We went to spendsome time at the WeedonIsland Preserve and to stay atthe Seminole Hard RockHotel & Casino. Stevie Billiesaid the trip was “fantastic!”

On Jan. 25, we allgot up and had a deliciousbreakfast. Everyone loadedup on the bus and we wereoff! The Weedon IslandPreserve is located in St.Petersburg on Tampa Bay. Ithas a boardwalk, canoeing,nature trails and a Culturaland Natural History Center.

When we arrived,Phyllis Kolianos met us andwe went to the lab room andlistened to a story told byBrent Weisman, an archaeol-ogist from the University ofSouth Florida. He told us

about a man coming to Florida from Philadelphia andmeeting some of the Seminole Indians many, manyyears ago.

We also learned about what people used touse for tools. They used a conch shell tied to a stickfor a hammer. They used little shells for cutting. Theyalso used the fibers from palmetto fronds to make fish-ing nets and little shells for weights.

After that we got a tour of the center. Thetour included a video that some of the former

Ahfachkee School students made several years ago.They were Matthew Cornelius, Jonathan Harjo,Stephanie Hall and Klaressa Osceola. Miss EileenHagar and Teresa Jumper also helped. They got to goto Washington, D. C. to photograph and research arti-facts found at Weedon Island.

We then walked around the boardwalk and aman named Dave showed us how to make rope andthread from palmetto fronds. We also saw little crabsand birds. We learned about different types of mangotrees.

The best part of the trip was canoeing. We allshared canoes and paddled through the mangroves.“At first it was scary,” Keith Jumper said. “But I gotthe hang of it. I would go again.”

When we first started, most of the studentswere scared that the canoes would tip over. But thewater was only 2 feet deep, so all they had to do wasstand up! Malachi and Reggie kept running into Tia,Natasha and Billy. Hudson and Stevie kept getting toofar away and trying not to tip over. They made it safe-ly back! Malachi Baker said, “The canoe trip wasfun!” (This was his first time canoeing.)

We then went back to the hotel and ate dinnerat the food court. Malachi and Reggie were, like, oneminute late, so they had to eat dinner with MissHagar!

The trip was fun, but we were tired when wegot back to Big Cypress. Luckily, we didn’t haveschool the next day and got to sleep in.

Our Trip to Weedon Island

(L-R) Kaylee Jumper, Natasha Billie, Stevie Billie, Billy Cypress, HudsonJumper and Malachi Baker on the Weedon Island boardwalk.

Margarita Lugo

Phyllis Kolianos (C) shares her knowledge of gopher tortoises.Eileen Hagar

(L-R) Tana Bear-Osceola and Kegan Cypress take it easy while Eileen Hagar does all of the work.Margarita Lugo

Keith Jumper and Tana Bear-Osceola share theirnewfound interest in ancient tools.

Kaylee Jumper

Malachi Baker leads the pack.Stevie Baker

By Emma BrownBRIGHTON—

During the month ofApril the BrightonEducation Departmentstaff met with the highschool students to enjoypizza and to have a guestspeaker educate them onthe process of preparingfor college.

The studentslearned about coursesthey should be takingduring their high schoolyears that will better pre-pare them for acceptanceinto a university. Theyalso learned about thestandardized tests thatare required for collegeentry, the SAT and ACT.

The speaker,Martha Brady, directorof school and districtrelations of the CollegeBoard FloridaPartenership, advisedthem about when theyshould begin takingthese tests and how theycan best prepare for them by offering a fewtest taking tips. She also discussed with

them what colleges are looking for in astudent these days and what they could do

as students to pre-pare a well-put-together collegeresume.

Some ofher pointersinvolved:• The best times toregister for theSAT, PSAT andACT;• The importanceof taking higher-level classes;• The importanceof dual enrollment; • The importanceof communityservice hours; and • Utilizing the statewebsite to getstandardized test-ing materials.

If youhave any questionsabout collegepreparation orstandardized test-ing, please contactyour local educa-tion department.

Brighton StudentsReceive SAT’s 101

Kelsey and Ashley Spencer all smiles after the presentation.Emma Brown

Pierson Hunsinger and Cordey Jumper enjoyed the presentation.Emma Brown

By Sandy HamiltonHOLLYWOOD — “I’ve actually

had the (head of the) National Conferenceof State Historic Preservation Officers tellme that she doesn’t believe in Tribal sover-eignty,” D. Bambi Kraus told her audienceat the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Okalee.

Kraus is president of the NationalAssociation of Tribal Historic PreservationOffices (NATHPO), and this unsettlingrevelation set the tone for her talk on April26. It was the final program in the muse-um’s 2007 DistinguishedLecture Series.

A graduate ofStanford University whoworked as a senior advis-er for President Clinton’sInitiative on Race, Krauscurrently works withTribes to help them com-municate with local andfederal government agen-cies. Describing herself as“more advocate thanapologist,” Krausexplained that comingfrom the federal level, sheis better able to under-stand the nuances of thepolitical process one must navigate inorder to achieve historical preservation.

“The U.S. government didn’t givethe Tribes the land; they reserved it for

their use,” Kraus stressed, adding thatTribes must assert their sovereignty beforethe states make decisions for them. Statesused to decide what should be done onTribal land not in use by the Tribes, shesaid, and many national parks, nationalseashores and military installations wereestablished on land taken away fromTribes.

Historic preservation is important,Kraus said, because it is “writingAmerica’s history.” She explained the

process:Every year grants are

given out by the federal govern-ment to state historic preservationofficers (SHPOs) as well as toTribal historic preservation offi-cers (THPOs). Very little moneyis given to THPOs to help pre-serve Tribal land; meanwhile,SHPOs receive the bulk of thefederal grants. There are 560Tribes and only 66 THPOs in 22states. There are 56 SHPOs andterritories for 50 states. Six of theSHPO territories get more moneyannually than all of the Tribescombined.

According to the websitewww.preservationaction.org, $50 millionwas given to State Historic PreservationOfficers for fiscal year 2006, as opposed to$12 million for Tribes. Currently, the aver-

age allocation per Tribal Office is $40,000.As more Tribes are recognized by the fed-eral government, and funding remainslevel, the allocation per Tribe is reduced.Sites significant to the Tribes do not oftenregister as significant to those outside theTribe.

These challenges, added to thoseposed by unethical archaeologists and sci-entists, limited resources, and the historicalreluctance of others to work with theTribes, make the job of Tribal historicpreservation officers more difficult, Kraussaid.

The Seminole Tribe is the first tohave a THPO office in Florida. Bill Steele,deputy historical preservation officer, whojoined Kraus for the program, said, “I oftensay that the historic preservation office atthe Seminole Tribe of Florida is like build-ing a car while it is already moving … Ifwe are building a car, then she (Kraus) isbuilding a plane while it is already in theair.”

Kraus said the work of the THPOsis essential to protect the Treaty rightsfrom being ignored or completely takenaway. Volunteers are needed from theTribal communities because there is a lackof Tribal representatives. Private funding isalso important. Although it seems like anuphill battle, it is a battle that Kraus andthe THPOs fight on a daily basis to protectthe Tribes and their rich history.

Tribal Historic Preservation Offices: An Issue of Sovereignty

Bambi KrausSandy Hamilton

By Emma BrownBRIGHTON — Congratulations

to Raina Robinson, Dylan Chalfant andKirsten Doney for making it to the schoolfinals in the Tropicana public speakingcontest.

This contest is held districtwidefor fourth and fifth graders to help sharpentheir public speaking skills. By placing intheir classroom competition, the studentsearned the chance to compete in theschool-wide competition held on April 17at Seminole Elementary.

Raina Robinson is the fifth gradedaughter of Jeff and Janelle Robinson. Sheplaced second in her class with her speechon the Seminole culture and traditions.

Dylan Chalfant is the fifth gradeson of Robbie and Kim Chalfant. Dylan’sspeech on the Indian Removal Act andTribal Federal Recognition earned him thethird place spot in his classroom.

Kirsten Doney is the fifth gradedaughter of Kenny and Marilyn Doney anddelivered an upbeat speech on the negativeeffects of drugs and alcohol, which earnedher third place in her classroom.

These students did a wonderfuljob delivering their speeches in front oftheir peers, parents and judges — a taskmany adults would find daunting. Participants (L-R) Kirsten Doney, Raina Robinson and Dylan Chalfant

Emma Brown

Students Participate in the Tropicana Speech Contest


By Fred Cicetti[Editor’s Note: Fred Cietti is a syndicated

columnist who writes about issues concerning sen-ior citizens’ health. The opinions he expresses arehis own. If you would like to ask a question, pleasewrite [email protected]. All Rights Reserved ©2007 by Fred Cicetti.]

Q. Is cigarette smoke the only cause oflung cancer?

Radon and asbestos are causes, too. Radonis an invisible, odorless, radioactive gas that occursnaturally in soil and rocks. Asbestos is used for fire-proofing, electrical insulation, building materials,brake linings, and chemical filters.

But cigarette smoking is the number onecause of lung cancer. Before cigarette smokingbecame popular in the early part of the 20th centu-ry, doctors rarely saw patients with lung cancer.Nearly 90 percent of people with lung cancer devel-oped it because they smoked cigarettes.

The good news is that smoking is not aspopular as it used to be. In 1965 about 42 percentof all adults smoked, but by 1997 only 25 percentdid. Also, there has been a sharp drop in lung can-cer deaths among men, mainly because fewer menare smoking.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancerdeath in men and women in the United States. Itoccurs most often between the ages of 55 and 65.

Common symptoms of lung cancerinclude: a persistent cough that worsens, constantchest pain, coughing up blood, shortness of breath,wheezing or hoarseness, repeated problems withpneumonia or bronchitis, swelling of the neck andface, loss of appetite or weight loss, and fatigue.

If you have any of these symptoms, it isimportant to check with a doctor immediately. Iftests show that you have cancer, you should maketreatment decisions as soon as possible. Studies

show that earlytreatment leads tobetter outcomes.

The standard treatments for lungcancer are surgery to remove a tumor, chemothera-py with anti-cancer drugs, radiation to kill cancercells, and photodynamic therapy, a newer techniquethat uses a laser with a chemical to kill cancer cells.

There are two major types of lung cancer— non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lungcancer. Each type of lung cancer grows and spreadsin different ways, and each is treated differently.

Non-small cell lung cancer is more com-mon than small cell lung cancer. Doctors treatpatients with non-small cell lung cancer in severalways. Surgery is a common treatment. Cryosurgery,a treatment that freezes and destroys cancer tissue,may be used to control symptoms in the later stagesof non-small cell lung cancer. Doctors may also useradiation therapy and chemotherapy to slow theprogress of the disease and to manage symptoms.

Small cell lung cancer grows more quicklyand is more likely to spread to other organs in thebody. In many cases, cancer cells have alreadyspread to other parts of the body when the diseaseis diagnosed. In order to reach cancer cells through-out the body, doctors almost always use chemother-apy.

Treatment for small cell lung cancer mayalso include radiation therapy aimed at the tumor inthe lung or tumors in other parts of the body, suchas in the brain. Surgery is part of the treatment planfor a small number of patients with small cell lungcancer.

Some patients with small cell lung cancerhave radiation therapy to the brain even though nocancer is found there. This treatment is given toprevent tumors from forming in the brain.

Dear Counselor:I am a 36-year-old single woman. I have

never been married. I have been in several relation-ships and I have been engaged twice. I am lookingfor a soul mate but all I find is dead weight.

Why is it so hard for some men to committo a woman?

Signed:Searching

Dear Searching:Many men realize that the value and

beauty of being in a committed relationship is thelove, trust and mutual support that a coupleshares. But some men find it hard to commitbecause they fear losing themselves and their free-dom as the master of their own destiny.

How a relationship will affect or changeone’s dream or plans is an unknown that can befrightening. These guys are very concerned abouthaving to check in with a woman and answer prob-ing questions such as, “Where have you been?”

Then there are men who choose to commitbecause they believe they are better in an exclusive

relationship with a goodwoman than they aresolo. But a critical com-bination is required: the right woman at the righttime. Both elements have to be in sync. If a manwants to be unattached for whatever reason, itdoesn’t matter how right the woman may seembecause he doesn’t want the responsibilities of acommitment at that time.

By contrast, when a man is ready for anexclusive relationship, he will gladly accept thechallenges and responsibilities it brings. That oftencomes after he establishes himself economicallyand is tired of playing the field. A man’s commit-ment is based on his concept of a relationship andhis own definition of manhood. At that point, asolid union can evolve.

The bottom line is that commitment isabout loving, trusting, being honest and sharing.Even when you find your soul mate, maintaining arelationship takes time, patience and commitment.

Signed:Counselor

Submitted by the Seminole Health DepartmentMost people are familiar with the meter that

tests blood glucose-the glucometer.

Some people know what their blood glucosegoals should be.

The American Diabetes Association guide-lines for glucose goals in a diabetic patient are:

Fasting (After 8 hours without food/drink)90-130 mg/dLPostprandial (after a meal)below 180 mg/dL

Few people know why monitoringtheir blood glucose level is so very impor-tant to diabetes care. Patients who checktheir blood glucose every day are in controlof their diabetes management plan. That’sright. Knowing what your blood glucoseshould be and checking to see if you are inthat range are the first steps to managingdiabetes. Maintaining a healthy blood glucose levelfollowing your diabetes diagnosis can lead to a fulllife with reduced risk of diabetes complications.

Daily blood glucose testing is a wonderfultool, but can be a bit of a challenge for the diabeticpatient. Keeping up withtesting supplies, sore fingers,changes in meal times, andthe newly created biohaz-ardous waste are a few ofthe obstacles facing the dia-betic patient.

So why do peoplewith diabetes continue to testtheir blood glucose everyday? It would be easier toleave their diabetes care upto chance. Unfortunately thisconvenience would come ata very hefty price. Ignoringthe disease won’t make it goaway. Over time, high bloodglucose levels can contributeto diabetic eye disease, nerve damage, kidney damage,heart disease and, for some men, erectile dysfunction.Testing your blood glucose every day puts you — notthe disease — in control.

Keep a daily log of your blood glucose lev-els. This journal can help your diabetes managementteam evaluate your care. The other tool available tomonitor a patient’s glucose testing is the Accu ChekCamit Pro summary report. A patient can bring theAccu Chek glucometer to the Seminole health clinicsand the management team can generate a customized

blood glucose report. This report is important becauseit helps to monitor trends in the patient’s blood glu-cose, which gives the doctor valuable informationneeded to manage diabetes care.

This is an example of a diabetic patient whotests his blood glucose every day. This person has test-ed a total of 131 times in a two-month period. So thediabetes care team can see immediately that thepatient is testing two times every day. Next, it is

apparent that thepatient is main-taining healthyglucose levels ashe is testing97.7% of the timein the healthyblood glucoserange, 0.8% overthe ideal range(high) and 1.5%under the idealrange (low). Thegraph is a very

helpful teaching tool as the patient is able to see avery clear picture of what his blood glucose is doingover long periods of time.

Here are some tips to improve your bloodglucose monitoring.

• Make sure your hands are clean before test-ing.

• Rotate the test site often to avoid sore fin-gers.

• Use lancets for one test only and dispose ofproperly.

• Stick the sides of the finger tip instead ofthe end—it is less sensitive.

• Test your meter with a control solution eachtime you open a new bottle of test strips.

For more information about diabetes self-monitoring, please contact:

Big Cypress Wellness Center 863-983-5798Suzanne Fundingsland, DietitianMarjorie Meredith, Health Educator

Brighton Medical Clinic 863-763-0271Beth Morlang, DietitianBarbara Boling, Health Educator

Hollywood Medical Clinic 954-962-2009 Doris Mir, Dietitian, Nutrition ProgramCoordinatorTina Mennella, Health Educator

Immokalee Medical Clinic 239-867-3400Charlotte Porcaro, Dietitian/Health Educator

The Importance of Glucose Monitoring

By Felix DoBoszFORT LAUDERDALE — About 50

people, mostly Tribal employees, gathered atone of the Tribe’s newest facilities for an openhouse on May 1. The Seminole Tribe ofFlorida, in conjunction with the FamilyServices Department, celebrated the opening ofthe Tribe’s first treatment center, John’s Place.

The facility is located at 301-305 S.W.16th St., in a primarily residential/industrialneighborhood. The Tribe has a one-year leasefor this treatment center.

John’s Place was named for JohnCates, president of Treatment Solutions ofSouth Florida, Inc., who spearheaded the effortto establish this facility. Prevention andUtilization Administrator Eric Bricker of theFamily Services Department also assisted inmaking John’s Place a reality. Bricker said theselection process for admitting patients is basedon careful clinical evaluation of candidatesbased on individual treatment needs.

Tribal citizens selected for this program willno longer have to worry about being sent away to

facilities out of state, which can be difficult dur-ing recovery with family and friends back home.Clients need not worry about the 28-day stay lim-itation rule that’s in force at most treatment facili-ties because the Tribe is using their own insur-ance company to help with the funding of thisprogram.

John’s Place can house eight adult Tribalcitizens, four men and four women, in twodetached family-style homes. The homes wererecently renovated to provide for the treatment ofsubstance abuse clients.

John’s Place has much to offer itsclients. Besides the structured environment andpersonalized supervision by trained professionalcounselors, this clean, new facility has manyamenities. Guests on tour inside saw small, clean,furnished rooms for offices, living and diningareas, kitchens, bathrooms and dorm rooms.

Between the two buildings are a com-mon area courtyard and a few trees to offer shadein the private backyard. There are also scatteredpicnic tables and chairs for relaxing.

Tribal leaders arrived to welcome andthank everyone gathered for the opening of thetreatment center. Tribal citizen Andrew Buster ledthe invocation in Mikasuki to bless the center andthose who gathered there. Helene Buster, directorof Family Services, hosted this event and intro-duced some of the Tribal leaders who had a fewcongratulatory words.

President Moses Osceola, the first ofseveral speakers, said he was excited about thisnew facility, adding, “This is just a first step. Thenext step is to have these types of facilities at ourother reservations.”

The next speaker was Andrew Bowers,

Brighton Council representative, who said FamilyServices did a great job with John’s Place. He said he

especially liked the fact that after 28 days, patientswould not be forced to leave, but instead would beevaluated on a case-by-case basis.

“Clients are treated as if they have a dis-ease and can stay here for as long as it takes,”Bowers said. “Folks in that type of situation needall our help, however long it takes.”

Hollywood Tribal Council RepresentativeMax B. Osceola Jr. said a few words next. Hecommended all the hard work of the FamilyServices Department as a whole, saying, “There isno ‘I’ in ‘team.’ We are all working hard together.”

“Today the Tribe has hit a home run,”Osceola said.

Helene Buster said the reason the Tribecannot not have a treatment center on theHollywood reservation at this time is that there isjust no room. However, she said she felt fortunateto find this facility, which used to be a halfwayhouse.

By Judy WeeksIMMOKALEE — A great deal of time is

usually spent comparison shopping for a major pur-chase like a vehicle or a new appliance. However,when dealing with our precious children, we oftenmake snap judgments and grab the first babysitter thatcomes along.

This can be a very serious mistake. Newsheadlines frequently tell of abuse, neglect, injuries orfatalities as a result of babysitting incidents.

Seminole Police Department Officer ThomasJ. Faherty of the Crime Prevention Unit recently did astudy on the proper selection of a babysitter. He thenput together a presentation for the ImmokaleePreschool Parent Meeting on April 23 titled “Selectingthe Right Babysitter to Watch Your Children.”

He noted four important qualities to look forin a babysitter:

• 1. Leadership — maturity, trust and depend-ability;

• 2. Ability to provide basic care like bathing,feeding, diapering, dressing and toileting;

• 3. Good judgment to prevent accidents andillnesses and identify solutions for safety;

• 4: Knowing the difference between majoremergencies and minor ones, and how to act in eachinstance.

Faherty noted that babysitting is a job andshould be treated as one: The hiring process should bea job interview that examines the child’s interactionwith the sitter. He advised parents to make an outlineof the sitter’s duties and responsibilities and discussthese thoroughly, and to bear in mind that a competentsitter should be at least 14 years old.

Most parents pick babysitters based on therecommendations of friends and neighbors. If at allpossible, Faherty advised, attempt to get additionalreferences and determine whether the sitter has actual-ly worked for the other people, and if so for how long.Be sure to get the sitter’s correct name, address andphone number, not just for future reference, but also tohave in the event of a mishap.

Parents should also be sure to discuss withpotential problems with the sitter and explain howthey wish to have these handled during their absence.Always make sure that the sitter knows where you

will be and how you can be reached, Faherty told hisaudience, and make sure you leave a number for abackup person in the event you can not be reachedimmediately.

Other tips from the officer:• The sitter should be advised of your house-

hold rules such as bedtime, snacks, allergies and med-ications. Thoroughly discuss acceptable forms of pun-ishment such as timeout and what constitutes the needto reprimand your child. The sitter needs to know howyou want your phone answered during your absence,and shouldn’t open the door for strangers.

• Consider the age of your children and makecertain that the sitter is comfortable with these agegroups and not overwhelmed by too many children atone time. Discuss your child’s diet and types of foodsuch as regular or baby food. Make sure the sitterunderstands any culture-related issues that need to beaddressed at feeding time.

• Make sure the sitter knows basic first aidand what to do in the event of a choking problem.They should be aware of what types of food can createa choking incident, such as hot dogs, whole grapes,hard candy, carrots, celery, etc.

• Make sure the sitter has immediate accessto the phone numbers of poison control, 911 and theSeminole Police Department. The sitter should lock allwindows and doors to not only prevent an intrusion,but insure that a toddler does not slip outside or fallvictim to some form of danger. If the children aresleeping, they should be checked on regularly.

• It is very important that upon returninghome you talk with your children about their experi-ences with the sitter. How did things go? Did you playany games? Did they punish you? Did anything hap-pen that made you feel bad? The answers to thesequestions could alert you to critical warning signs.

• If you have had issues with a friend or fam-ily member in the past or were mistreated in any wayby them, you must not consider this person for ababysitting position under any circumstances. Whilethis may inconvenience you at the time, it can preventa future incident or tragedy.

The American Red Cross offers babysittertraining courses. This might be something to look intoif you think you’ll need a sitter on a regular basis.

SPD Officer Tells ParentsHow to Pick a Good Babysitter

A Celebration for a NewBeginning at John’s PlaceSeminole Tribe Opens First Treatment Center

Inside the new treatment center dining room areaFelix DoBosz

The front view of John’s Place with open house sign.Felix DoBosz

Treatment Solutions of South Florida, Inc., has aplaque on the wall recognizing the highest level ofachievement and accreditation — a prestigious awardfrom the Joint Commission of Accreditation ofHealthcare Organizations.

Felix DoBosz


If you are in TROUBLE,

Call:

OUT OF TROUBLE BAIL BOND

Bail Agent: Greg James

Office: (863) 763-8955

Cell: (863) 801-1344

Available 24 HoursServing Broward, Glades, Hendry, Highlands,

Indian River, Okeechobee & Martin Counties.

By Judy WeeksIMMOKALEE — Members of the

Immokalee Seminole community, spouses andemployees began a weight loss contest with aweigh-in last January. Four months have passedand the final weigh-out took place on April 19.

Chairman Mitchell Cypress initiatedthe original weight loss competitions inSeptember, 2005. Stressing the need for a morehealthful lifestyle, he indicated that he was hop-ing the contests would be a very rewardingincentive. Using himself for an example, he dis-cussed the importance of weight and diet controlfor not only diabetics, but persons sufferingfrom numerous other diseases as well as weight,heart and cholesterol issues.

Cypress cautioned, “Gaining control ofyour lifestyle is a slow, gradual process, if youplan to make the change permanent. You did notarrive at your current condition overnight andcan not expect to see radical immediate change.Consulting your doctor and physical fitnesstherapist is a must if you plan to safely obtainthe desired results and exercise is a key factor.”

Immokalee Council Liaison RalphSanchez sponsored the most recent contest. Hestated that he feels these competitions should becontinuous because they help to keep everyonefocused on healthy eating and exercise practices.

Nutritionist Charlotte Porcaro monitorsthe contests and is available to assist withdietary questions and concerns. She was instru-mental in recently bringing Weight Watchers tothe Immokalee Tribal Community. The groupmeets each Wednesday for lunch in the SeniorCenter where they have an opportunity to sam-ple recipes from theapproved programand evaluate theirpoint system.

Stepping onthe scale, Tribal citi-zen Allen McInturffwas jubilant when herealized that his 21-pound weight lossput him in first place.Offering advice tohis fellow contest-ants, he said, “If Ican do it, so can you!I cut back on my por-tions, switched tohealthier foods,watched calories,worked out and mostimportant, I walkevery day. Justbecause the contest iscompleted, doesn’tmean I’m done. I amjustbeginning.”

Secondplace went to weight

loss veteran Sylvia Marrero,who has been graduallymelting away the poundssince she joined the veryfirst contest. She said, “Ithas been a long, slowprocess, but I realize howimportant it is that I contin-ue. My future is riding onmy success.”

Nancy Motlow andMichelle Ford took third andfourth place, respectively,among the Tribal citizens.

Jill Bogner fromthe Smoke Shop took firstplace in the spouse andemployee category with a13.4 pound loss. NoemiEscobar and Bertha Tapiatied for second place with10.8 pounds. It was a nearmiss for Lois Jenkins whenshe weighed in at two-tenthsof a pound less, and fourthplace went to RhondaLofton.

Community Members Slim Down, Make Positive Lifestyle Choices

(L-R) Winners Nancy Motlow and Michelle Ford are looking forward to weighingin for the next competition.

Judy Weeks

Allen McInturff poses at the Jan. 19 weigh in for hisbefore picture.

Judy Weeks

Hurrying back from his morning walk, first place winner Allen McInturffoined (L-R) Charlotte Porcaro and Michelle Ford in front of theImmokalee Administration building.

Judy Weeks

(L-R) Jill Bogner, Lois Jenkins, Bertha Tapia and Rhonda Lofton were winners in the spouse andemployee category of the weight loss contest.

Judy Weeks


Q: What kinds of cat litters are kinder tothe environment: traditional clay litters (so-calledclumping litters) or other varieties? What aboutsome of the new alternatives, such as those madeout of wheat and corn?

— Stef Gandolfi, Oakland, CA

A: Traditional clay-based clumping cat lit-ters are the most common and widely sold in super-markets and pet supply stores. Clay litters do notbiodegrade and instead pile up in landfills, produc-ing chemicals that can potentially harm humanhealth. According to the International Agency forResearch on Cancer, clay litters also produce duststhat contain silicon particles, which are knownhuman carcinogens. In addition, the clay used forlitter is obtained through strip-mining, a practicethat causing adverse environmental effects on sur-rounding soil, waterand air.

Some petowners have reportedrespiratory and otherhealth problems in theircats due to both theinhalation and ingestionof clumping clay litters.Once inside the lungsor digestive tracts, thelitter can expand frommoisture and cause irri-tation and blockages. Inthe lungs this can leadto infection, and in theintestines dehydrationand a decrease in nutri-ent absorption canresult. Scientific studiesand documented casesof such incidents seemto be in short supply,however, and suchclaims seem to only beanecdotal.

To be safe,however, there are anumber of environmentally friendly alternatives thatare deemed safer for people and cats alike.Recycled newspaper, for one, can be used to createcat litter in pellet form. It is biodegradable, flush-able, burnable and 99 percent dust-free. It also hasthe advantage of not getting tracked around thehouse, unlike clay litters. Fibre Cycle, a companywith the primary mission of finding innovative andenvironmentally friendly uses for recycled paper,sells such paper-based cat litter and claims it to behighly absorbent, biodegradable, long lasting, light-weight and virtually dust-free.

Plant-based litters are made from materialssuch as corn, corncobs, cornhusks, wheat by-prod-ucts, wheat grass and beet pulp. According to

Worldwise, a leading manufacturer of environmen-tally responsible pet products, plain ground corn-cobs are a good choice because they are made ofnatural, flushable biodegradable materials, have noodor, are very absorbent and don’t produce the samekind or volume of dust as clay litters.

Litters made from pine and cedar sawdusts offer yet another clay-based alternative. Aswith the plant-based offerings, they are made fromnatural scrap materials that biodegrade. They alsoeliminate odor naturally—due to the innate abilityof both pine and cedar to absorb and neutralizeammonia—rather than cover up odors with chemi-cals and perfumes. Feline Pine, from Florida-basedNature’s Earth Products, is a wood litter made from100 percent natural pine that has been heated andpressurized to remove any harmful wood oils. Whenready for changing, the biodegradable litter—avail-

able in both clumping and pellet varieties—can besimply emptied into the backyard compost ormulching pile. One caution about pine, though:Some cats have a sensitivity to pine aroma and as aresult could shun the litter box altogether.

CONTACTS: Fibre Cycle, www.fibrecy-cle.com.au; Feline Pine, www.naturesearth.com;Worldwise, www.worldwise.com/index.html.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUES-TION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/TheEnvironmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport,CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earth-talk/thisweek/, or e-mail:[email protected]. Read past columns at:www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

Reading Richard Wagamese’s prose is likesitting down to an exotic feast. This Ojibway writeris a craftsman who knows the power of languageand is skilled in applying it.

Wagamese, an Ojibway from northernOntario, was adopted into a non-native family at age9. The trip back to his roots, documented in thisbook, is a long and painful road to reawakening.

From childhood, he was a promising writer,but a rebellious adolescence, bouts with the bottleand a devastated self-image took him away.

He always came back. When the musechooses you, she owns you. Writing would one dayoffer the deliverance he sought.

Wagamese fathered a son, but fled fromresponsibility. Guilt-ridden and self-destructive, hestruggled to articulate his pain.

Finally, Wagamese’s search for peace endsup at a vision quest in the foothills of the RockyMountains. There, for four days, without food,under the open sky, he squares off with his demonsand comes face to face with Ojibway spirituality.The terrifying “inward” journey he had been avoid-ing all his life, he learns, is the road to salvation.

During his vision quest, the mythical worldof the original people of Turtle Island comes tovibrant life, and Wagamese writes of it with rever-ence and humility. The son he abandoned in infancyis acknowledged. Wagamese was ready to embracefatherhood. Fortunately, children are forgiving.

For Joshua is worth reading for the sheerlyrical quality of the wordsmith. It is a loving tributeto a boy called Joshua, and to all the First Childrenof this continent.

Author Bio: Richard Wagamese is anOjibway from the Wabasseemoong First Nation innorthwestern Ontario. After winning a NationalNewspaper Award for Column Writing, he publishedtwo novels in the 1990s: Keeper’n Me and AQuality of Light. His autobiographical book, ForJoshua, was published in 2003. Wagamese has alsolectured and worked extensively in both radio andtelevision news and documentaries. He lives outsideKamloops, British Columbia, Canada.

A Father Honors His Son

For Joshua:An Ojibway Father Teaches His Son

Written By: Richard WagameseCategory: Biography & AutobiographyFormat: Trade Paperback, 240 pages

Publisher: Anchor CanadaISBN: 978-0-385-65953-6 (0-385-65953-9)

Pub Date: September 9, 2003Price: $19.95

A number of green-friendly cat litters are available today that are safer forpeople and cats alike.

Getty Images


By Felix DoBoszBIG CYPRESS — It was a

warm, sunny spring morning on April 28as a dozen boats lined up at the L-28Canal. They were filled with fishermenwaiting for the start of the 7th AnnualHoward Tiger Memorial FishingTournament.

This was the first leg of threeSeminole Tribe of Florida fishing tour-nament events scheduled over severalweeks.

The dry spell in South Floridahad made the water levels in the canalsseverely low, so local water managersenforced restrictions. No fishing waspermitted past Alligator Alley, and fish-ermen had to keep their boats north orsouth of the L-28 Canal water lock.

This competitive event was hosted byMoses “Big Shot” Jumper Jr., director of theRecreation Department, and recreation coordinatorSteve Young. Young had the tough job of weighingin the slippery bass and recording the catch. Onlylive fish were allowed to be weighed.

Half of the entry fees collected went for theBig Bass Award and the other half went toward thecash prize award. Contest rules require using the totalweight of the partners’ or individual’s five heaviestbass to determine the winner. Besides the big cashprize, the winners received the Sonny DiCarloMemorial Big Bass AwardS made from exquisiteengraved glass in memory of Rusty Tiger DiCarlo’slate son.

Big Shot read off the weights of the basscaught up to the magic hour of 12:30 p.m., whenthe tournament ended. Fishermen lined up their ves-sels and their plastic bags filled with bass for theweigh-in along the dock, hoping they would havethe winning fish of the day. The anticipation fromthe crowd mounted as Steve Young recorded theweights, one by one, and Big Shot announced themover the microphone. After a few minutes, the fishhad been totaled and the tournament winners wereannounced.

Winners with the heaviest catch of the daywere Justin Gopher and Naha Jumper from theBrighton community, both members of the Pantherclan. The total weight of the partners’ catch for theHoward Tiger Memorial Fishing Tournament was18.91 lbs. Their Big Bass was the heaviest at 7.10lbs., allowing them to also share the Sonny DiCarloMemorial Big Bass Award.

Justin Gopher said: “It was slow fishingthis morning and then it got a little better as the daywore on. I had a good partner.” Naha Jumper added,“We had a hard time fishing today but we came out ontop Early bird gets the worm, I guess.” Smiling andposing for photos with the trophy on their boat, theyagreed they had a pretty good day.

Big Shot said he would like to see fishingregulations for this area enforced more by theSeminole Police Department. He said he feels stronglythat these Tribal lands are for the Seminole communi-ty only — except during fishing tournaments whenthey are open not only to members of the NativeAmerican community, but also to spouses and employ-ees.

After a contest in May, the final fishing tour-nament will be June 9th from 1 to 7 p.m. All competi-tions will be held at the same location. Total weightfrom each of the tournaments will be counted to deter-mine the overall winner at the end of the fishingseries.

Fishing boats line up along the shore to weigh in the bass.Felix DoBosz

Tribe Celebrates 7th Annual HowardTiger Memorial Fishing Tournament

Third place winner Tyrone Cypress is allsmiles

Felix DoBosz

1st placeNaha Jumper

& Justin Gopher 18.91 pounds

2nd placeKassim & Deron

13.55 pounds

3rd placeTyron Cypress 13.50 pounds

4th placeFred & Tom 12.48 pounds

5th placeJosh Jumper & Son

7.58 pounds

Big BassNaha Jumper &

Justin Gopher

By Susan EtxebarriaBIG CYPRESS — The

6th Annual Seniors’ PoolTournament started off in a sub-dued manner the morning of April19th. But by midday things werereally cooking at the Big CypressSenior Center. Laughing and jok-ing bubbled to the surface, evi-dence of the camaraderie amongthose who love to play this popu-lar sport.

Seventeen players, divid-ed almost equally between menand women, competed in fourdivisions playing 8-ball.

In the finals, the best ofthe best played tight games withnarrow wins. Good-natured teas-ing and taunts among the playersfanned the mounting tension.

In the 55-59 women’sdivision, Esther Buster came infirst with Louise Osceola in sec-ond place. In the 55-59 men’sdivision, Big Cypress CouncilRepresentative David Cypresstook first and David Bowers tooksecond. In the 60 + women’s divi-sion, Annie Jumper was the win-ner, with Betty Osceola in secondplace. In the 60+ men’s division,Joe Billie Jr. won, with RussellOsceola in second place.

After the finals, the top

players in each division competed forthe coveted title of Grand Champion.

First up, David Cypressstarted off at a fast pace against hisopponent Joe Billie Jr. when Cypresssank his first six balls. He missed hisseventh shot but strategically left thecue ball behind his own solid ball.Billie sized up the table and deliv-ered a brilliant bank shot, sinking hisfirst ball. However, Billie scratchedon the second shot. Next, Cypressquickly sank his last solid, butscratched in the process. Billie thenwent on a dramatic run of his own.As the pressure mounted, he sankevery ball but one. Then the tablereturned to Cypress who finished offthe game, winning the title of Men’sGrand Champion.

The game between EstherBuster and Annie Jumper was some-what slower paced. Each sank sever-al balls at each turn. Buster got theadvantage during the game whenJumper scratched twice. Then Busterpulled off a beautiful bank shot andwon the title of Women’s GrandChampion.

The tournament was spon-sored by the Department of ElderAffairs with the assistance of the BigCypress Recreation Department.Lunch was served by the SeniorCenter staff.

Joe Billie Jr. sizes up the table.Susan Etxebarria

Results

Women 55 – 591st – Esther Buster

2nd – Louise Osceola3rd – Caroline Tiger

Women 60+1st – Annie Jumper2nd – Betty Osceola3rd – Louise Billie

4th - Virginia Tommie

Men 55- 591st - David Cypress2nd – David Bowers3rd – Joe B. Osceola4th – Jonah Cypress

5th – Matt Tiger

Men 60+1st – Joe Billie Jr.

2nd - Russell Osceola3rd – Mitchell Cypress

4th – Rudy Osceola5th – George Billie

Men’s Grand Champion – DavidCypress

Women’s Grand Champion –Esther Buster

(L-R): Naha Jumper and Justin Gopher hold up their winningcatch before their fish are released into the canal.

Felix DoBosz

Moses “Big Shot” Jumper and Chebon Gooden fishoff the shallows on the canal.

Felix DoBoszJosh Jumper holds a big bass he caught and isabout to release.

Felix DoBosz

Ricky Doctor is proud of his big bass.Felix DoBosz

Seniors Behind the 8-Ball Competewith Humor and Skill

Mike Tiger enjoys fishing with his son Ernie in theHoward Tiger memorial tournament.

Felix DoBosz


By Chris JenkinsWEST PALM BEACH — The

road to the top continued for Tribal citizenElliot Alvarado on April 13. His ultimategoals are still a long way off, but his climbto recognition and stardom in the boxingworld remains intact.

Now at 3-0, he can keep movingforward. Alvarado’s prey was a debutingRobert Dortch, in a welterweight match-upas the Palm Beach County ConventionCenter hosted a full night of action entitled“Friday the 13th Massacre,” featuring eightbouts.

To use a popular cliché, Alvaradoused breakneck speed to get past an over-matched Dortch in exactly 1:00 of the firstround of a scheduled four. He was all busi-ness and relentless in his strategy from thestart. He moved in quickly, connectingwith a right hook to the abdomen ofDortch, who fell like a tree. Unable torecover, he was counted out. The badnews, if any, was the quick — althoughimpressive — ending to the fight, trainerBenny Collins said. “There was no real strategy goinginto this, just bang him out of there,” he said.

“I don’t come in thinking I’m going to knocksomebody out. I just want to go in there and try not toget knocked out,” Alvarado said.

Preparation for the bout was also somewhat

of a challenge because Dortch was making his debut.At the same time, it all made his approach simple,Alvarado said. “When I came into this fight my trainer(Collins) just wanted to make sure that I went to hisbody and kept my hands up,” he said. “I tried to staymoving and move my head from side to side. Bennysaid to just watch out because he might come outcrazy in the first round.”

“I told him togo to the body, I want tosee you at an angle withyour hands up,” Collinsadded.

A little prefighttalk never hurts formotivation either.Alvarado says a veryconfident Dortch spokeof his plans coming into do some damage tohim and take full advan-tage of his opportunity.“He told my trainer thathe was going to hurtme,” Alvarado said. “Ijust told him to go inthere and get a good jabgoing, you know theguy may run after youhit him to the body orhold you, but keep at anangle so you can keephim at a distance anduse simple punches,”Collins said.

Alvarado willtry to remain unbeatenwith his next action setfor June 9 at the JohnJimmy Arena inImmokalee.

Other actionthat evening included:

•United StatesBoxing ChampionDavid Estrada comingout victorious versusDavid Toribio with aTKO among light mid-

dleweights; •New York State welterweight Champion

Francisco Figueroa defending his title versus LlidoJulio after Julio retired in the bout;

•Sammy Payne remaining undefeated over adebuting Dustin Lewis by TKO among lightweights;

•Elizer Cepeda winning by unanimous deci-sion over Corey Pennington in light middleweightaction;

•Abiser Santizo remaining undefeated overJovann Jones by majority decision for lightweights;

•Antonio Rodriguez picking up his first pro-fessional win versus Steve Gutierrez in super feather-weight action by majority decision; and

•Angino Perez picking up his third win overRuslan Smolenkov by TKO among welterweights.

Alvarado (white shirt, center) with familyChris Jenkins

Tribal Citizen Alvarado ScoresAnother KO

A victorious AlvaradoChris Jenkins

Alvarado in training room with staff after his winChris Jenkins

L-R: Alvarado, Wilson Bowers and Byron BillieChris Jenkins

Alvarado with friends, family and supportersChris Jenkins

Alvarado (second from left) with family and trainer BennyCollins (L)

Chris Jenkins


Attention Parents and Students

Please contact Julissa Collazo, tutor coordinator, at (954)989-6840, Ext. 1313 with any questions about the program

The Education Department would like to

encourage all Tribal parents and students to

take advantage of our tutoring program

We now offer up to five

hoursGo a week of pri-

vate tutoring for

all students

needing help in any

academic subject

We can also pro-

vide assistance for

all students

preparing for

the SAT and ACT

By Judy WeeksBIG CYPRESS — The community

broke ground on April 24 for the Big CypressMartial Arts Fitness Center, located adjacent tothe Community Center.

Susie Kippenberger, a consultant to theTribe, opened the ceremonies with a very com-prehensive outline of the proposed project.

“Today is about the children,” she said.“The Seminole Tribe is always looking for waysto help in the development of its youth intoyoung responsible adults. It is a win-win situationwhen this can be done in a safe and healthyatmosphere.”

Big Cypress Fitness Program DirectorVicky Barogiannis struck gold when she intro-duced a martial arts program. It sparked the inter-est of the entire community as soon as it wasmentioned and the immediate response was over-whelming.

A team of experienced professionalsfrom the Go Dragon School were hired to initiate theprogram through the sponsorship of ChairmanMitchell Cypress’ office. The first class got under waywith 30 students. Within a few short months, atten-dance swelled to approximately 130 active regularsdivided into age categories. Word spread rapidly andrequests came in from the Brighton reservation forinclusion in the martial arts program. Classes are set tobegin in June and 95 children have already signed up.

The Big Cypress facilities were not designedfor this much regular activity, and it became apparentthat the program required a bigger location.

After careful consideration of their options,the Seminole Tribe entered into an agreement for theconstruction of a building with 3,850 square feet ofground floor space and an additional 850 square feeton the second floor. Big Cypress SpecialProjects Coordinator Nery Mejicano,Administrative Services Director CarterClough and Barogiannis oversaw the devel-opment of the center.

The Tribe, making every effort toensure participant safety, designed the facili-ty with a security office overlooking themain floor. The structure will include a 17-foot high rappelling wall with three stations,an exercise room with 25-foot ceilings andfour 150-pound punching bags.

Balfoort and Finnvold Architects,Rud Jones Engineering and Berg’s All AngleConstruction will make the building a reality.

The wood laminate floor in theexercise room can be transformed into apadded Summit Puzzle Mat modular floor asthe room’s activities dictate. Safety, conven-ience and versatility have been the determin-ing factors in the layout of the entire state-of-the-art facility.

Sue Hoover, representing SignatureStructures, came all the way fromPennsylvania for the groundbreaking cere-mony.

Addressing the assembly, she said, “Thestructure will be supported by continuous steel trussesthat are 3 feet deep. In order to decrease environmen-tal impact, the interior framework is going to utilizeload-bearing steel channel construction with an outerskin comprised of a polyester substance with a PVCtopcoat. This Ferrari fabric has a hurricane wind resist-ance of 200 mph and a minimum life expectancy of 20years.”

Chairman Mitchell Cypress expressed hisenthusiasm for the fitness program.

“Health and fitness are amajor concern within our Tribe and Iam very pleased about the communitysupport of this program and its poten-tial benefits,” he said.

Big CypressCouncil RepresentativeDavid Cypress pointed out,“If we don’t take care of ourchildren’s physical well-being now, the future costswill be astronomical.Especially when you con-sider that you can not placea price on a human life.”

Tribal PresidentMoses Osceola congratulat-ed the Big Cypress commu-nity.

“Your support ofthis worthwhile program isa big step in the right direc-tion in the shaping of thefuture generations of theSeminole Tribe,” Osceolasaid.

At the core of thenew Martial Arts FitnessCenter is Irena Loleski ofthe Fitness Program. Sheintroduced her staff andgave a brief summary of thegoals that have been estab-lished.

“Martial arts is justwhat the name implies —the art of war — which

means defending your lands. It is a practical defenseform with fitness movements and discipline that useflexibility, listening and focus to accomplish control ofthe mind and body. Our Go Dragons are divided intofour youth classes according to age, and we are alsoavailable for adult instruction.”

Laughing, Loleski said, “They always saythat introducing children is an invitation to beupstaged and that is what I plan to do. After all, chil-dren are the reason we are here.”

Master Rob McCarthy, his assistants andadult student Samuel Tommie made a grand entrancewith a group of their star pupils. The presentation thatensued was awe-inspiring. The young athletes exhibit-ed fitness exercises, martial arts kicks, blocks andfocus demonstrations. They executed flying leaps overobstructions, broke boards and demonstrated self-defense techniques in physical contact with other stu-dents.

Certificates were awarded to the students fortheir accomplishments, sportsmanship, attitude andresourcefulness. It was pointed out that these athletesare learning leadership and will be in a position togive back to the community as the leaders of tomor-row.

The auditorium was filled to capacity for theday’s activities and the cheering crowd expressed theirenthusiasm for the program. Filing outside, theywatched as Tribal officials joined Barogiannis in dis-tributing the first full shovels of dirt for the construc-tion of the Big Cypress Martial Arts Fitness Center.

BC Martial Arts Fitness Center Groundbreaking

(L-R) Vicky Barogiannis, William Osceola, Moses Osceola, Mitchell Cypress, David Cypress and SallyTommie raise their shovels at the groundbreaking ceremony for the BC Martial Arts Fitness Center.

Rhonda Roff

Haden Littlebear splinters wood with accura-cy and determination during the Go Dragondemonstration.

Rhonda Roff

The martial arts presentation by the Go Dragons drewan enthusiastic crowd.

Judy Weeks

Little Warrior Troy Lee Cantu dis-plays great physical agility during ahigh jump.

Rhonda Roff


Poems

Position Title: NetworkAdministrator/Seminole PoliceDepartmentDepartment: InformationTechnologyLocation: Seminole PoliceDepartment, assigned to theHollywood ReservationSalary: $52,000

Minimum Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree in information systemsor related field or four to six years ofrelated experience and one of the follow-ing certifications preferred: MCSE (2000or 2003), CCNA, CCIE and/or MCP.

Duties: Plan, design andmaintain the police agency’s

Tribal-wide network systems forthe purpose of ensuring integri-ty and network security.Troubleshoot, evaluate, andsuggest/implement new tech-

nologies for the network forproper functionality of network

resources to provide users withsecure access to computerized programsand data. Diagnose problems, deficienciesand abnormal conditions and initiateactions to ensure that they are resolved ina timely manner.

Help Wanted

Happy birthday to DestinyRobbins on April 16.

Love you,Your family in BC

Happy 17th birthday toTrisha Lola Walker on April 16.

Love,Mom, Stepdad Robert G.

and your brothers and sisters

Never Did I Say

I was a man consumed by ego and prideWho gave birth to the pain that grewfrom a lieTo be a father was my ultimate goalThat was denied due to a path I choseEscaping the court’s life sentence yetbeing delivered another lesson I mustlearnNever again will I ask you to wait butplease tell the kids dad promises toreturnThe pain is great knowing I left each ofyou aloneA payment to the fool who embracedstrangers instead of his ownI’m reminded daily to hold close to that

which is trueHow life reveals its distance by separat-ing me from each of youTears fall peacefully for that which hasbegun to departAs I discover what’s given to a brokenand contrite heartMy love for you and our kids is one thatwill not perishThe “home team” I will forever cherishIt’s been said, “It can only get better”My thoughts exactly as I journey thesystem’s A-letterSpoken silently to a heart being takenawayThese are the words never did I say

Leslie J. GopherPanther Clan

Okay

Is it okay to give and expect nothing inreturnIs it okay to cross a bridge that burnsIs it okay for this pain to be sweetIs it okay to walk a path hoping we meetIs it okay to hold close to a special touchIs it okay to feel for something so much

Is it okay knowing what once was maynever again beIs it okay to wait a lifetime just to seeI ask my heart these questions and whatdoes it sayEach beat softly whispers, “Yes it isokay”

Leslie J. GopherPanther Clan

We the family of Billy J. Osceolawould like to take this time to thank every-

one who was there in our time of need.Thank you all for everything;

it was greatly appreciated.During a time like

this, we realize how muchour friends and relativesreally mean to us … Your

expression of sympathywill always be remem-bered.

Thank you all,Angel Osceola

(wife), Ozzy, Briley,Trent and Lauren

Osceola (children)

Happy Birthday

We would like to wish MadysonOsceola a happy birthday on May 23. Welove you and hope you have a great 6thbirthday.

Love always,Your late Uncle Bill, Aunt

Angel, Cousins Ozzy and Briley Osceolaand Roxanne

We would like to wish RoxanneTerrozas a happy birthday on May 23.Hope you have a great 16th birthday andwe love you.

Love always, Your late Uncle Bill, Aunt Angel

and cousins Ozzy and Briley Osceola

We would like to wish SeanOsceola a happy belated birthday on May7. Hope you had a good day and got whatyou wanted. We love you.


Angel, cousins Ozzy and Briley Osceolaand Roxanne

We would like to wish KristinaOsceola a happy birthday on May 27. Welove you and hope you have a great birth-day.


Angel, cousins Ozzy and Briley Osceolaand Roxanne

Position Title: Mental HealthTechnician

Wanted: Native American with twoor more continual years of addictionrecovery experience for mentalhealth technician position.

Applicant will work full time deliv-ering direct services to residentialclients. Should possess a valid dri-ver’s license.

Please contact us at (800) 622-0866or [email protected].

Thank You

Letter

J.R. Balentine,

I know this is not a perfect world. It hurts tosee you go through some rough times, but sometimeswe got to learn things the hard way.

Sometimes we do things we can’t take back.But believe this ... you can accomplish anything youset out to do. You just got to overcome the obstaclesthat are in your way.

That’s what makes a person stronger in life.Just keep your head up and stay strong. Don’t worryabout what other people say; some people will saynegative things just to bring people down. Your fami-ly will be here when you need us. Be proud. Hang inthere. Things will get better.

Love,Your mom,Tisha Walker

For Sale48 volt

Electric GolfCart, flip downwindshield, 27 inchtires, aluminumrims, six inch liftkit, headlights,brake lights, turnsignals, rain cur-tains, 25 ampinverter for radiohook-up, etc.Asking $4,000.Please call (954)966-6300, Ext.1244 or (954) 649-5103 for moreinformation.


Submitted by Brenda SwannA Florida Native American Heritage Trail

booklet, planned for distribution in late 2007, isthe latest edition in the Florida Heritage Trailseries developed through historic preservationgrant funding.

It will honor Florida’s Native Americancultures, both past and present, by providing in-depth information for residents and visitors. In textand images, the publication will describe over 100heritage tourist destinations throughout the statewhere ancient Native Americans left evidence oftheir cultures and where contemporary NativeAmericans thrive and exhibit their cultures.

The publication has been funded by agrant from the Florida Division of HistoricalResources (DHR), Department of State. It pro-vides for printing 20,000 copies, of which each ofthese will receive 5,000: the Trail of Florida’sIndian Heritage, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, theMiccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and DHR.The Trail will distribute most of its 5,000 copies toits member sites and interpreters.

The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation isfunding additional printing so each of the nearly4,000 elementary school in Florida will havecopies for their libraries.

Included in the booklet are the 26 sitesand three heritage interpreters that are members ofthe Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage, as well asmany others. The publication will also include anaccount of the 12,000-plus years of NativeAmerican presence and significance in Florida,plus articles on special interest topics and biogra-phies of individuals important to Florida’s NativeAmerican heritage.

The booklet will offer much informationabout sites that provide public education aboutSeminole and Miccosukee heritage. They include:

Museum of Florida History (Tallahassee)Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State

Park (Bunnell)Castillo de San Marcos (St. Augustine)Florida Museum of Natural History

(Gainesville)The Matheson Museum (Gainesville)Alligator Lake Recreational Area (Lake

City)Micanopy Historical Society Museum

(Micanopy)Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

(Micanopy)Paynes Creek Historic State Park

(Bowling Green)Dade Battlefield Historic State Park

(Bushnell)Fort Christmas Park and Museum

(Christmas)

Chief Chipo’s Village Historical Marker(Lake Hamilton)

Fort King National Historic LandmarkHistorical Marker (Ocala)

Marion County Museum of History(Ocala)

The Orange County Regional HistoryCenter (Orlando)

Brevard Museum of History and Science(Cocoa)

DeLeon Springs State Park (Deland)St. Lucie County Historical Museum

(Fort Pierce)New Smyrna Museum of History (New

Smyrna Beach)Seminole Rest, Canaveral National

Seashore (Oak Hill)Battle of Okeechobee Historical Marker

(Okeechobee)Fort Cooper Historical State Park

(Inverness)Tampa Bay History Center (Tampa)Fort Foster, Hillsborough River State Park

(Thonotosassa)Ah-Tha-Thi-Ki Museum, Big Cypress

Reservation (Clewiston)Billie Swamp Safari, Big Cypress

Reservation (Clewiston)The Clewiston Museum (Clewiston)Southwest Florida Museum of History

(Fort Myers)Fort Center, Fisheating Creek Wildlife

Management Area (Moore Haven)Collier County Museum (Naples)Big Cypress National Preserve Oasis

Visitor Center (Ochopee)Tree Tops Park, Pine Island Ridge

(Davie)Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Hobe

Sound)Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum at Okalee

Village (Hollywood)Seminole Okalee Indian Village

(Hollywood)Indian Key Historic State Park

(Islamorada)Loxahatchee River Historical Marker

(Jupiter)Historical Museum of Southern Florida

(Miami)Miccosukee Indian Village and Museum

of Tribal and Natural History (Tamiami Trail)Snake Warrior’s Island (Miramar)Arch Creek Historic and Archaeological

Park (Miami)The Historical Society of Martin County

at Elliot Museum (Stuart)

Submitted by Roger Block, Ph.D.,President, Trail of Florida’s Indian Heritage Board

The Trail of the Lost Tribes network wasoriginally established in 2000 as a nonprofit organiza-tion honoring Florida’s ancient people. Through itsmission, the Trail informed the public about archaeo-logical sites, museums and heritage interpreters whoilluminate the prehistoric Indian cultures.

The term “lost” in the name reflected empha-sis on Florida’s original native people. Devastated,they were presumed to have vanished completely fromthe historical record in the 1500s and 1600s due towar, disease and persecution following European con-tact.

However, as the Trail network expanded,modern Native American groups in Florida — theSeminoles and Miccosukees — expressed sincerereservations about joining the Trail because of theterm “lost” in the organization’s name. These federal-ly recognizedFlorida NativeAmerican groups,as well as scores ofother NativeAmerican descen-dents living inFlorida, do notconsider them-selves lost, butalive and continu-ing to honor theirancient traditions.They want to beviewed as a vibrantelement of today’sdiverse social fab-ric with a rich her-itage.

In addi-tion, archaeologistshave recently cometo recognize thatknowledge of thepast is not just derived from artifacts excavated fromthe ground. By working as partners with local relatedNative Americans who share oral history and tradi-tions, archaeologists can significantly improve theinterpretation of the ancient past for the public bene-fit.

Also, and very significantly, the originalnative people of Florida were devastated by theeffects of disease and warfare. However, remnants ofthe Tocobaga, Calusa, Timucua, Tequesta, Apalacheeand other groups did survive and were assimilatedinto the Creek/Seminole and Miccosukee groups thatmigrated into Florida during the late 1600s and early1700s.

In spite of attempts at removal and relocationby the U.S. government, a resistant and heroic portionof the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes survived intomodern times in Florida. Thus, the concept of “his-

toric continuity” of tradition is validly claimed andrevered by today’s Florida Native Americans.

And finally, a group of 300 Apalacheedescendents who relocated into Alabama and laterinto Louisiana are currently seeking federal recogni-tion as a tribal group originally located in northFlorida.

For all these reasons, the concept of “lost”tribes appeared archaic and inappropriate to someTrail Board members and discussions began aboutwhether or not to change the Trail’s name. InNovember, 2006, the Trail Board sent an email to allthe Trail sites, interpreters and the Trail AdvisoryCouncil, asking for a review of the above backgroundinformation. The result was a unanimous decision thatthe Trail should change its name.

On December 11, 2006, the Trail Board ofDirectors met in Port Charlotte to discuss and resolvethe name change issue. After a spirited discussion, the

Board unanimouslydecided to changethe name for ourgrowing organiza-tion to be: Trail ofFlorida’s IndianHeritage.

All Boardmembers assem-bled agreed that theword “Trail” shouldremain for namerecognition and thefact that, as theorganization grows,the term Trail willcontinue to remainappropriate.“Florida” wasadded to be morespecific to ourstate. Whether touse NativeAmerican or Indian

came to a close decision. “Indian” was chosen follow-ing the model used by the National Museum of theAmerican Indian and because it is a nationally usedterm applied to all American indigenous people.

“Heritage” was selected since it encapsulatesthe history, culture, language, beliefs, art and customsfor the entire continuum of Florida’s Native Americanhuman habitation: Paleo, Archaic, Precontact, Post-contact, Historic, Conflict and Modern Era.

In 2008, the Trail plans to seek grants fromseveral funding agencies to publish a new brochurewhich will be updated to include several new Trailsites. Plans are also being made to hold anArchaeological Speaker Series to be hosted at severalmember sites. For more information about the FloridaNative American Heritage Trail, its site members, andhow to become a new member of the Trail, pleasevisit www.trailoffloridasindianheritage.org.

New Trail Publication to HonorFlorida’s Native Cultures

‘The Trail’Has a New NameFlorida Tribes Not ‘Lost’ But Alive and Vibrant

“Today’s Trail is not justabout the ancients, but aboutthe heritage represented bythe total sweep of time andcontinuity from the firsthumans who entered Floridato the present NativeAmericans here.”

– Roger Block, Ph.D., TrailBoard President


Submitted by Bitner Goodman PRHOLLYWOOD — Latin heart-

throb Chayanne will enchant South Floridaaudiences at Hard Rock Live at theSeminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino onWednesday, June 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets areon sale now.

Puerto Rican-born Chayanne (akaElmer Figueroa-Arce) began his career atage 10 with a musical group called LosChicos, and by age 17, he had recorded hisfirst of 15 solo albums. Since then, he hassold millions of albums earning more than70 platinum and gold records and hasreceived two Grammy nominations and anMTV Award for Best International Video.He has had more than 17 Top 10 hits onthe Billboard charts.

Chayanne’s first two albums,Chayanne es mi Nombre and SangreLatina, were released in 1984 and 1986,respectively, to modest success in CentralAmerica. A few years later, he released hisfirst of two massively successful epony-mous albums which included several sin-gles that propelled him to stardom such as“Tu Pirata Soy Yo,” “Fuiste un Trozo deHielo en la Escarcha,” “Este Ritmo SeBaila Así,” “Fiesta en América” and theballad “Peligro de Amor.” In 1990, hereleased the album which many fans con-sider as his ultimate: Tiempo de Vals, fea-

turing some of his best-selling No. 1 sin-gles including the title track,“Completamente Enamorados” and“Daría Cualquier Cosa.”

Other Chayanne releases includeProvócame (1992), Influencias (1994),Volver a Nacer (1996), Atado a tu Amor(1998), Simplemente (2000), Grandes éxi-tos (2002), Sincero (2003), Desde Siempre(2005) and Cautivo (2005). These collec-tively offered up several No. 1 hits onBillboard’s Hot Latin Chart including “ElCentro de mi Corazón” “Dejaría Todo,”“Yo Te Amo,” “Y Tú Te Vas,” “Un SigloSin Ti” and “Cuidarte El Alma.”Chayanne’s latest release is this year’s MiTiempo, which features “Si Nos QuedaraPoco Tiempo.”

Chayanne’s talents extend to thesilver and small screens with starring rolesin four soap operas, Fox’s Ally McBeal,several mini series and movies. In 1998, heshared screen time with Vanessa Williamsand Kris Kristofferson in the film Dancewith Me. The movie soundtrack includedtwo duets by Chayanne and Williams thatwere written by well-knowncomposer/writer Diane Warren. He hasalso served as spokesperson for multina-tional companies such as Pepsi, Kodak,American Airlines, Crest and Frito Lay. In1994, Chayanne was featured on the cover

of Playgirl magazine, accompanied by asix-page article and pictorial. He wasnamed one of the “50 most beautiful peo-ple in the world” by People Magazine.

Despite his busy schedule,Chayanne lends his voice to those less for-tunate. He is an appointed Ambassador tothe United Nations for the ImmigrantsFoundation and serves as an envoy to theHigh Commissioner for the United NationsWorld Refugee Organization. His concernfor children led him to become theHispanic spokesperson for the StarlightFoundation, whose mandate is to grant thewishes of terminally ill children. His nativecountry even named a road after him — ahighway that connects San Lorenzo withGurabo, formerly known as PR-203.

Tickets cost $150, $100, $75 and$50; additional fees may apply. All seatsare reserved and available at the HardRock Live Box Office, open daily fromnoon until 7 p.m. Tickets purchased in per-son at the box office will not incur a serv-ice charge.

Tickets also are available at allTicketmaster outlets, online at www.ticket-master.com or to charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309, Palm Beach (561) 966-3309. Doorsopen one hour before the show starts.

Submitted by Bitner Goodman PRHOLLYWOOD — Throughout

May, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &Casino is celebrating all things lucky withits Three-year anniversary festivities. Thereare giveaways galore — from cash to cars— and free commemorative Rockin’Anniversary pins.

Every Sunday, drive away in aVolvo S40 and on May 26, secure anopportunity to win up to $50,000 in cashand prizes. Swipe your Players Club cardevery day and win with the Lucky Swipepromotion in which more than 6,000 win-ners will be chosen for free machine play,guaranteed cash and prizes and freePlayers Club points.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &Casino is South Florida’s leading entertain-ment destination, featuring 50 live actionpoker tables and 2,100 of the most populargaming machines on the casino floor. Forthe third year in a row, the American

Automobile Association (AAA) hasbestowed its prestigious Four Diamond rat-ing on this 500-room hotel. The propertyalso hosts 17 restaurants, 11 clubs andlounges, 40,000 square feet of meetingroom space, a full-service, European-stylespa and 22 retail shops.

Hard Rock Live is Seminole HardRock’s newest addition, boasting state-of-the-art acoustics and showcasing the latestnational music and comedic acts and box-ing. Complimentary and valet parking areavailable. With the opening of the LuckyStreet Parking garage, 2,300 more spacesare available.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &Casino is located on State Road 7 (U.S.441). Exit I-95 at Stirling Road and travelwest to (1 Seminole Way) in Hollywood.For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1-800-937-0010 or visitwww.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.

Submitted by Bitner Goodman PRHOLLYWOOD — Singer/song-

writer and Grammy award-winning artistNelly Furtado will bring her unique musi-cal style to Hard Rock Live on May 30 at8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

Furtado heavily credits her ethnicbackground and childhood for spawningher creativity as a female and as an inspir-ing musician. Born and raised in Victoria,British Columbia, Canada, Furtado cites awide variety of artists and genres includingBrazilian, reggaeton, hip-hop and alterna-tive in helping her craft her own melodiesand freestyle rhymes.

Furtado’s first single, “Party’sJust Begun (Again),” was released thatyear on Brokedown Palace: Music from theOriginal Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Furtado’s official debut album,Whoa, Nelly!, was released in October2000 to international acclaim and featuredthe singles, “I’m Like a Bird” and “TurnOff the Light.” It received four Grammynominations in 2002, and her debut singlewon for Best Female Pop VocalPerformance.

Furtado’s second album, Folklore,was released in November 2003 andincluded the single “Força” (meaning“strength” or “carry on” in Portuguese),

the official anthem of the 2004 EuropeanFootball Championship. Furtado’s thirdalbum, the Timbaland-produced Loose,was released in June 2006. Four lead sin-gles were released in different regions ofthe world: the Spanish reggaeton-influ-enced “No Hay Igual” (featuring Calle13), the hip-hop “Promiscuous” (featuringTimbaland), for which she won a 2006Billboard Music Award for Pop Single ofthe Year, the Latin “Te Busqué” (featuringJuanes), and the pop single “Maneater.”

Loose, considered the most suc-cessful album of Furtado’s career so far,reaching No. 1 in several countries includ-ing the U.S. and Canada, also featured thehits “Promiscuous” and “Say It Right.”

Tickets cost $80, $65 and $50;additional fees may apply. All seats arereserved and available at the Hard RockLive Box Office, open daily from noonuntil 7 p.m. Tickets purchased in person atthe box office will not incur a servicecharge.

Tickets also are available at allTicketmaster outlets online at www.ticket-master.com, or to charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885; Broward (954) 523-3309; Palm Beach (561) 966-3309. Doorsopen one hour before the show starts.

Submitted by Bitner Goodman PRHOLLYWOOD — Multitalented

musical artist, producer and actress Mary J.Blige brings her electrifying stage show ofhip-hop, soul and rhythm and blues toHard Rock Live at the Seminole HardRock Hotel & Casino on July 19 at 8 p.m.Tickets are on sale now.

Bronx-born Mary Jane Blige hassold more than 34 million albums world-wide since her 1992 debut, What’s the 411?overseen by then by up-and-coming labelexecutive Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Thesingle “Real Love” hit No. 1 on the R&Bchart and became a Hot 100 single, whereit peaked at No. 7.

Two years later, Blige released MyLife, a darker, moodier set whose first sin-gle, ironically, was “Be Happy,” whichpeaked at No. 29 on the Hot 100, and roseto No. 6 on the R&B chart.

Blige’s third album, Share MyWorld, enlisted a Who’s Who of producersin the industry including Jimmy Jam andTerry Lewis, R. Kelly, Babyface and risingstar Rodney Jerkins, who helmed a signifi-cant portion of the album. Share My Worlddebuted at No. 1 and had four hit singles.

Following was 1999’s self-titledMary, an earthier, adult contemporary-tinged collection of songs, harkening backto ’70s and early ’80s soul featuring ArethaFranklin, Elton John and Lauryn Hill.

Two years later, Blige released NoMore Drama, of which the first single, theDr. Dre-produced “Family Affair,” becameher first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot100. Other notable songs included “RainyDayz,” (featuring Ja Rule) and “He Think IDon’t Know.”

Blige’s sixth album, the No. 1chart-positioned Love & Life reteamed herwith Combs. In 2005, Blige issued TheBreakthrough, another all-star productionthat included a duet with U2 on the coverof their 1992 hit, “One,” which also gaveBlige her biggest hit to date in the UK. Thesingle “Be Without You,” topped the R&Bchart for a record-setting 15 consecutiveweeks and peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100.

Blige’s most recent album,Reflections – A Retrospective, was releasedthis past year. It contains the singles “WeRide (I See the Future)” and “Reflections(I Remember).”

To date, Blige has won twoNAACP Image Awards, three BET Awards,four American Music Awards, six GrammyAwards and 10 Billboard Music Awards.She recorded several TV and movie themesincluding the FOX series New YorkUndercover, the hip-hop biopic The Show,and the movie Waiting to Exhale.

She also recently released analbum of duets, Mary J. Blige & Friends,with an accompanying DVD that featuredSting, Santana, Elton John and PattiLaBelle. All of the proceeds throughFebruary 2007 benefited the Boys & GirlsClubs of America.

Tickets cost $100, $80 and $60;additional fees may apply. All seats arereserved and available at the Hard RockLive Box Office, open daily from noonuntil 7 p.m.

Tickets also are available at allTicketmaster outlets online at www.ticket-master.com or to charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309, and Palm Beach (561) 966-3309.Doors open one hour before the showstarts.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoCelebrates Third Anniversary

Events Feature Cash and Prize Giveaways

Grammy Winner Nelly Furtado ToSing at Hard Rock Live

Latin Sensation Chayanne to Perform At Hard Rock Live

Six-Time Grammy Winner Mary J. Blige Brings the 411


By Shelley MarmorHOLLYWOOD — Seminole seniors from all reser-

vations were invited to participate in the first all-seniors’ carshow at the Hollywood baseball field on May 1. There werethree divisions: New Cars/Trucks/SUVs, Vintage Cars/Trucksand Anything on Wheels. Contestants were then further divid-ed into one of three age categories: 55-59, 60-69 and 70 andolder. In total, there were about 40 entries in the show.

The new car/truck/SUV category featured a varietyof vehicles ranging from Mercedes Benzes to CadillacEscalade EXTs to Ford F-150 King Ranch editions, a MiniCooper and even a limited edition Hyundai Azera. Some ofthe more unusual entries from the vintage category included a1972 Volkswagen Beetle and a 1976 Chevy Monte Carlo.

Entries in the Anything on Wheels, 70 and older cat-egory included wheelchairs and a walker. The 60-69 age divi-sion featured a Vindicator 200 bass fishing boat, HarleyDavidson custom trike, Tribally decorated tricycle, a FordTh!nk Neighbor golf cart and more. The 55-59 age group had

only one entry — an ATV painted in a camouflage pat-tern with a bull skull on the front.

Results are as follows:55-59, New: 1. Juanita Osceola, 2. Judy Jones,

3. Paul Buster; Anything on Wheels: 1. Paul Buster.60-69, New: 1. Mary Moore, 2. Judy Baker, 3.

Nancy Motlow, 4. Lawanna Osceola, 5. Elsie Bowers,6. Coleman Josh, 7. Joanne Osceola; Vintage: 1. ElsieBowers, 2. Johnny Tucker, 3. Pat Bowers, 4. SammyNelson; Anything on Wheels: 1. Ollie Balentine, 2.Maydell Osceola, 3. Sammy Nelson, 4. Mabel Doctor,5. Mabel Doctor, 6. Pat Bowers, 7. Ronnie Doctor.

70 and Older, New: 1. Dorothy Tommie, 2.Dan Osceola, 3. Betty Osceola, 4. Jimmie HankOsceola, 5. Dorothy Tommie, 6. Maggie Osceola, 7.Francis Osceola; Vintage: 1. Joe Dan Osceola;Anything on Wheels: 1. Maggie Osceola, 2. MaryTiger, 3. Betty Osceola, 4. Maggie Osceola.

First Ever All-Seniors Seminole Tribal Car Show Held at Hollywood Field

Entrants in the 60-69 New Car/Truck/SUV category, including Mary Moore’s firstplace black 2006 Hummer H3 (R).

Shelley Marmor

This 2007 burgundy Mercedes, owned by Dorothy Tommie, took top honorsamongst all the 70 and Older New Car/Truck/SUV entries.

Shelley Marmor

Elsie Bowers’ 1972 Volkswagen Beetle caught the judge’seyes and took first in the 60-69 Vintage division.

Shelley Marmor

Paul Buster’s winning ATV from the 55-59 Anything onWheels category.

Shelley Marmor

Entries in the 70 and Older Anything on Wheels category,including Maggie Osceola’s winning wheelchair (C).

Shelley Marmor

The winning 60-69 Anything on Wheels entry — OllieBalentine’s Harley Davidson trike.

Shelley Marmor

Juanita Osceola’s Chrysler 300 took top honors in the 55-59 New Car/Truck/SUV category.Shelley Marmor


Hurricane page

in Illustrator


table with various types of plants on display, includ-ing sawgrass and pine. She distributed packets onwetland plants and explained a little of what her posi-tion as an environmental scientist entails.

“I have a really fun job,” she said. “I get toplay in dirt all day.”

At another table, Environmental TechnicianMichele Walts had a display featuring invasive plants.She passed out a packet entitled Weeds in MyBackyard and explained that invasive plants are “usu-ally exotic,” meaning they are not local to the area.

She had the Ahfachkee students play a gamein which they had to identify several invasive plants,including melaleuca and Brazilian pepper, commonaround the Big Cypress reservation. The melaleuca isnative to Australia and the Brazilian pepper originallycomes from South America.

At another table that drew interest, wildlifebiologist Sarah Grubs displayed a 13-foot-longBurmese python. She used the python as an exampleof invasive species that are causing problems in theEverglades. Grubs said she hopes to gather reportedsightings from Tribal citizens to assist in a pythoneradication program in the future.

Her table also featured the skulls of severalanimals common throughout the Big CypressReservation, including the hog, bobcat, white tail deerand Florida panther. Grubs said wildlife biologistsoften study skulls because they are very telling andhelp identify many of the animal’s characteristics.

A few feet away from the informational tent,Ray Becerra from Billie Swamp Safari spoke abouthis animal friends that attended the celebration. Hefirst spoke about Liberty, one of 13 Florida pantherswith transmitters that freely roam the Big CypressReservation.

Becerra said anyone who sees one of the catsin the wild should exercise caution — although therehas never been a recorded instance of a Florida pan-ther attacking a human. He said Liberty allows him topet her and play with her because he has raisedLiberty since she was a kitten.

He added that Florida panthers have lived inBig Cypress for the last 20,000 years and are current-ly on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s EndangeredSpecies list. He also displayed and discussed anotheranimal from the list, the gopher tortoise. He advisedeveryone, “Don’t make soup with that; it’s an endan-gered species.”

Becerra then discussed Harris hawks, likethe one named Ocala he had on display. He said thesebirds live in packs and, as a result of their socializa-tion, “can live longer than any other birds on theplanet.”

This year’s national recognition of EarthDay marked the holiday’s 37th anniversary. The firstEarth Day was observed on April 22, 1970.

�EarthContinued from page 1

By Elgin Jumper’Twas a kind editor who unleashed my pen

upon the 24th Annual Gathering of Nations Pow-wowand Miss Indian World Pageant in Albuquerque, N.M.April 26-28. However, the impression wrought fromthose unforgettable events shall remain my own.

“There are many Tribes here today!” theannouncer noted during the Grand Entry to theGathering on April 26. “We come from New York toCalifornia, from all the way up into Canada, from thevarious parts of Mexico and South America! ... We areall coming together!”

It was a celebration and cultural festival on agrand scale and it was wonderful! This Gathering tookplace in the arena — aka “the Pit” — on the campusof the University of New Mexico. There were so manyNative Americans, and therefore so many “brothersand sisters” present.

I stood in long lines, literally in “Indian file,”for a good long while there. Sometimes I grew medita-tive and thought long and hard about what life must’ve

been like centuries before in this hard region — why,it must’ve resembled the very landscape of the crater-ous moon at one time! I thought too of the ominous-looking Sandia Mountain Range overlooking therough setting of the gathering.

Just then, before I could ponder the menacingheights any further, a well-dressed persecutor came upand informed me that I was in error; that, in truth, Iwas standing in the wrong line, that I was dallying in avendors line, to be accurate, and that I would do rightto abruptly perambulate over to yet another line ofwaiting Native Americans, and so I did. These weretrying times indeed. Later on, though, the affluent per-secutor made up for that, coming back again after 30minutes or so and admonishing me to remove myselfhastily back to the original line I had happily vacatedearlier.

Apparently our forces had suc-cessfully counterattacked. The originallines hadn’t been exclusively restricted tovendors after all, as the persuasive perse-cutor had previously reported. I resumedmy waiting. Good thing, too, ’cause it wasa-gettin’ powerful hot out there by then.

But behold! Good fortune favorsthe patient. I finally negotiated the longlines, purchased tickets and made my wayinside the overflowing arena, wherevibrant rainbows of rich and lively colorstransported me to another time and nativesongs filled the air — emotional, com-pelling. The feeling was like being at onegrand Tribal fair! With eagles and hawksabout, colorful feathers, movement, andmagnificent regalia and ceremony!

Prominent on the Gathering ofNations’ official program were the words:“North America’s Biggest Pow-wow!”—and I must say the energy certainly feltthat way. It was a special time. The Indiansongs flowed like cleansing waters and thedancers were so numerous, so dignified,so graceful.

Yet these dancers were competi-tors as well, all vying for top honors andprizes. They had lived the pow-wows fromearly ages, and had most likely traveled bycommercial airline or modern-day Indiancar on “the Pow-wow Highway” to bethere. This was my first Gathering and I’llnever forget it.

After that I loitered at the MissIndian World Pageant 2007 — like a bornpageant attendee! — in downtownAlbuquerque at the Kiva Auditorium, andI was so elated to learn that they take theirpageants seriously out there. It was amomentous event to walk in on, without adoubt, and somber too, I think, for never asmile did I observe there. No, not a one.Only stern faces with critical eyes, andquite moved by the looks received, Ithought: Oh, render me worthy of suchconsideration! About this time, I couldhear native voices advising me where the

torturous lines — seemingly without end — did finallycease.

Even so, I should mention that this year’srecipient of the much-coveted crown was none otherthan Megan Young of the Poarch Band of CreekIndians. Tai Simpson of the Nez Perce Tribe was FirstRunner-Up; and Anna Old Elk, a Crow/Fort PeckSioux and Assiniboine, was Second Runner-Up.Crowd goes wild!

And wouldn’t you know that at another timeup there, I caught glimpses of Native American hip-hop artists. Yes, native rappers! They had been ratherconspicuous at the Grand Entries, and I made up mymind right then that, yes, this was the coolest thing!

This is modern life.One day soon maybe,some industriousSeminoles shall organ-ize their own stylishgroup of native rappersor other musical enter-tainment and take it tothe stratosphere andbeyond! After all, youcan’t have a “SeminoleRenaissance” withoutthe poetry and music,right?

But I digress.Precisely at thatmoment, the thrillingdancers, hundreds ofthem, paused in mid-dance, and one of themost eloquent invoca-tions I’ve ever heardwas given. It was emo-tions and motion; dis-mally long lines; colorsbeyond belief; prayerfeathers; dream catch-ers; the loveliest nativeprincesses with longblack hair, dark browneyes, earrings, neck-laces and nail polish;

exquisitely adorned drummers from countlesstribes; dancers and singers; prescriptionglasses and designer sunglasses and tattoos;smells of frybread and Indian food; visionsof Indian art; Indian crafts; “bling-bling” and“grills” and turquoise and silver; and grayclouds, harrowing deserts and rugged moun-tains — this then was the Gathering ofNations Pow-wow!

I was so delighted to walk the vast-ly tented Indian Traders’ Market outside thearena. There, I walked refreshed, real slow,through a throng of Native Americans most-ly, and noticed booth after booth of art andart photography. There, I saw native hip-hopartists, dazzling native models and musiciansbrandishing their own entertainment compa-nies, and took in, as well, the booths sellingthe bluest-green turquoise carvings, and col-orful, colorful beadwork, so enchanting thatyou had to say the word twice. And thenthere were all the Gathering of NationsDVDs, T-shirts and programs.

There, I saw cowboy hats all bead-ed up into exquisite Native Americandreams, assortments of books, other DVDsand CDs and elaborately crafted rings thatnever lose their luster, and an entire world ofnative beauty and inspiration! There, I sawglimpses of modern chiefs, sub-chiefs, chair-men, presidents, and all the warriors andwomen and children! Promptly I commencedto walking those crowded aisles around thePit and was glad when I ran into severalSeminoles from back home in Florida, and inmy troublesome bumblings, I expressed my“hellos” and lingered around some more, myample bag of souvenirs and goodies in hand,until the native peoples in their stands could-n’t quite stand it anymore, I suppose, and soat once I took my joyful leave.

Exeunt marching, after which agrand native cheer risesto crescendo, thenfades.

Those whobring us the Gatheringof Nations next yearwill have reached the25th year mark of cele-brating what it meansto be Native American.And it certainly prom-ises to be a most mem-orable, overwhelmingand inspiring event!

So now look-ing back is what I doand time has a way ofcalming the flood ofmemories, lighteningthem so they’re mucheasier to carry. Somememories shall bebrought to light in peri-odic publication, whileothers have been setaside, duly reserved formemoirs, works inprogress and the like.

It was a grati-fying experience tohave been present forthose three exceptionaldays, an enchanting excursion and jubilation with thepower to drastically alter one’s outlook. It was asparkling journey with sufficient force to affect one soto the very contemplation of Life and a grand assem-

blage of tribes. Now I’m looking back with infinitefondness, and fortunately experiencing it all anew!The stirring memories of the Gathering of Nations2007 are what I’ll cling to and hold dear hereafter.


Wearing an elaborate headdress, this boy leads the dancers tothe Grand Entry at North America’s largest pow-wow.

Esta Lieberman

Gathering participants turned U.S. 40 into “Pow-wow Highway” for the weekend.

Esta Lieberman

Native Americans representing several countries and 500 Tribes create a colorful crowd at “The Pit.”Esta Lieberman

Dancers show their individual styles in the competition.Esta Lieberman

Dancers prepare for the competition.Esta Lieberman

Gathering in a Land of Enchantment: My Impression

Two Navajo boys eager to join the 24th annual GatheringEsta Lieberman

Standing in line became an event in itself at the well-attended festival.Esta Lieberman


By Jessica CattelinoDr. William Sturtevant, a leading anthro-

pologist, passed away on March 2. In the 1950s,Sturtevant conducted groundbreaking research onSeminole medicine, history, and everyday life.He was curator of North American Ethnology atthe National Museum of Natural History of theSmithsonian Institution.

Some Tribune readers might rememberSturtevant from his 1950s student days. The curi-ous young man, a Ph.D. student at Yale, lived inHollywood (then Dania) and later in BigCypress. He drove around the reservations in acar with the back seat full of boxes holdingresearch notes. Indeed, he was always ready tojot down knowledge shared by instructors includ-ing Josie Billie and Joe Jumper (who often trans-lated for him). Others knew Sturtevant in morerecent times as the tall, thin, white-haired manwho hosted tribal citizens at the Smithsonian andwho visited Florida for the opening of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and on other occasions.

As the Seminole Tribe commemoratesthe 50th anniversary of the 1957 Tribal reorgani-zation, it is an appropriate time to honor WilliamSturtevant’s legacy. In fact, Sturtevant testifiedbefore the Congressional joint subcommittee onIndian Affairs in 1954, supporting Seminoles’opposition to a bill that would “terminate” theTribe’s federal recognition. In his testimony,Sturtevant argued that Seminole people required anddeserved federal support. Historian Harry Kersey Jr.and others have observed that Sturtevant’s remarksweighed heavily on the lawmakers. Once, Sturtevantadmitted to me that he had been pretty nervous to tes-tify before Congress — after all, he was still in his 20sat the time!

Born in 1926, Bill Sturtevant grew interestedin American Indian life at a young age. At the time ofhis death, he was known around the world for expert-ise in native North American history, art and culture.He published over 200 scholarly articles, and he editedthe most important reference book series aboutAmerican Indians, the Handbook of North AmericanIndians. He testified many times in support of Indiangroups’ rights to federal recognition, and he voiced hisopposition to the construction of the Kinzua Dam,which flooded much of a Seneca reservation.Sturtevant served his nation in the U.S. Navy duringWorld War II and later as a curator at the Smithsonian,and served his profession in many ways, including aspresident of the American AnthropologicalAssociation.

I was fortunate to meet Bill Sturtevant while I

was still a young graduate student. When first visitinghim at the Smithsonian in June 1999, I was nervousthat he would brush me off. But I shouldn’t have wor-ried. We sat in his office, piled high with books andpapers, while Sturtevant offered words of encourage-ment and emphasized the importance of Seminole his-tory, culture, and sovereignty. Later, he would mentorme as a Smithsonian fellow. During my fellowship hegenerously offered to share the notes from his Floridaresearch. First, however, we had to locate them amonghis massive collections. We dug through seeminglyendless filing cabinets and museum storage unitsbefore I finally heard his triumphant shout upon find-ing them. In the course of our search we had comeacross notes and collections from Sturtevant’s researchwith Iroquois and other American Indian peoples, inBurma, and in museums around the globe. It seemedthat he had studied everything, from agriculture to art,native languages to clothing, medicine to tattooing.

Many people benefited from Sturtevant’s gen-erosity. Patsy West, for example, recalled his opennessto her research and said that “Bill was one of the moregenerous scholars of the day.” He answered questionsfrom young people, Boy Scouts working on merit

badges, colleagues and friends, and anyone else whoasked. “It didn’t matter if you were a scholar or a BoyScout — he’d help you just the same,” West recalled. Iwitnessed Sturtevant’s generosity many times, perhapsmost memorably in the winter of 2004 when he defieda snowstorm and poor health to travel fromWashington, D.C. to New York City — all for the pur-pose of attending my dissertation defense as a memberof my advisory committee.

Sturtevant’s research with Seminoles andMiccosukees was well known to scholars in Floridaand beyond. As Patsy West put it, “He did the majorresearch that everyone has used since 1953.” His1950s research took place during a difficult time,when Seminoles had every reason to be suspicious ofnon-Indians. In his field notes, Sturtevant wrote thatmany people were reluctant to speak to him or otheroutsiders. He learned some Mikasuki, but it was hardto find translators. Eventually, Sturtevant worked veryclosely with Josie Billie.

Josie Billie taught Sturtevant a great dealabout medicine and plants. This became the topic ofSturtevant’s dissertation, The Mikasuki Seminole:Medical Beliefs and Practices. But his time in Floridawasn’t devoted solely to interviews. On at least one

Saturday night, Sturtevantjoined reservation residents towatch a movie being screenedon the wall of a governmentwarehouse. He kept busy, forexample observing MosesJumper wrestle alligators atMusa Isle, visiting JimmieOsceola’s camp, attending apolitical meeting on theTamiami Trail with IngrahamBillie’s permission, and meet-ing with William Boehmer. In1952, he noted, few womenspoke with him. By the timehe returned in 1959, thingshad changed, and he enjoyedlearning from Laura MaeOsceola and others. In the1950s Sturtevant witnesseddiscrimination against Indiansat restaurants and stores, andhe wrote about tensionsbetween Seminoles andBureau of Indian Affairs offi-cials.

Long after his gradu-ate student days, Sturtevantco-curated a 1990sSmithsonian exhibit called

“Seminole Interpretations.” His co-curators were LittleTigertail and Louise Tigertail. As Patsy West put it,this collaborative exhibit had “more of the nativevoice in it” than most of its day.

Sturtevant and his wife, the anthropologicallinguist Sally McLendon, visited Florida several timesin the early 2000s. He stopped to see Jimmy O’TooleOsceola and other friends, and he remarked upon thetalents of language experts like Carol Cypress, DaisiJumper, and Lorene Gopher. He met with tribal offi-cials including Billy L. Cypress, James Billie, and JimShore, and he also enjoyed meetings on the Trail withBuffalo Tiger, Billy Cypress, and others. Although acareer at the Smithsonian limited his time in Florida,Sturtevant recounted his experiences in SeminoleCountry with fondness.

William Sturtevant’s papers will be housed atthe National Anthropological Archives in Suitland,Md. A memorial service will be held on June 5th atthe National Museum of Natural History at theSmithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

While the original person that Osceola wasnamed after is unknown, it is thought to have beenOsceola the great warrior of the Seminole Tribe whofought in the second Seminole War.

The name was changed to West Fifth Avenuein the 1970s when all streets were given numbers inorder to make it easier for the postal service to locateaddresses.

The city presented a proclamation to JimmieScott Osceola in May of 2006 afterCouncilwoman Williams happened tomeet him in a local store and hear of hisvaried accomplishments throughout hislife. They proclaimed May 20 to beJimmie Scott Osceola Day.

Jimmie Scott Osceola is a localSeminole Indian who grew up inBrighton and attended school inOkeechobee. He was very active inschool sports and a gifted artist who didIndia ink portraits which are done bymaking small black dots to make a pic-ture.

He painted the first picture ofthe Brahma Bull on the old school gymwall.

It was during the City Councilmeeting where Jimmie Scott Osceolaand his brother Joe Dan Osceola werepresent to receive the proclamation.

According to council womanWilliams, “Joe Dan Osceola made thestatement to the council that this was thefirst time a Seminole had been invited toattend a city or county council meeting.”

Joe Dan Osceola was also thefirst Seminole Indian to graduate fromOkeechobee High School.

This statement weighed oncouncil members’ minds following thatmeeting to make a point that the Seminoles know thatOkeechobee was and is their home.

Judge Hendry talked to council memberDowling Watford at that time about possibly renamingWest Fifth Avenue back to Osceola. That suggestionwent through the City Council and the ceremony tookplace as the Tribe prepared for their 50th anniversary.

Due to the relationship that was and is pres-ent, the city decided to reclaim some of that history.

Judge Hendry said,“Osceola is more than justa road connecting one point to another. This area wasa gathering spot for Seminole Indians in the ’30s and’40s when they came into Okeechobee to do theirshopping.”

Others went on to tell of how they played inthe trees and open areas while their mothers andgrandmothers shopped for their weekly needs. Theyusually came to town only once a week.

When other counties would not allowSeminole Indian children to attend their schools,Okeechobee opened their doors to the Seminole

Indians and allowed their children to attend theirschools and participate in their school events.

While the Brighton Reservation is located inGlades County, the children of the reservation stillattend the schools of Okeechobee.

According to C.J. Rodriguez who wrote apoem as a friend of Jimmie Scott Osceola, “We theSeminoles have a history here in Okeechobee this isour town ...we, the Tribe from Brighton.”

Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. PresidentMoses Osceola said on behalf of the Tribe, “we arehonored today to have the name of Osceola returnedback to this street.”

Brighton Tribal representative AndrewBowers went on to express that “this is just anotherdemonstration of the relationship between theSeminole Tribe and Okeechobee...and we will do ourpart to keep that relationship going.”

Joe Dan Osceola presented a traditionalSeminole Indian jacket to Mayor Kirk in appreciationfrom the Osceola family line for honoring their ances-tors.

Mayor Kirk expressed his appreciation onbehalf of the city where “we strive to make this a bet-ter community for all of us. The two governments,both county and city, work better together than weever have before.”

The Mayor went on to demonstrate that thisis just one way that the city has attempted to preservethe history and cohesiveness of the relationshipbetween the Seminole Tribe and Okeechobee.

Councilwoman Williams ended the ceremonyby presenting the following poem titled “The ManWho Walked the Streets of Okeechobee” by C.J.Rodriguez, a friend of Jimmie Scott Osceola:

“Listen, listen to the wind. I do not know if itcomes or goes ... I only know it blows whenever youare near...

“I can hear the chants in the midnight air ...and the sounds of distant drums are everywhere. Theeagle soars and the panther cries ... down in theEverglades. You’ve told me the story of the Trail ofTears ... and about the warriors’ cries ... at the Battleof Okeechobee.

“You told me about ancestors past that havewalked these streets. You remember back to anothertime and place when Okeechobee was young. You fol-lowed in the footprints of your father and mother, justas surely as they followed in the footprints of theirparents.

“These words were spoken to me by JimmieScott Osceola:

“We the Seminoles have a history here ... inOkeechobee ... this is our town. My brother ran thesestreets and played ball with my little sister and me ...as all of us have ... We, the Tribe, from Brighton ...

“Our footprints will always be in the streetsof Okeechobee. You cannot write a story ofOkeechobee without our rich, strong heritage beingthere. I am the man who walks the streets ofOkeechobee, as well as my fellow Tribe members do.

“But we were first children here. We ran thestreets and climbed the old oak trees while our fami-lies visited with our family members. But now as Ilook to my 70th year, it seems as if it was yesterday ...when my brother and sister and I waited for a ride toschool and then we would go to town on Saturday.Where did the time go?”

“I feel the wind blowing and I turn my head... and listen closely to the sounds that are in the wind... and sometimes I think I hear my mother calling outmy name ... or my little sister’s giggles as she played... and the people walking and talking on a summerafternoon — these the days of my youth.

“Yes, I have memories here in my town ofOkeechobee, so listen, listen to the wind. I do notknow if it comes or goes...I only know it blows in thestreets of Okeechobee...”

©2007 Okeechobee News. Reprinted withpermission.

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Dr. William Sturtevant, 1926-2007: A Tribute

Josie Billie (L) and William Sturtevant in 1959

William Sturtevant at work at the Smithsonian

Jimmie Scott Osceola and his sister Lawanna Osceola-Niles were honored along with their ancestors in therenaming ceremony.


Still living on the Brighton reservation are ninth-generation descendants of Warrior Osceola (backrow, L-R) Brydgett Koontz, 9, and Kamani Smith,5, with their cousins, seventh-generation descen-dants of Osceola (front row, L-R) Leilani Burton, 2,and Krysta Burton, 5.


Former Judge William Hendry reflects on the past concerningthe connection between the Seminole Indians and Okeechobee,showing a wedding present his father received many years agofrom a Seminole, Charlie Snow.


�OsceolaContinued from page 1

By Judy WeeksBIG CYPRESS — The ground-

breaking for the first Insulated ConcreteForm house at Big Cypress on May 2 rep-resents a milestone for the Seminole Tribeof Florida.

The ICF type of home construc-tion was initiated in Germany approximate-ly 40 years ago. The basic concept hasgone through considerable developmentand the end result is a highly marketableproduct for ecology-conscious Americans.

Carter Clough, Director of BigCypress Administrative Services and a for-mer building inspector for the SeminoleTribe, got his first look at this state-of-the-art construction at a builders’ show a yearand a half ago. His interest was piqued bywhat he saw and after discussing it with hissuperiors, he began a thorough research ofthe claims and reliability of the system. Hisstudies brought favorable results and theeventual support of the Tribal Council.

Clough said, “My investigation ofthe ICF building concept turned up somevery extraordinary facts. This innovativedesign has withstood the tests of time verysuccessfully. It meets the Dade/BrowardCounty Code of 120-to-140 mph winds andsurpasses it by reaching a wind resistanceof 200 mph. Because of its R-24 ther-mal factor, there is documented evi-dence that ICFs are 70 percent lessexpensive to heat and 50 percent lessexpensive to cool than traditional woodframe construction. It also provides a 3-hour fire rating because of its flame-retardant characteristics. This can meanlower insurance rates and at least a 65percent reduction in electrical expenses.”

The groundbreaking ceremony atthe site of Mary Jean Koenes’ new homeprovided an opportunity for Tribal mem-bers to examine the ICF constructionprocess and learn about its advantages.Visitors were able to walk through theproject. They viewed the polystyrene blockform stage of the building’s skeleton,which was ready for the concrete of the

exterior walls. Upon close examination, thereinforced steel, thickness of insulation andunique interlocking system were visible.

Susie Kippenberger of theUtilities Department opened the ceremonywith this message: “The Seminole Tribe ofFlorida has engaged a comprehensive planto bring energy-efficient construction to itsTribal members. As we all know, the entireworld is concerned with global warming.The leaders of many countries are gather-ing to ensure that the future generations of

mankind are not made victims of the over-expenditure of resources such as energy.You are witnessing today the SeminoleTribe’s effort to become a part of the solu-tion to this worldwide dilemma and weshould be grateful to our leaders for theirforesight.”

Kippenberger continued, “Manyhands went into making this project possi-ble: Building Design’s architect TimMarine, Green Block Insulated FoamManufacturers, General Contractor ChuckFrazer Builders, Inc., Director ofAdministrative Services Carter Clough,Building Inspector Gary Vigiano, FivePoints Landscaping, Redline Media Group,the Seminole Tribe’s Legal and Housingdepartments.”

Reading a few Bible passages, theRev. Salaw Hummingbird told a storyabout mankind’s ability to build with thehelping hand of God, and then proceededwith the invocation.

Holding her arms out wide, MaryJean Koenes said, “Welcome to the camp.This has been my home for 26 years. As ayoungster I had some problems with asth-ma, which I finally outgrew. Unfortunately,

my symptoms returned a fewyears ago, and careful investiga-tion showed that the high inci-dence of mold and mildew inmy home was the cause of mydifficulties. In order for me toinsure my health, it became nec-essary for me to relocate.However, my heart was alwayshere at my home.

“After learning aboutthe ICF concept, I toured thehomes being built in Sebring byChuck Frazer Builders, Inc. andchecked into the intensiveresearch being done by theSeminole Tribe on this style ofbuilding. After becoming satis-fied with the study, I decided tobecome the first ICF homeown-er at Big Cypress.”

Koenes concluded,“When our ancestors thought ofbuilding homes, they developedthe camp concept which provid-ed a support system that becamethe core of the family andinsured its cultural heritage andlanguage preservation. I wantthis same thing for my descen-dants and am planning homesites within this camp for eachof my children and their fami-lies.”

In response to “Whatare ICFs?” Doug Ehzde ofGreenblock replied, “Insulatedconcrete forms are hollow poly-styrene blocks that are stackedinto the exterior walls of abuilding, reinforced with steelrebar and then filled with con-crete. The resulting wall systemprovides exceptional strength,energy efficiency, noise reduc-tion and an overall level of com-fort that you won’t find in a tra-ditionally built structure.”

The project’s generalcontractor, Chuck Frazer, invit-ed everyone to join him on a

tour of the construction site for the Koenesresidence and welcomed their inquiries.

“I am very excited about the qual-ity of the homes that my company is creat-ing with their energy efficiency and envi-ronmental impact. The residence you areviewing today is in its initial stage of con-struction. From this point, it should takeapproximately 90 days to complete. Costwise, it is comparable to traditional con-struction, and in some instances, lessexpensive.”

Frazer remarked,“The ICF style of construc-tion is environmentally smart.It reduces the negative impacton the environment throughsite planning, energy efficien-cy, conservation of naturalresources, lower air condi-tioning and heating require-ments and improved indoorenvironmental air quality.Greenblock materials arenontoxic, non-nutritive toinsects and rodents and donot support the growth ofmold and mildew. Theabsence of ‘off-gassing’ elim-inates the possibility of anyair pollution or ozone deple-tion.

“These upscalehomes use Lower E tintedglass throughout. There is a5/8 inch solar ply insulationglued beneath the roof deck-ing and we use a lighter col-ored roofing finish to add toefficiency.”

Jennifer Languell ofTrifecta ConstructionSolutions is a certified agentfor the Florida GreenBuilding Coalition. Addressing the group,she said, “Rhonda Frank initially contactedme in her efforts to research an environ-mentally friendly home for her family. Icame on board with this project shortlyafter I answered her requests for eco-friendly information and will be supervis-ing the construction of this home. Upon itscompletion, I am confident that I will beable to certify it green. ICF homes are astep in the right direction toward combat-ting global warming and preserving theearth’s natural resources for future genera-tions.”

Holding her child in her arms,Rhonda Frank said, “My daughter, Peanut,will some day inherit the home we areabout to construct. In 80 years, I don’twant her spending everything she has onheating, cooling and keeping it standing. Iam looking for a healthy, sustainable

atmosphere in which to raise my childrenand grandchildren. With that thought inmind, I have carefully researched the ICFhome concept and found that it is a homeof the future.”

Chairman Mitchell Cypress said,“The groundbreaking that is taking placeon each of our reservations is extraordi-nary. In one generation we have gone fromchickee to HUD to ICF. Today’s projectreminds me of the story about the three lit-tle pigs who had to worry about the wolfblowing their house down. We have beenassured that the Greenblock walls of ICFcan withstand hurricane and tornado forcewinds up to 200 mph. We have done ourhomework on this, but someone has to leadthe way and Mary Jean is doing just that!”

Big Cypress CouncilRepresentative David Cypress said, “Wecouldn’t help but wonder, when Cartercame back from Orlando about a year anda half ago and told us that he had seenhomes built with Styrofoam that could pro-tect us from hurricane damage. He mightas well have said cardboard. However, hewanted to research it for many reasons,including energy efficiency, so we sent himto North Carolina. Carter and his staff didtheir jobs and because of the results oftheir efforts, we bought into the program.”

Big Cypress Board RepresentativePaul Bowers remarked, “From what I havelearned about this fantastic project, I wishwe had saved all the Styrofoam cups andcoolers that we have thrown out in the past20 years so that we could build many,many strong, affordable homes for ourchildren.

Following the groundbreakingceremony and luncheon buffet, the guestswere encouraged to tour the site. FivePoints Landscaping has done an awesomejob of incorporating the native growth withattractive xeriscape plantings and environ-mentally friendly ground covers. The resultis a well-manicured, park like setting forthis family home.

The general contractor providedthree construction models for comparisonpurposes. Showing the traditional codeacceptable manner of construction, heoffered an opportunity for the observers toexamine the ICF style with concrete, steelreinforced walls sandwiched between twothick layers of polystyrene. The exteriorside is covered with a base coat and finishsurface of stucco cement. On the interiorportion, the walls are covered with a mois-ture barrier drywall sheeting, hardcoatplaster finish and low VOC paints to pre-vent “off gassing.”

When contracting for an ICFhome, additional features are readily avail-able.

Mary Jean Koenes chose to incor-porate the double garage space into a por-tion of her interior for a large sewingroom. She also took advantage of theoption of having her master bedroom andbath upgraded into safe rooms for protec-tion from severe storms.

First Insulated Concrete Form Home Going Up at Big CypressState-of-the-Art Construction Marks a New Era in Tribal Housing

(L-R) Chairman Mitchell Cypress, B.C. Council Rep. David Cypress, B.C. Board Rep. Paul Bowers, Mary Jean Koenes, B.C.Director of Admin. Services Carter Clough and General Contractor Chuck Frazer participate in the groundbreaking ceremonies.

Judy Weeks


Mary Jean Koenes poses with her contractor ChuckFrazer on the lawn of her new home.

Judy Weeks

Dangerous mold and mildew lurk within the walls of this building being replaced bya state-of-the-art ICF home.

Judy Weeks

This elaborate support system will be removed after the concrete ceiling has beenpoured over the top of the master bedroom and bath that are being certified as saferooms.

Judy Weeks

Nestled in a beautiful, serene setting, the Koenes residence will anchor the camp atmosphere that the family hopes to create. Judy Weeks

B.C. Administrative Director Carter Cloughresearched the ICF concept for the Seminole Tribeof Florida.

Judy Weeks

Jennifer Languell is the certifying agent for theFlorida Green Building Coalition.

Judy Weeks

“I have carefully researched

the ICF home concept and

found that it is a home of the

future.” — Rhonda Frank

The new graduate participated inmany memorable events while at FSU,where he had the honor of acting as uni-versity mascot Renegade during a coupleof home games. He was also asked to leadthe Pledge of Allegiance at the 2007 com-mencement program. Doney is very wellliked by the FSU administration, and mem-bers of the Tribe’s Education Departmentstaff look upon him as a dependable stu-dent contact. He was always willing tomeet with new or potential students when-ever needed.

After a monthlong trip to Europewith the Alumni Association, Doney saidhe plans on returning to the Seminole Tribeto be part of the Management Program.His parents, Kenny and Marilyn, definitelyhave a reason to be proud and should becommended on their job as parents forrearing such a fine young man.

Doney’s family from Montanaand Brighton, along with members of theEducation Department, shared in this mile-stone in his life with very proud hearts. Wewant to wish him the best of luck in hisfuture endeavors and congratulate him onachieving such an important goal in hislife. Doney has earned something that cannever be taken from him — an education.

�DoneyContinued from page 1

Graduate Kyle Doney shakes hands with FSU President T.K. Wetherell as he walksacross the stage.

Emma Brown

Kyle’s grandmother Elizabeth Doney (L) traveled all the way from Hays, Mont., tojoin parents Kenny and Marilyn at the FSU graduation ceremony.

Emma Brown

(L-R) Education Director Louise Gopher, Kyle Doney and Assistant EducationDirector Emma Brown

Emma Brown


volume xxviii • number 7 may … frank receives award from uida, nabl see osceola, ......

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