Relations
Gender Extremely separate Women supposed to have been given first plants by their gods/mythical clans
As a result, they have power of life (plant life, and human life)
Men took part in diplomacy, ceremony, hard labor
Hunted, war, etc
Women did contain unwritten political power
Controlled clan vengeance, justice
Clans
Mythological creatures
In colonial times: Bear, Eagle, Wolf, Tyger (panther) Core of Creek society These houses stand in clusters of four, five, six, seven and eight together, irregularly distributed up and down the banks of rivers or small streams; each cluster of houses contains a clan, or family of relations, who eat and live in common Clans unite different towns in ways not even language could (clans cannot inner-marry)
Matrilineal power
Matrilocal: after marriage, man moved in with woman, connected two towns and two clans Kinship moved through mother
Child belonged to clan of mother, not father Matrilineages lived together, tied into clans Hunting expeditions: man time uncles played with children, not fathers
Chiefly Power
Chief advised by head warriers (tustunnuggee thlucco) and Beloved Men Mix of matrilineal and experience
On death of a micco, nephews would be tapped if one is not equal to his office, they elect another
Intermarriage
Perhaps most important linkage to outside world Absolutely necessary to become close to a Creek community Impact of British/Scottish traders
Mixed offspring (half-breeds or mestizo) build ties to communities
Maroons/Spanish Sanctuary
Africans a part of new world since Spanish entradas cimmarone becomes Seminole and maroon Marrons a part of almost every new world experience, but become vital to Florida experience because of Spanish presence
Surinam
Jamaica
Spanish Free Black Militia Integral part of colonial security morenos pardos
Florida = first real underground railroad
1687 first Africans come into St. Augustine, fleeing from Carolina If they become Catholic, and work for a short period on public works, they will be free It has been notified that eight black males and two black females who had run away from the city of San Jorge, arrived to that presidio asking for the holy water of baptism, which they received after being instructed in the Christian doctrine. Later on, the chief sergeant of San Jorge visited the city with the intention to claim the runaways, but it was not proper to do so, because they had already become Christians....As a prize for having adopted the Catholic doctrine and become Catholicized, as soon as you get this letter, set them all free and give them anything they need, and favor them as much as possible. I hope them to be an example, together with my generosity, of what others should do.
I am sorry we are obliged so often to represent to the Government the difficulty we labor under, from the new situation of St. Augustine to this place, whom without any regard to peace or war, do continually annoy our Southern frontiers. The hostilities they commit upon us may be rather termed robbery, murders, and piracies, they acting the part bandittis, of more than soldiers, their chief aim being to murder and plunder. We formerly complained of their receiving and harboring all our runaway negroes, but since that they have found out a new way of sending our own slaves against us, to rob and plunder us; They are continually fitting out parties of Indians from St. Augustine to murder our white people, rob our plantations and carry off our slaves, so that we are not only at a vast expense in guarding our Southern frontiers, but the inhabitants are continually alarmed, and have no leisure to look after their crops. The Indians they send against us are sent out in small parties headed by two three or more Spaniards and sometimes joined with negroes, and all the mischief they do, is on a sudden, and by surprise: and the moment they have done it, they retire again to St. Augustine, and then fit out again, so that our plantations, being all scattering, before any men can be got together, the robbers are fled, and nobody can tell how soon it may be, or where they intend to make their next attempt.
Stono Rebellion
Edisto River, S.C. 1739 80 slaves march southward, waving banners, singing songs, killing people, say they are going to St. Augustine Cut off by militia, most are killed. They do manage to kill 40-45 whites, including 2025 on plantations which are burnt
Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose (1739)
Allowed and encouraged by Spanish Given to black homesteaders who would form militia Fist line of defense for St. Augustine Burned in 1740 by Georgians Rebuilt in 1752
Seminole Slavery
Is it really slavery? People have said its democratic feudalism How does it compare to coalescent societies, tribute, prestige of a chief?
1824
Peliklikaha: chiefly slaves from Georgia, who have put themselves under the protection of Micanopy, a local Seminole chief, who they call master. To him they provided a tribute of one-third of the produce of the land, and one-third of the horses, cattle, and fowls they may raise; otherwise, they were free to go and come at pleasure, and in some cases are elevated to the position of equality with their masters. They cultivated extensive fields and lived in fine houses, many of which were larger and more comfortable than those of the Indians themselves. Altogether, McCall concluded, We found these men to be shrewd, intelligent fellows, and to the highest degree obsequious.
1836
They live in villages separate, and, in many cases, remote from their owners, and enjoying equal liberty with their owners, with the single exception that the slave supplies his owner, annually, from the product of his little field, with corn, in proportion to the amount of the crop; and in no instance, that has come to my knowledge, exceeding ten bushels; the residence is considered the property of the slave. Many of these slaves have stocks of horses, cows, and hogs, with which the Indian owner never assumes the right to intermeddle.
Is this really slavery, or is it want southern people want to see? Ethnohistorical interpretation: view through Native culture, not European or American