Nativism, Resistance, and Ethnogenesis of the Florida Seminole Indian Identity

Abstract

The Seminole Indians of Florida call themselves the “unconquered people,” referring to the years of the Second Seminole War (1835–1842) when the U.S. Army failed to remove them to Indian Territory. Although the Seminoles have diverse origins and a deep cultural foundation in the prehistoric Southeast, their modern identity can be traced to this era of military conflict. Nativistic resistance movements aided by a strengthening of clan ties formed an adaptive response to the threat of cultural extinction and fueled the process of Seminole ethnogenesis. Using the archaeological record in conjunction with historical and anthropological sources brings a new perspective to the study of ethnogenesis by identifying material dimensions of Seminole resistance and unity. Specifically, the presence and absence of aboriginal versus European American pottery, the presence of military buttons at Seminole sites, and evidence for the ceremonial exchange of wealth by clans are examined as material evidence for the process of identity formation.