Description
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the U.S. state of Florida. Together with the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, it is one of three federally recognized Seminole entities. he Miccosukee were displaced during the Seminole Wars (1817–1858), a series of three military conflicts between the United States and the Seminole people. Historically, the Miccosukees were a group that moved between present-day Georgia and northern Florida, with an extended range for hunting, fishing, and trading expeditions stretching from the Appalachian Mountains to the Florida Keys. By the late 1700s, Miccosukee-speaking villages had been built in the Everglades.
Language
The Miccosukee, along with the Florida Seminole, speak the Mikasuki language, also spelled Miccosukee.
Culture
The Miccosukee and other Lower Creek tribes lived together in harmony. They shared legends, religious practices and social gatherings, in addition to trade and traditional stickball games. They lived by hunting, fishing and growing crops and corn being the most significant. The new harvest is still celebrated each year at the sacred Green Corn Dance. The Miccosukee people lived in settled villages of houses called chickees. Chickees were made of wood and plaster, and the roofs were thatched with palmetto fiber. Miccosukee men wore loincloths. Miccosukee women wore wraparound skirts woven from palmetto fiber. Shirts were not necessary in Miccosukee culture, but the Miccosukees did wear mantles in cool weather.