Simply Seminole

Created by the Native Americans of southern Florida, Seminole strip piecing is based on a simple form of decorative patchwork. It is a quilting technique perfectly geared for today's tools, fabrics, and lifestyles--a technique that rewards busy quilters with magnificent results in record time. And now, with Simply Seminole, quilters who have mastered the basics can even begin designing their own unique bands! Includes 36 designs, complete with instructions and diagrams.

Late at night around the campfires, Seminole children safely tucked into mosquito nets used to listen to the elders retelling the old stories and legends. The priceless tales of mischievous Rabbit, the Corn Lady, the Deer Girl, and the creatures of the Everglades are all written down and collected here for readers of all ages. This is a portrait of the beliefs and lifeways of the Seminoles of Florida as well as a delightful read for anyone interested in the first peoples of Florida.

Literature and educational books about Native Americans frequently present stereotypical images or depict the people as they existed hundreds of years ago. Seeking to dispel misrepresentations, this book examines Native American culture as it exists today as well as its historical background. Reproducible activities, biographies of real people, and accurate background information help educators present a realistic and diverse picture of Native Americans in the twentieth century. With each lesson, the authors include a suggested grade level, materials list, objectives, readings, activities, enrichment extensions, and a list of resources for further study. Chapters cover ground rules, homes and environment, growing up and growing old, a day in the life, communications, arts, economics, and socio-political struggles. Appendixes contain oral history guidelines, global information sources, lists of Native media, and related Web sites.

An introduction to the patchwork designs of the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes discusses the heritage and daily lives of the south Florida Native Americans and includes instructions for various patchwork designs and a doll.

When we published our initial work on the Seminole Wars in 2004, we lamented the fact that such an important series of events was widely unknown to the American public in general and to the majority of Floridians. Not that we should have been surprised: The war was fought in one small corner of the nation and therefore of little concern to Americans as a whole, and most Floridians weren’t born in the state and would have had little opportunity to learn about the wars. Yet it shouldn’t have been that way. The Seminole Wars were a major conflict for the nation and arguably one of the most formative events for the State of Florida. The Indian Wars of the American West are famous worldwide, yet the Seminole Wars were bigger than any western Indian war. The foundations for most of Florida’s great cities are a result of the Seminole Wars, yet few of those cities’ residents are aware of the fact. It was an historical oversight we felt was in need of correction.

Fascinating introduction to a unique form of needlecraft distinguished by bright horizontal patterns and created by sewing, cutting, and rearranging strips of multicolored bands. Simply written, profusely illustrated volume includes a glossary of important terms and displays varied patchwork patterns along with instructions for reading assembly diagrams.

In Our Land Before We Die, Jeff Guinn traces the little-known history of the runaway slaves who fled to the Florida Everglades to live alongside the Seminole Indians. Deeply rooted in tribal oral history, and based on extensive interviews with descendants, this book describes the incredible circumstances of a people who sought shelter in the shadow of a tribe whose land and welfare already hung in the balance. And yet, in their tireless journey-from Florida to Indian Territory in Oklahoma; on the seven-hundred-mile flight from persecution that took them across the Rio Grande into Mexico; and then back across the Rio Grande to Texas-they never surrendered the hope of one day attaining land of their own. Our Land Before We Die brings to life the largely forgotten history of a courageous people and the descendants for whom this story is their only legacy.