Miccosukee

    In a city so focused on tourism, we neglect to acknowledge the first group of people that first inhabited the region.  To what extent has the growth of tourism in Miami corrupted the Miccosukee Indians’ culture and tradition?  This research question is important because the area's history is important to the shaping of what it's like today.  As a group not widely recognized, the Miccosukee Indians have faced hardships that tested their strength and determination to preserve their native culture.  In order to address my main question, I plan to research and learn of the tribe's traditions, beliefs, and culture to gain a better understanding of their way of life. How has the tribe tried to preserve their culture when everything around them is so rapidly changing? To what extent have they assimilated into modern day society?


   To the left is a photograph of a Miccosukee child.  The child seems to be filled with curiosity while playing in a field.  When I glanced at this photo for the first time, right away I had a striking sense of deja vu.  It closely resembles the photograph I have seen so many times before on a bookshelf in my home.  This photograph, to the right, is my father as a child (c. 1965).  The similarity is obvious, but what can't be seen through these photographs is the story.  My father’s biological mother was a Navajo Indian, but he was given up for adoption as a baby because her case was not accepted in her native culture.  I am curious about my ancestors and how their decisions have influenced where I am today.


     The intended audience will be those who, like myself, have found a desire to discover the foundations of the past. Qualitative material needed to answer this question includes knowledge about the Miccosukee culture - how they interacted with other groups of people and with the land around them is most important to the significance of the research question.  Also, knowledge about the events that led to the growth in population in Miami, which ultimately increased tourism, will address how it impacted the Miccosukee tribe.  Quantitative material needed might include statistics about tourism and population growth during the time.