The Indian warrior Osceola is depicted riding a horse before FSU football games. Do horses really play a role in the tradition of the real Seminole Indians?
The term “Seminoles” was first applied to the native peoples of Florida in the 18th century. During the 1770s, the naturalist William Bartram traveled extensively throughout Florida and wrote of the people, flora and fauna he observed. Visiting the Seminole town of Cuscowilla, near present-day Gainesville, he wrote of “innumerable droves of cattle . . . herds of sprightly deer, squadrons of beautiful fleet Seminole horses.” This early description makes it clear that horses were, in fact, a part of Seminole society of the time. In modern times, FSU supporter Bill Durham states that, in creating the tandem of Osceola and Renegade in the 1970s, he spoke with Howard Tommie, then chief of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. In a Sept. 17, 1978, article in the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper, Tommie commented that horses were indeed a part of his tribe’s tradition. He added that the Seminoles once had many horses, but that the white man stole some and ran others off into the swamps. In addition, T
Related Questions
- The Indian warrior Osceola is depicted riding a horse before FSU football games. Do horses really play a role in the tradition of the real Seminole Indians?
- FSU is represented by an Indian figure named Osceola at football games and other events. Who was the real Osceola?
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