Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Museum
Fort Lauderdale / Everglades

This museum is located in the Big Cypress Reservation the tribal territory of the Seminole in the Everglades. To reach this museum the visitor has to take the Interstate I-75 towards Naples. He leaves the Interstate at Exit 49 and drives 17 miles further into the Everglades.

During the road trip through this natural landscape you often can see alligator sunbathing at the sides of the road. If you stop to take a picture you should be very careful. Alligators are dangerous wild animals.

At the end of the 17 miles ride you find the museum. The museum is - as the Seminole say - "a place to learn and a place to remember." The museum is established and structured based on this theme.

The trip through the past and the history of the Seminole begins with a film in which the tribal roots, their way of life, their faith and their connection to the Americans are told.

The film "we Seminole" describes scenes of the Indian culture which can be further explored in the walking tour through the exhibition space. The exhibits in this exhibition are rare and historical artifacts.

Each month there is a special show performed about different parts of life or important persons. During our visit there was an exhibition about Osceola the great warrior and leader of the Seminole.

The Seminole say from themselves that they are the only Indian tribe that was never defeated by the Americans and was never forced to sign a peace treaty. The Seminole tribe is very proud of this fact.

This pride was also the reason why they did want no longer the support money of the government for their living. They wanted to produce their own prosperity. To reach this goal they fought for their legal right to operate casinos on their land. They also manage their territory by themselves and have on their territory their own police force.

From the revenue of the casino business it is possible for them to build and maintain their own schools and hospitals. In the schools the children get the education they need for the world beyond the tribe but they also learn the tribal way of life, their own Indian language and their spiritual and cultural background.

At the end of the museum’s visit you should take a walk on the wooden paved path through the Cypress Hammock forest. The trail is round about 1 mile long. A part of this trail is a learning trail where 67 plants are described which grow in the Hammock forest and which are used by the Seminole in their daily lives.

Another part of the path leads into a Seminole village in which the women show the production of traditional goods and commodities. The next station on the path is the place of the ceremony. There the men execute traditional dances. Right next to the ceremony place the men build their long boat which they used in former time for their trips on the canals in the Swamp.

The visit of this museum is a must because the information which you get there. This information is very interesting and shows a completely new picture of an Indian culture which is totally different from the Wild West romantic.

The museum is open from 9 am till 5 pm. Admission costs $ 6 for adults and $ 4 for seniors / students. Children under 6 are free. The museum is accessible for wheelchairs.

 

 

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