at Immokalee library (2026)

Dozens of Seminole

youth attend UNITY

EDUCATION 1B

Sweetgrass session

at Immokalee library

COMMUNITY 6A

Tribe hosts NAYO

baseball/softball

SPORTS 1C

www.seminoletribune.org

Free

August 2026

Volume L • Number 8

Naples' Serena Zepeda, Hollywood's

Dahlia Sanders crowned Seminole princesses

BY DANIELLA HAKIM

Staff Reporter

HOLLYWOOD— Serena Zepeda and

Dahlia Sanders were all smiles and tearyeyed after being crowned the Seminole Tribe

of Florida’s new princesses July 25 at the

69th annual Miss Florida Seminole Princess

Pageant in the Hollywood executive building

auditorium on the Hollywood Reservation.

Zepeda, 24, earned the Miss Florida

Seminole title. Sanders, 15, earned the Jr.

Miss Florida Seminole title. They will serve

one-year reigns representing the tribe.

“We support these young ladies every

day,” said Tribal Secretary and Miss Florida

Seminole 1985 Naomi Wilson. “We have

young ladies at the tribe who believe in each

other, who believe in this sisterhood and say,

‘This is what we wish to continue to do.’”

Zepeda, the oldest of all eight pageant

contestants, is from the tribe’s Naples

community. Zepeda is a graduate of the

University of Vermont with a bachelor’s

in elementary education and education

for cultural linguistics diversity. She is

the daughter of Brian Zepeda, the Naples

Council Liaison. Zepeda volunteers for the

tribe’s Youth Empowerment Program and

the nonprofit, Big Brother Big Sister, as a

mentor.

“My platform is really on higher

education and building up our youth,”

Zepeda said. “My goal is to help our youth

see education as something that uplifts us.

Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to read to

students and encourage them.”

Sanders is from the Hollywood

Reservation and the Bird Clan. She is a

sophomore at NSU University School in

Davie and is the daughter of Mercedes

Osceola and Neil Sanders.

Beverly Bidney

“What excites me most about the year

ahead is being with Serena,” Sanders said.

“She’s so inspirational, she’s like a big older

sister. I want to be an inspiration for other

children my age because there were only

three other contestants this year running for

Jr. Miss Florida Seminole. I would love for

more girls to get out of their comfort zone

and run for this pageant. It’s a good feeling—

being up on stage and seeing everyone’s

faces.”

Alongside Zepeda, the Miss Florida

Seminole contestants were Leilani Burton,

21, from Okeechobee; Sarafina Billie, 19,

from Hollywood; Carlise Bermudez, 21,

from Immokalee; and Tahnia Billie, 18, from

Clewiston.

Ada Bruised Head, 15, from Clewiston

and Ciani Smith, 15, from Okeechobee,

competed for the Jr. Miss Florida crown

alongside Sanders.

Both Zepeda and Sanders were crowned

on stage by their predecessors, Bailey Marie

Latchford and Chaka Yani Smith.

Following

each

contestant’s

introduction, traditional outfit presentations

showcased custom-made patchwork skirts

and capes, while the contestant’s talent

presentations presented their passions for

patchwork, beadwork, harvesting sweetgrass,

preparing sofkee, and storytelling. Zepeda,

Burton, and Tahnia Billie told stories of the

box turtle and the rabbit, the supernatural

twins, and the good hearted and the evil

spirit.

Sanders and Sarafina Billie won the

evening’s talent division; Sanders and

Burton won best essay; and Tahnia Billie

won this year’s Miss Congeniality award.

Newly crowned Jr. Miss Florida Seminole Dahlia Sanders, left, and Miss Florida Seminole Serena Zepeda bask in the spotlight at the 69th annual Miss

Florida Seminole Princess Pageant on July 25 in Hollywood.

See PRINCESSES on page 4A

Summer means

shipping season for

Seminole cattle

Broward

bridge project

to close

Sheridan

Street lanes

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

He has been working with cattle most of his

life with his grandfathers Reno and Rodney

Osceola’s herds in Brighton.

“I like helping; it isn’t really hard,” said

BIG CYPRESS — Summer is calf

the

PECS

eighth grader.

shipping season on the Big Cypress and

Pauletta Bowers, who has spent her

Brighton reservations, where cattle owners

and the Board sent about 5,000 calves to life working with cattle, shipped about 60

calves. The largest weighed 788 pounds and

feed lots out west from July 6 to July 16.

The temperature in Big Cypress on the smallest, which was born later than the

July 13 was in the low 90s and humid with rest of the calves, weighed 328. She said

no rain. Fortunately, there was plenty of the weather this year has been good which

created an optimal

shade in the pens

growing

season

for the cattle and

for the calves. She

the cowhands who

has been tending to

moved them from

cattle all her life.

trailers to pens to

“I

can’t

the cattle truck.

complain.

I’ve

“The morning

been

blessed,”

went well,” said

Bowers said. “I

Clint

Raulerson,

like the lifestyle

Natural Resources

and seeing your

cattle

operations

product from start

general manager.

to finish.”

“It

was

very

Ahnie Jumper

cool and none of

was

also raised in

the calves were

a cattle family in

overheated.”

Big Cypress. This

The

annual

is the third year she

calf

shipping

has owned her own

event marks the

herd, which she

conclusion

of

purchased

from

the time owners

Joe Frank. She

spent raising the

shipped 54 calves

calves. The animals

and didn’t keep

will spend the

as many as she

next few months

usually does since

eating; when they

she is about to

reach about 1,350

have her third child

pounds, they will

this month. Jumper

be sent to market.

said she loves

Beverly

Bidney

Work in the

cowpens starts at Bentley Osceola, 13, herds a group of calves from one working the cattle

with her children

sunrise to avoid pen to another in Big Cypress.

Hayze, Sawyer and

the hottest part of

Desmond.

the day. The work

“The challenge is buying more cows,”

is dirty, crowded with cattle and potentially

dangerous for the cowhands who work she said. “The market is so high right now,

extremely close to the cattle. The animals it’s insane. I want to have a bigger herd; I

are usually wary of people and tend to move have 95 but I want 130.”

out of their way quickly.

Bentley Osceola, 13, likes to help out

in the cowpens with his uncle Sean Osceola.

See SHIPPING on page 6A

Community......................3A

Education........................1B

Health.............................8A

Sports..........................1C

STAFF REPORT

Beverly Bidney

HOLLYWOOD — A major bridge

project on Sheridan Street near the

Hollywood Reservation and off-reservation

tribal buildings is scheduled to start lane

closures in early August for a project that is

expected to be completed in spring 2027.

Led by the Broward County Engineering

Department, the Sheridan Street bridge

improvement project will increase the height

of the bridge by two feet. Lifting the bridge

from its current 14 feet, 6 inches to 16 feet,

6 inches is aimed at preventing strikes by

trucks below it on the Florida Turnpike that

have plagued the bridge. The county has hired

Structural Technologies to raise the bridge to

meet current vertical clearance standards.

According to the county, lane closures

on Sheridan Street will begin Aug. 3. The

bridge is near a Hard Rock Support Services

building at the corner of Sheridan Street

and North 64th Avenue and is less than a

half-mile from the southern entrance to the

reservation. The tribe’s Taft Street buildings

are a short distance away, too, at the corner of

North 64th Ave. and Taft Street.

The initial phase will close westbound

lanes on Sheridan Street on and near the

bridge while the eastbound side will be

reconfigured to carry one lane of traffic in

each direction. In phase 2, the eastbound

lanes will close while the westbound lanes

will serve both directions.

At a June 2 community public meeting,

project officials said full closure of the

Sheridan Street lanes would be necessary at

times, but would be “relatively minor at night

and shouldn’t be for long.” They displayed a

map of a detour that would divert traffic onto

North 64th Street (south of the reservation)

and then east on Taft Street. Westbound traffic

on Sheridan would have to follow a detour

south on 441 and then west on Taft Street.

The project also includes new lighting

and sidewalks, a lane for bicycles and

drainage improvements.

Todd Johns herds calves July 13 from the Big Cypress cowpens into the cattle truck that will take them

to feed lots out west.

See BRIDGE on page 2A

Visit the Tribune's Instagram (@seminoletribune)

for news throughout the month

2A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Editorial

The Army Corps Faces More Than a

Permit Decision. It Faces a Promise.

• Whitney Gravelle

T

he U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

is preparing to make what many

will see as a permitting decision

on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel

beneath the Straits of Mackinac.

For Tribal Nations, it is something much

larger. It is another test of whether the United

States will uphold the promises it made when

it entered into treaties with our ancestors.

For nearly two hundred years, Tribal

Nations have heard the same assurances. The

United States promised our treaties would

be honored. It promised our rights would

endure. It promised to protect the resources

that make those rights meaningful.

Yet history tells a different story.

Time and time again, whenever

tribal rights have collided with economic

development,

industry,

or

political

convenience, those promises have bent.

Homelands were taken. Languages were

stolen. Rivers were dammed. Sacred places

disappeared beneath reservoirs and highways.

Native children were separated from their

families in the name of assimilation. Entire

ways of life were sacrificed because someone

else decided the cost was acceptable.

Each generation was told the harm was

necessary.

Each generation was told to trust treaties

are the supreme law of the land.

The Line 5 tunnel asks us to believe that

this time is different.

When most Americans hear the phrase

“treaty trust responsibility,” they think of

lawyers, courtrooms, or dusty history books.

I think of my grandparents.

I think of my uncle pulling fish from the

waters of Lake Superior. I think of my family

picking berries in the summer, hunting in the

fall, making offerings of tobacco before a

harvest, and teaching us that the Great Lakes

are not resources to exploit but relatives to

care for. For Anishinaabe people, treaties

were never simply about land. They were

about the future.

When our ancestors signed the 1836

Treaty of Washington, they did not surrender

who we were. They reserved the right to

continue living as Great Lakes people to fish,

hunt, gather, and maintain what the treaty

called the “usual privileges of occupancy.”

In return, the United States made a

promise.

That promise became what is known

today as the federal trust responsibility: a

solemn obligation to protect Tribal Nations,

our treaty rights, and the natural resources

those rights depend upon.

I have spent the last decade fighting

to decommission Line 5 and protecting the

Great Lakes. During those years, I have sat

with nearly every state and federal agency

involved in this project. I have participated

in consultation after consultation, hoping

someone would finally step back and see

what Tribal Nations have been saying from

the beginning.

Instead, I watched government willingly

operate in pieces. One agency studies

wetlands. Another evaluates water quality.

Another reviews archaeological sites.

Another examines endangered species. No

one asks what happens when all of those

impacts fall on the same people. No one asks

what happens when the project threatens not

just water quality or cultural resources, but a

treaty-protected way of life.

That is where the federal trust

responsibility matters.

The trust responsibility is not simply a

duty to consult with tribes before making a

decision. It is an obligation, a legal, moral,

and constitutional obligation, to ensure that

the rights reserved by treaty remain real. The

United States does not fulfill that obligation

by inviting Tribal Nations into the room if

it ultimately permits the destruction of the

very resources those treaties were meant to

protect.

A treaty right to fish means little if the

waters are placed at perpetual risk.

A treaty right to gather means little

if construction destroys the places where

medicines have been harvested for

generations.

A treaty right to hunt means little if

forests are cut down and wetlands are filled.

A treaty right to maintain our way of life

means little if our ancestors are excavated,

catalogued, and displaced to make room for

infrastructure.

My family has lived that way of life

for generations. My father was a fisherman.

My grandfather was a fisherman. My family

hunted, gathered, and lived from these waters

long before Line 5 was ever imagined. We

did not survive because governments took

care of us. We survived because the Great

Lakes did.

That relationship is exactly what our

ancestors protected when they signed the

1836 Treaty. They had the foresight and the

strength to preserve the “usual privileges of

occupancy.” A relationship with land and

water.

Throughout this review, Tribal Nations

repeatedly warned the Army Corps, the State

of Michigan, and Enbridge that ancestral

villages and burial sites existed along both

shores of the Straits. We knew because our

oral histories remembered what maps did

not.

We were right.

Hundreds of archaeological sites have

now been documented.

For many Americans, those discoveries

are remarkable archaeological finds. For

us, they are our grandparents, our history,

our language, our proof that we have

always belonged here. Proof of those “usual

privileges of occupancy.” Yet, even after

centuries of dispossession, we are still being

asked to move aside so another project can

proceed.

The United States has an opportunity to

write a different chapter.

The Army Corps can continue the long

history of treating tribal treaty rights as

something to acknowledge before approving

the project anyway. Or it can finally give

substance to the federal trust responsibility

by recognizing that protecting treaty rights

sometimes requires saying no.

While the federal trust responsibility is

unique to Tribal Nations, the responsibility

to faithfully consider the public belongs

to every federal agency. Thousands and

thousands of people have participated in

this process because they recognize that the

Straits of Mackinac are not simply another

construction site, they are one of the world’s

greatest freshwater resources. The Army

Corps now has both treaty obligations and a

clear public mandate to protect them.

This decision will say far more than

whether Enbridge receives a permit. It will

answer whether the United States believes

its promises endure when they become

inconvenient. For a process that hears every

voice but changes nothing does not build

public trust. It erodes it.

For Tribal Nations, this question is as old

as the Republic itself. The Army Corps now

has the opportunity to answer it differently.

I hope it does, not only for Bay Mills

Indian Community, but for every American

who believes that when our nation gives

its word, it should keep it. For the question

before the United States is whether those

words are merely written on parchment,

or whether they still carry the weight of a

nation’s honor.

Whitney Gravelle is president of the

Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan.

This guest opinion was published on

nativenewsonline.net.

NICWA offers in-person, virtual training

FROM PRESS RELEASE

NICWA’s Foundations of Tribal Child

Welfare Casework Practice training is

designed for individuals working throughout

the Tribal child welfare system. There are

two upcoming opportunities to attend this

training, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Portland, Oregon,

and Nov. 3-5 in Mystic Lake, Minnesota.

The training focuses on day-to-day

duties of Tribal Child Welfare, working with

families using the Relational Worldview

BRIDGE

From page 1A

Model, best practices for court preparation,

and basic case management. Newer

advocates in this field will become familiar

with the basic elements of these topics,

while experienced workers can consider

this an opportunity to stay up to date on best

practices.

For those unable to join in person, a oneday virtual training institute, a condensed

version of our three-day training that covers

the basics in short time, is offered in August.

For more information go to nicwa.org.

one lane in each direction.

For more information about the project

go to wspengages.com/SheridanStBridge.

The project will also impact traffic on

the Florida Turnpike with nightly closures of

The Seminole Tribune is a member of the

Indigenous Journalists Association.

The following deadline applies to all

submissions to The Seminole Tribune:

Letters/emails to the editor must be signed

and may be edited for publication.

Issue: September 2026

Deadline: August 19, 2026

Subscription rate is $35 per year by mail.

Make checks payable to:

The Seminole Tribune

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Advertising rates along with sizes and other

information may be downloaded online at:

http://SeminoleTribune.org/Advertise

Postmaster:

Everglades, STOF’s McDaniel Ranch

featured on ABC’s July 4 special

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

The Everglades and the Seminole Tribe

of Florida’s McDaniel Ranch were featured

on ABC’s 24-hour commemoration of the

250th anniversary of the United States July

4 in a segment called the “Seven Natural

Wonders of America.”

National Geographic Explorer Carlton

Ward Jr. interviewed Alex Johns, the tribe’s

executive director of Agriculture, at the

McDaniel Ranch located a few miles north

of the Big Cypress Reservation. Johns and

his crew moved about 110 head of cattle

a few miles from a pasture to a pen for

vaccinations as a drone captured the action

for the broadcast.

In 2021, Ward worked to get the Florida

Wildlife Corridor Act passed in the state

legislature, in which 18 million acres are

designated priority preservation landscape.

That includes working ranches in the

Everglades, such as the McDaniel Ranch.

“There was a time when the

environmentalists didn’t favor the ranchers,

then they found out we were actually the

original environmentalists,” Johns said on

the program. “Our people are called the

‘Cowkeepers’; we keep cows, we raise cows

and we’ve fed our families for 500 years.

You have to have these herding animals

graze this land to keep it pristine and the

prairies open and keep everything from

growing over.”

“The open green space can filter the

water and purify that water on its way down

to the [Everglades] National Park,” added

Ward, who comes from a ranching family in

central Florida.

“Good Morning America” anchor

Robin Roberts interviewed Betty Osceola,

of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, who

talked about protecting the ecosystem and

her ancestral land as they explored the

Everglades on an airboat.

“The Florida Everglades, it’s a magical

place,” Osceola said. “It’s just like this secret

garden you’re traveling into and there’s no

other place like it in the world.”

Historically the Miccosukee people

have lived in the Everglades on tree islands.

The Miccosukee Tribe’s constitution states

Beverly Bidney

Alex Johns, who was interviewed on ABC’s “Seven Natural Wonders of America” that aired July 4 and

drew more than 4.5 million total viewers, works at McDaniel Ranch on the day of the taping.

they have a duty to protect the Everglades.

The greatest threat Osceola sees to her

homeland is the pressure of development.

“This is my people’s home,” Osceola

said. “For the Miccosukee to be Miccosukee

we have to keep that deep connection here.

In order for us to thrive, we need to protect

the Everglades itself.”

“The health of the Everglades is the

health of us all,” Roberts said. “This is part

of the country that people need to see.”

The “Seven Natural Wonders of

America” segment aired from 1 p.m. to 3

p.m. and was watched by 4.5 million total

viewers, according ot Nielsen. It is available

to watch on YouTube.

California returns ancestral land to tribes

BY CALVIN TIGER

Staff Reporter

In June, the state of California’s

Transportation Commission approved a

return of 136 acres of ancestral land that

includes the Blues Beach and Mendocino

County bluffs to the Kai Poma, a nonprofit

that represents: Coyote Valley Band of Pomo

Indians, Round Valley Indian Tribes, and the

Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians.

According to the California Transportation

Commission (CTC), the transfer includes

defining boundaries, an agreement to various

environmental terms, and a completion of

management plans.

“This is beyond huge,” Sherwood

Valley Band of Pomo Indians Chair J. Carlos

Rivera told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s

enormous from our tribal perspective that

we are basically obtaining the land that our

people once lived on before colonization.”

The state of California had purchased

the land back in the 1960’s for the expansion

of Highway 1 and to also create a scenic

viewpoint for travelers according to the

CTC.

After the land transfer, Kai Poma plans

on conducting cultural, archeological,

and environmental studies and a resource

management plan. A public access

management plan has also been drafted to let

the public access the lands from sunrise to

sunset.

“This momentous transfer restores a

sacred cultural connection between Native

peoples and their ancestral homelands in

the north state. By virtue of a collaborative

effort among tribal nations, state agencies,

and regional partners, this majestic stretch of

coastline will once again be managed under

the rightful stewardship of local tribes,”

California Governor Gavin Newsom said in

a news release.

“Ancestral lands hold profound

importance

to

California

Indian

communities. The legacy of forced

relocation continues to affect tribal families,

and the protection of homelands remains

essential for cultural continuity,” said Kai

Poma Chairman Eddie Knight in the release.

“Preserving and restoring Blues Beach

supports ongoing tribal practices such as

harvesting food, harvesting medicine, and

safeguarding sites of historical and spiritual

significance. Kai Poma looks forward to

restoring and protecting Blues Beach for

future generations.”

Tribes, states, and the federal government battle for

Colorado River water rights

for their survival, again, economic growth

and benefit. At the same time, we also had

the Upper Basin states, so that includes New

Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming,

who submitted these letters to the Senate

committee, and they all kind of said the same

thing. They said, you know, we recognize

tribes have water rights. It’s important to

settle and to quantify those, but as Upper

Basin states, we have concerns – concerns

that their water would be impacted, and that

it’s doing something that hadn’t been done

before. This exchange of inner basin tribe

water in the upper or lower, and vice versa,

and they’re concerned that that would create

some kind of negative precedent, and just

being able to account for, as I mentioned

before, in this broader Colorado River

governance, and so that seems to be the

primary hangup .

KUNM: And the Upper Basin states

say that the Navajo Nation’s ability to lease

the water could create a precedent for other

tribes to do the same. How realistic is this,

and what would be the issue if it does?

Heather Tanana: It gets a little

disingenuous when we’re talking about

the law of the river and the original 1922

compact that made this division of the upper

and lower. Well, Navajo is right there in the

middle. They cross the Upper Basin and

the Lower Basin, and this is exactly what

Navajo President Buu Nygren said in his

testimony. It’s a unique situation. Navajo

is the only tribe to cross the basins, and so

does it really set up a precedent when it

can’t happen again because we don’t have

a tribe that again

crosses that border,

the

imaginary

line between the

Upper and Lower

Basin, and it’s

really important to

remember that in

the 1922 compact,

and really until

the last five years

or so, tribes have

not been involved

in Colorado River

governance

at

all. The 1922 Heather Tanana (Navajo)

compact actually

includes

a

provision

that

says nothing in

this compact shall be construed as affecting

the obligations of the United States to the

Indian tribes. So they weren’t included in

the law, and to try and use the law of the

river now as a way to prevent them from

exercising these legally recognized tribal

water rights, I think, is a little problematic.

KUNM: Can you walk me through

the process of what tribes typically have to

do in order to get access from the federal

government?

Please send address changes to:

The Seminole Tribune

6365 Taft St.

Suite 3003

Hollywood, FL 33024

Staff Reporter: Beverly Bidney, ext. 16466

BeverlyBidney@semtribe.com

Contributors: Byron Osceola,

Mayli Tommie, Teresa Snow

Staff Reporter: Calvin Tiger, ext. 10739

CalvinTiger@semtribe.com

© 2026 Seminole Tribe of Florida

Publisher: The Seminole Tribe of Florida

Staff Reporter: Daniella Hakim, ext. 10704

DaniellaHakim@semtribe.com

FROM KUNM (NEW MEXICO PUBLIC RADIO)

The largest proposed tribal water

rights settlement in U.S. history — which

could transform some Native American

communities — continues to stall. KUNM’s

Jeanette DeDios talked about tribal water

rights to the Colorado River with Heather

Tanana, who is Navajo and an assistant law

professor for the University of Denver, on

New Mexico in Focus.

Heather Tanana: So tribes, in order to

exercise these water rights that are legal, have

been legally acknowledged since 1908, you

either have to go to the court and adjudicate

your right, or you have to reach a settlement.

And so that’s what three tribes did: San Juan

Southern Paiute, the Hopi Tribe, and Navajo

Nation. These are outstanding rights that

they’ve been trying to reach an agreement

on for literally decades. So the next step is

getting that congressional approval. And so

it’s been introduced twice. This is the second

time, and I think we’re all really crossing our

fingers that’ll make it over this final hurdle

because they’ll secure much needed water

for Hopi, Navajo, and give reservation lands

to the San Juan Southern Paiute.

KUNM: And what has been the central

conflict holding this water settlement back?

Heather Tanana: So we actually had a

hearing just back in March before the Senate

Committee on Indian Affairs, and we heard

testimony from all three of the tribal leaders

about how important this settlement is to

their communities and how necessary it is

Phone: 954-985-5700

Senior Editor: Kevin Johnson, ext. 10715

KevinJohnson@semtribe.com

Advertising: Donna Mason, ext. 10733

DonnaMason@semtribe.com

See WATER RIGHTS on page 4B

3A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Community

Mitchellanie Cypress

dances in Nashville

Pedro Zepeda receives

Folk Heritage Award

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

Mitchellanie Cypress, an eighth grader

at Immokalee Community Academy

(ICA), sang and danced on the stage of the

renowned Ryman Auditorium, former home

of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, in late June.

Cypress wasn’t alone on that big stage;

she was with 26 other dancers from her

school’s Beta Club which was competing

against other student groups. The group

competes for national titles in academics as

well. Cypress’s group came in fourth place in

the song and dance category.

The theme was Wired for Success, for

which the group performed two song and

dance routines. The ICA Beta Club was

a top three finisher in the prior Orlando

competition, which qualified it for the

Nashville competition. In Nashville, they

performed twice. The first time they place

in the top 10, the second time they placed

fourth.

“It felt nice, I really enjoyed it,” Cypress

said. “I didn’t get nervous at all.”

Cypress has been in the Beta Club

since sixth grade and she’s been singing

and dancing with the group ever since. She

also attended a leadership summit in Jekyll

Island, Georgia, in March.

ICA earned a National Beta School

Courtesy photo

Mitchellanie Cypress holds awards from the Beta

Club Regional Leadership Summit in Georgia in

March.

of Merit for the 2025-2026 school year.

Founded in 1934, the national program

encourages students to do well in school,

become leaders, serve others and build

strong character.

Pedro Zepeda was honored with the

2025 Folk Heritage Award May 23 at a

ceremony held at the 74th annual Florida

Folk Festival held at the Stephen Foster Folk

Culture Center in White Springs.

The award is given by the Florida

Folklife Program, which is part of the

Florida Division of Arts and Culture.

Founded in 1985, the Florida Folk Heritage

Awards recognizes the stewardship of

Florida’s traditions and are presented to

folk artists and folklife advocates who have

made longstanding contributions to the

preservation of Florida’s traditional arts and

culture.

“It’s an honor to be able to honor my

teachers and others who taught me and pass

it on to the next generation,” Zepeda said.

“To get recognized for that is pretty cool.

Zepeda has been carving dugout

canoes from fallen cypress trees since he

was 14 years old. He learned from Ingram

Billie, Jr., his brother Brian Zepeda and

Courtesy photo

State folklorist Dr.

Dominick Tartaglia and

Folk Heritage awardee

Pedro Zepeda at the

award ceremony in White

Springs May 23.

Courtesy photo

From left, Mariah Martinez, Mitchellanie Cypress and Noel Quintero with the Beta Blitz board they

created as part of a group effort at the leadership summit.

Spencer Battiest named member of

Recording Academy Class of 2026

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

The

annual

Grammy

membership invitations were sent to

established music professionals July

9 which included Spencer Battiest.

“I’m so excited to share that I’ve

joined the Recording Academy’s

2026 New Member Class,” Battiest

said in a statement. “It’s an honor

to be part of a community of music

creators and professionals who

are helping support, uplift, and

advocate for the people who make

and shape music. I’m grateful for

the opportunity to use my voice,

contribute to the Grammy Awards

process, and be part of conversations

that help move our industry forward.

As a Native artist, I’m especially

proud to help elevate Indigenous

voices

and

support

greater

recognition, opportunities, and

representation for Native creators

across the music industry. Music is

shaped by so many voices, genres,

backgrounds, and perspectives, and

I’m proud to add mine to the mix.”

The

Recording

Academy

extended the invitations to over

4,000 music creators and industry

professionals

including

Cash

Cobain, Lola Young and Sombr.

The annual selection of artists aims

to diversity the voting body of the

Grammys and strengthen advocacy

for music rights.

“Every year, we look forward to

welcoming a new group of dedicated

music creators and professionals

through

our

membership

invitations,” said Grammys CEO

Harvey Mason, Jr. “Our membership

is the engine of the Grammys, and

we’re excited for invitees to join

our vibrant community, engage with

their peers and help shape the future

of the music industry.”



     



  





 

     






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A

his uncle Leroy Osceola. Although Zepeda

uses a combination of hand tool and power

tools, the canoes are traditional Seminole

watercraft which used to be the only method

of transportation in the Everglades.

Zepeda educates people about Seminole

culture at conferences and other events

around the country. In July, he taught a threeday class in paddle carving at the College

of the Muscogee Nation in Okmulgee,

Oklahoma.

His canoes have been displayed at

the Collier County Museum, History Fort

Lauderdale and HistoryMiami Museum,

where he was an artist-in-residence in 2019.

Zepeda has also demonstrated canoe carving

at the Florida Folk Festival, Ocmulgee

Mounds National Historic Park and the

Smithsonian Museum of the American

Indian.

Courtesy photo

Pedro Zepeda accepts the Folk Heritage Award

and speaks to the audience at the Stephen

Foster Folk Culture Center.

4A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

PRINCESSES

From page 1A

Former Miss Seminole Nation of

Oklahoma Genesis Rene Talamasey from

Seminole Oklahoma, treasurer Joseph H.

Blanchard from the Absentee Shawnee

Tribe of Oklahoma, and the founder of

Nativemax Magazine, Kelly Holmes, from

the Mnicoujou Lakota tribe, were judges

tasked with selecting this year’s princesses.

Both Talamasey and Holmes toured

the Big Cypress Reservation prior to the

ceremony, where they had the opportunity to

visit the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum.

“I’m very grateful to be a part of this

experience,” Holmes said. “It’s a different

experience, for anyone to be a judge.

Essentially, our decisions can have an impact

here. I don’t take that lightly, so I’m very

honored to be here.”

A tribute to the tribe’s preceding

princesses, Latchford and Smith, was

projected prior to the farewell speeches that

concluded their one-year reigns.

“As my reign comes to an end, I find

myself searching for words large enough

to hold my gratitude,” Latchford said. “Our

community stretches so far across the states

and across our generation. I have constantly

felt that embrace throughout this past year.

Our people and our tribe have been blessed,

Beverly Bidney

Beverly Bidney

profoundly so. But blessings are not a resting Miss Florida Seminole Serena Zepeda is crowned Jr. Miss Florida Seminole Dahlia Sanders and

place—it is a responsibility.”

by the previous princess, Bailey Marie Osceola Miss Florida Seminole Serena Zepeda stand

Latchford.

together the morning after the pageant.

Beverly Bidney

Ada Bruised Head

Beverly Bidney

Tahnia Billie

Beverly Bidney

During the pageant, Sarafina Billie models

her traditional outfit as emcee Cypress Billie

describes what she is wearing and who made it.

Beverly Bidney

Serena Zepeda

Beverly Bidney

Dahlia Sanders describes the patchwork skirts and capes she made during

her talent presentation in the pageant.

Behind the scenes, pageant

preparations help form

bonds, friendships

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

HOLLYWOOD — Eight young ladies

worked hard for three days to prepare for the

69th annual Miss Florida Seminole Princess

Pageant, held July 25 at tribal headquarters

in Hollywood. At the same time, the girls

formed a strong bond that will likely last for

years to come.

Jr. Miss Florida Seminole contestants

were Ada Bruised Head, Dahlia Sanders

and Ciani Smith. Miss Florida Seminole

contestants were Carlise Bermudez, Sarafina

Billie, Tahnia Billie, Leilani Burton and

Serena Zepeda. They came from Big

Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood, Immokalee

and Naples to compete.

Day 1, preparations for the pageant

begin

Contestants spent three busy days

learning what was expected of them and

how to project their best selves to the

audience and judges. They were coached

and supported by a committee of volunteers,

all former princesses themselves.

Tribal Secretary Naomi Wilson, Miss

Florida Seminole 1985, welcomed the

contestants and their parents July 23 for

the first day of practice in the auditorium

lobby. She introduced each girl as they

received their pageant contestant sash from

current Miss Florida Seminole Bailey Marie

Latchford and Jr. Miss Florida Seminole

Chaka Yani Smith.

After receiving their sashes, the

contestants chose to sit together at one table

instead of with their parents. The bonding

among the group began immediately.

Beverly Bidney

Leilani Burton studies her story for the talent

competition during a break backstage.

“She decided she wanted to try it again

and give it one more shot,” said Micki

Burton, Miss Florida Seminole 1995 and

Leilani’s mother. “She is the same Leilani,

but a little more confident when speaking to

people. She’s come out of her shell a lot, I’m

proud of her.”

Tahnia Billie was Jr. Miss Florida

Seminole 2023. “Tahnia does her own thing,”

said Alice Billie, Miss Florida Seminole

1997 and her mother. “She had to wait until

she was 18 to go for Miss Florida Seminole.”

The contestants brought their outfits and

accessories backstage in the auditorium and

then got down to the business of rehearsing.

The first thing they learned was how to enter

the auditorium with waves and smiles.

All contestants were previously given

the list of possible impromptu questions they

would blindly pick from a basket during the

pageant. The girls studied before coming to

the practices and went through them together

backstage and with the committee in the

auditorium. They were very engaged and

supportive of each other.

Questions were about the tribe’s

history and culture and included: knowing

the difference between the Council and

the Board of Directors, name an iconic

Beverly Bidney

Seminole woman past or present, name an

Ciani Smith

exemplary elected official past of present,

the significance of the Council Oak tree, how

the tribe uses its sovereignty and more.

Latchford and Smith coached the

contestants during the study session.

“Lead with your heart, shoulders back,”

Latchford said. “Speak confidently, smile and

say thank you. Don’t overthink the answers

Beverly Bidney and don’t ramble. Just say what you’re going

Tahnia Billie puts on jewelry backstage as she to say.”

prepares for more practice two days before the

Randee Osceola, Miss Florida Seminole

pageant.

2017, led the practice sessions as stage

manager and did so with purpose so there

“One of the purposes of this is for you would be no surprises. She told the girls to

to bond with each other,” Wilson said. “We “put some pep in your step.”

encourage you to get together after the

During the talent and impromptu

pageant.”

questions rehearsal, Cherelee Hall, Miss

Wilson introduced the pageant Florida Seminole 2003, sat in the furthest

volunteers and their responsibilities including seat from the stage in the last row to make

working backstage during practices and the sure the contestants spoke loud enough to be

pageant, taking two of the judges on a tour heard clearly.

of Big Cypress to share the tribe’s history

Later that evening, the contestants

and culture, pageant tabulators, parental adjourned to Okalee Village for a dinner

contact and stage director. Wilson told the hosted by Latchford and Smith. Food was

contestants about the banquet the following enjoyed, games were played and the girls

night, where they were to speak in front of relaxed as they continued to bond with one

the assembled crowd and the judges.

another.

“This is when it’s all about you, it’s

your time to shine,” Wilson said. “Use it; be

Day 2, honing their skills

open and confident, be prepared to speak at

Beverly Bidney the end of the night and for the next morning

Practice was a bit more intense and the

Ada Bruised Head describes her beadwork during personal interviews with the judges.”

contestants wore the outfits and jewelry they

Parents observed the orientation and would wear during the pageant.

her talent presentation at the pageant.

stayed in the lobby when practice began,

“This is something big,” said Bruised

which is a standing rule of the pageant: no Head, 15. “I’m a little scared and nervous, but

parents inside the auditorium.

I wanted to try something new. Serving my

“Ada has had this on one of her five-year tribe and being an ambassador is something

goal boards,” said Ayze Henry, Ada Bruised I’d like to do, it’s important.”

Head’s mother. “She is very goal oriented

The contestants practiced their talents

and a lot more organized than I was at 15. using props and going through it from start

She’s been to a few pageants. She’s always to finish.

wanted a younger sister. I think now she has

“Sewing is very important in my family,”

found a sisterhood.”

said Sanders, 15, surrounded by dress forms

Suraiya Smith, Miss Florida Seminole displaying three of her patchwork skirts and

1999 and Ciani’s mother, doesn’t push her capes during her practice run. “I learned

daughters to compete in the pageant; she just when I was very young and it stuck with me.

tells them about the opportunities available. My grandmother and my mother both sew.”

Another one of her daughters is Jr. Miss

See PREPARATIONS on page 5A

Florida Seminole Chaka Yani Smith.

Beverly Bidney

Holding a bundle of sweetgrass she picked, Carlise Bermudez explains the

tribe’s use of natural resources.

Beverly Bidney

Leilani Burton tells the story

of a pair of twins as her talent

presentation.

Beverly Bidney

At left, 2025-2026 Jr. Miss Florida Seminole Chaka Yani Smith and at right, 2025-2026 Miss Florida

Seminole Bailey Marie Osceola Latchford coach the contestants on how to project positively to the

audience.

5A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

PREPARATIONS

From page 4A

Zepeda, 24, told the story of the Box

Turtle and the Rabbit and used the entire

stage as she told the story in a very animated

fashion.

Bermudez, 21, is passionate about her

work at the Department of Conservation and

gave a presentation about the tribe’s use of

its natural resources including the pop ash

and cypress trees.

“We continue to use them and they

support us,” she said. “We found a way to

survive in the Everglades and now we are

protecting them. We also use sweetgrass

for baskets and just planted some on the

Immokalee reservation so we can pick on

our own reservations.”

Sarafina Billie talked about the history

of patchwork.

“I grew up watching my mother and

grandmother make patchwork,” said Billie,

19, who displayed some of her work.

“Sewing is a way to keep our culture alive. I

come from a long line of sewers.”

The pageant volunteers gave critiques;

these are some of their comments: “Smile

because people are always looking at you.

This is your moment, don’t be shy. Tell

them you are ready for this. Don’t talk too

fast, have a conversation with the audience.

Be confident and make sure your posture

is on point. Look happy to be here. Your

introduction is your time to shine, get rid of

filler words such as like, um, sorry.”

After the day’s rehearsal, the girls

dressed up and met on the pool deck of

the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood for a

group portrait and the Seminole Princess

Banquet. It isn’t every day one sees pageant

contestants in full dress parading through a

resort pool deck. As the contestants walked

to and from the photo location, sunbathers

gazed at them intently.

At the evening’s banquet, two or three

contestants sat at tables with one judge.

The judges rotated between the tables so by

the end of the night, they had spoken with

each contestant in an informal conversation.

Contestants also went on stage and

introduced themselves to the crowd and the

judges, which was another chance to practice

public speaking.

Beverly Bidney

Pageant stage manager Randee Osceola helps Ada Bruised Head put on a beaded necklace during

practice.

Day 3, Pageant Day

The contestants dressed in business or

traditional Seminole attire for their individual

interviews with the three judges. The Jr. Miss

contestants had 10-minute interviews, the

Miss contestants had 20-minute interviews.

Afterward, it was back to the auditorium for

the final day of practice.

The girls were feeling mostly confident,

but some had a few nerves thrown in to keep

them on their toes.

“I feel grounded,” Zepeda said. “I

thought I’d feel nervous, but I don’t. I’m

just grateful to be here. There aren’t a lot

of girls my age in my community, so it’s

nice to be surrounded by other girls my age

who have different backgrounds. Seeing the

perspective of people from other reservations

is always nice.”

“It’s amazing, it feels like we are sisters

that I’ve known forever,” said Sanders. “It’s

a really fun experience and I have gotten to

know more about myself. I love meeting

new people and making new friends.”

“It’s going really well,” said Tahnia

Billie, 18. “I thought I’d be more nervous,

but now that I’m here, it’s OK. I’m happy to

be competing again. I feel hyped and ready.”

“I’m excited to see what happens

tonight,” said Bermudez, whose mother was

out of town taking her brother to college.

Beverly Bidney

“The nerves of my mom not being here are

there, but my aunt and some of my other Miss Florida Seminole 2025-2026 Bailey Marie Osceola Latchford waves her final goodbye as she

family are here. My mom prepared me to prepares to take the stage for her farewell remarks.

do things for myself and I’m grateful she

raised me like that. I’m passionate about

my work and passing on tribal history. I was

able to get a job that reflects and respects our

culture, it’s something I value.”

“I’m nervous and excited,” said Sarafina

Billie. “I want to make my mother and

grandmother proud. I have a little sister and

Cheehantâmo,

Tribe, the artists who worked hard to bead

I want to set an example for her. You have to

My name is Bailey Marie Osceola and create all of my beautiful jewelry, the

be proud of who you are.”

Latchford. I am the 21-year-old daughter Seminole people for the motivational and

“I’m feeling really happy, it’s going of Amy and William Latchford, and the fun conversations and keeping faith in me

well,” said Bruised Head. “We can’t all get a granddaughter of Marie and Jimmy Hank to represent our people well, Florida State

crown, but we have a sisterhood. Meeting all Osceola. I am a proud member of the Otter University for uplifting my platform and

these girls and getting to make new friends Clan and grew up in Pembroke Pines, Florida. supporting me as a student while I balanced

is amazing.”

I am the 2025-2026 Miss Florida the crown and my education, and my family

“I’ve gotten over being anxious,” said Seminole.

for always picking me up when I needed

Burton, 21. “I’m feeling a lot more calm and

Throughout my reign, I have been support and encouraging me no matter what.

getting to know the girls has been great.”

fortunate enough to experience a plethora of

A message I want to leave with everyone:

“I’m feeling pretty good and pretty cultures and meet a wide variety of people Strive to be better than you were yesterday

confident,” said Smith, 15. “I’m excited to across the country. The opportunity to and take chances!

go on stage and show what I’ve practiced represent and serve as Miss Florida Seminole

There are a multitude of paths life can

for.”

has been an honor I will cherish my entire take you down, but you’ll never know if you

After the final practice, the girls went life. Talking with tribal members from across don’t go for it. It can be scary, the potential to

back to the hotel to relax before the pageant the reservations, interacting with our youth, fall down is present but you have the strength

began.

and educating people about our resilient to get back up and keep going. Put the work

history are just a few memorable times I into yourself to make the best impact in

cherish.

your life and the lives around you. Being

A year ago today, I was filled with 1% better than you were yesterday is still

nerves and questions. Thoughts like “will I progress, remember that progress isn’t linear.

do good?” or “what if I mess up” plagued my

To the next Miss Florida Seminole:

mind and had me a bit scared for what was Remember to work hard, be humble but

to come. Because of the support from my proud, and stay true to yourself. You represent

family, Tribal Council and Board, and the your people, your family, and yourself in this

encouraging tribal members, I was able to beautiful role.

overcome these mental barriers and flourish

Thank you all for trusting me to

in my role as Miss Florida Seminole. With represent our people well. Being your Miss

the love I received this past year, it motivated Florida Seminole Princess will always be

me to be a good role model for our youth, to held near and dear to my heart. I hope I was

listen to our elders, and work hard to be the able to make as meaningful an impact on

best I can be to show others anything they your lives as you’ve made on mine. Now, I

can dream of is achievable with hard work look forward to continuing my education and

and dedication.

pursuing my goals to continue making my

Thank you to the Tribal Council and family, my tribe, and myself proud.

the Board of Directors for always providing

Shonaabesh your support in my endeavors and trusting

me with this role, the seamstresses who put

Bailey Marie Osceola Latchford

in time and effort into my gorgeous outfits

Miss Florida Seminole 2025-2026

I wore when representing the Seminole

Bailey Marie Osceola Latchford

Miss Florida Seminole 2025-2026

Beverly Bidney

Contestants and pageant volunteers backstage on pageant day.

Beverly Bidney

An emotional address for 2025-2026 Jr. Miss Florida Seminole Chaka Yani Smith as she talks about

her year as a princess and says goodbye for the last time wearing the crown.

Beverly Bidney

Beverly Bidney

From left to right, Serena Zepeda, pageant judge Genesis Rene Talamasey

and Ada Bruised Head talk at the Princess Banquet.

Contestants listen, learn and applaud the assistance they receive from

princess pageant volunteers during a practice of how to best answer the

impromptu questions during the pageant. From left to right are Dahlia

Sanders, Ada Bruised Head, Carlise Bermudez, Tahnia Billie, Leilani

Burton, Ciani Smith and emcee Cypress Billie.

Beverly Bidney

Posing together in front of the Princess Banquet ballroom from left to right are 2025-2026 Miss Florida Seminole Bailey Latchford, Tahnia Billie, Ada

Bruised Head, Leilani Burton, Dahlia Sanders, Sarafina Billie, Carlise Bermudez, Serena Zepeda, Ciani Smith and 2025-2026 Jr. Miss Florida Seminole

Chaka Yani Smith.

Chaka Yani Smith

Jr. Miss Florida Seminole 2025-2026

Estonko!

My name is Chaka Yani Smith and

I am the reigning 2025-2026 Florida Jr.

Miss Seminole. I am 18 years old, reside in

Okeechobee, Florida but call Brighton my

home reservation. My parents are Suraiya

and Chaka Smith and I am a proud member

of the Bird Clan.

My este-cate, or creek name is “Eslicet”

which means “to sit with something”. I

recently graduated from Okeechobee High

School where I also earned my Associate

in Arts degree from Indian River State

College. I will soon be leaving to further my

education at Howard University located in

Washington, D.C. to pursue my Bachelors

degree in political science and then obtain

my law degree. Eventually I would like to

work in the Florida House of Representatives

and one day, Congress, to make a positive

difference not just for Florida, but for the

rest of the country, especially my Seminole

people.

It has been an honor to represent you,

the members of the Seminole Tribe of

Florida, each community has welcomed

me with open arms and I am grateful for

the knowledge of our culture that has been

shared with me from every person that I have

encounterd.

Throughout the year I have traveled to

many locations across Indian Country and the

State of Florida and have been told by many

elders, “that it's good to see that the Seminole

are still here”, that statement alone has given

me the drive to continue to represent my

people after my reign commences.

Ultimately, I want to continue to be

a bridge between generations, between

tradition and our future. Being Jr. Miss

Florida Seminole was just the beginning to

serve my people, to listen and learn, and to

proudly represent everything it means to be

Seminole, exemplifying what we

Seminole people are: strong, proud,

resilient and unconquered.

From the bottom of my heart, MVTO.

Mvto to our leaders, our communities, and

my family for this opportunity to represent

you. Mvto for the encouraging words and

the unforgettable opportunity of being your

ambassador. It was truly an honor.

Mvto,

Chaka Yani Smith

2025-2026 Florida Jr Miss Seminole

6A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Hali Garcia shows sweetgrass

basketry at Immokalee library

SHIPPING

From page 1A

Seminole 4-H kids typically receive their

cattle from ranchers before calf shipping and

bring them to the pens in Big Cypress and

Brighton to be weighed during calf shipping.

In Brighton 53 4h-ers received their animals,

which were 38 steers, 12 commercial heifers

and three registered heifers. In Big Cypress

4H-ers received 23 steers, three yearling

heifers and one bred two-year-old heifer.

Each 4-H’er led their animal from the

cattle trailer, through the pens to the scales

and back onto the trailer again.

Cheyenne McInturff, 4-H program

assistant and parent, was there to support her

daughters Katelyn Mariscal, 11, and Dakota

Mariscal, 16, who both got their steers from

Clarissa Bowers’ herd.

Katelyn has been in 4-H for four years,

but this is her first steer. She named him

Brisket.

“I’ll learn responsibility for the animals

and make sure he has good feed and water,”

said the Immokalee Middle School sixth

grader.

Dakota has been in 4-H for six years and

this is her fifth steer. She named him CheezIt. She would like to work with cattle after

high school and eventually have her own

herd.

“I like the experience of it all,” said the

Immokalee High School junior. “I get a new

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

IMMOKALEE — Sweetgrass basket

maker Hali Garcia brought her knowledge

and baskets to the Immokalee library July 21

and demonstrated the art of basketmaking to

kids and adults.

Garcia has been making baskets for

about 10 years. She showed off her very first

one, which took her about eight months to

make. Today, a large basket takes her just a

few days to complete.

She said Donna Frank taught her how

to pick sweetgrass and make baskets. Garcia

Beverly Bidney

said there was a time not too long ago when

Inside the Big Cypress cattle pens, Brighton Board Rep. Bryan Arledge, center, and Natural Resources there were very few basket makers. She

and Cattle Operations general manager Clint Raulerson move calves from the scale to a pen based credits Frank with teaching the art to many

on their weight.

younger people.

Staying safe while picking sweetgrass is

important,

since the grass is typically found

steer every year and they all have different

After the morning’s work, the cowhands

personalities. I learn something new every and owners gathered for a hearty cowboy in wild areas and usually not on tribal land.

year.”

lunch provided by the cattle owners’ She told the kids how she stays safe from the

Avani Smith, 12, has had heifers for the families. By the end of the shipping weeks, bugs, snakes and spiders by wearing long

last three years and got a steer this year, from 39 trucks had left the reservations heading sleeves, overalls, snake boots and a widebrimmed hat.

Josh Jumper’s herd.

west to the feedlots.

“Wearing patchwork identifies us as

“I think the steer should be calmer, since

Seminole,” Garcia said. “Donna always

he’s been clipped,” she said.

wears short patchwork skirts when she picks.

Picking on land that you don’t belong on can

be scary, but picking sweetgrass is fun and

fulfilling.

Garcia, who often goes to pick sweetgrass

with Frank, uses a stick and her voice to scare

off the snakes and other creatures lurking in

the bushes and underbrush.

Once you pick the sweetgrass, it must

be washed. Garcia does it outside in large

tubs with Dawn dish detergent and then lays

it out to dry. It can take three to five days to

dry outside if it’s sunny and about two weeks

with fans inside if it’s rainy. Unfortunately,

the best time to pick sweetgrass is during the

summer rainy season.

For the last few years, Garcia has been

teaching and has about 150 students of all ages

tribal wide. She travels to reservations and

even out of state for non-resident meetings

to hold sweetgrass basket making classes.

There are arts and crafts competitions for

Tribal Fair in the winter and Indian Day in

the fall, so plenty of tribal members want to

learn to make the baskets and become good

enough to compete.

Seminole women have been making

sweetgrass baskets since the 1930s. The

thickness of the rows of sweetgrass are up to

the maker, some like it thinner, others make

their rows thicker.

“Everybody’s take is different and

unique,” Garcia said. “It’s cool to see what

every new basket maker comes up with.”

She once made a top hat with a row

of sweetgrass on the rim and presented

it to singer Stevie Nicks before one of her

concerts at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood.

Nicks, who often wears a top hat on stage,

wore it during the concert and dedicated a

song to Garcia.

During the presentation, Garcia held

up baskets that were in the midst of being

made and one that is older than she is. She

believes she is part of a movement that gave

sweetgrass new life.

“When you are making art, it makes

you feel better,” Garcia said. “Once you get

started and figure out how to do it, you can’t

put it down. Every basket is good; there’s no

bad basket.”

Garcia led a group of people for a

sweetgrass picking session in Immokalee the

following day.

Beverly Bidney

Beverly Bidney

4-H program assistant Cheyenne McInturff watches as her daughter Katelyn Mariscal leads her 4H

calf to the scales

Natural Resources assistant cattle foreman

Jessie Carter moves some cattle in the Big

Cypress cowpens.

Beverly Bidney

Hali Garcia shows kids and adults how a sweetgrass basket is made, coil by coil, during a demonstration

in the Immokalee library July 21.

Beverly Bidney

Pauletta Bowers rinses her hands in a spigot attached to a cow pen fence after a busy morning of calf

shipping.

Beverly Bidney

Emma Urbina counts the calves as they make

their way onto the cattle truck in Big Cypress.

More than $200M in grants available in federal

tribal home energy rebate program

STAFF REPORT

The U.S. Department of Energy recently

released updated program guidance for

the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate

(HEEHR) Program for Indian tribes, which

will distribute up to $218.5 million in grants

for energy efficiency upgrades for tribal

homes. All federally recognized tribes and

Alaska Native corporations are eligible to

receive formula awards from the program.

The extended deadline to apply for funding

from the program is Dec. 11. Go to energy.

gov for more information.

Wine showcase in

Tampa Sept. 27

TAMPA — Cipresso at Seminole Hard

Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa will host

the inaugural HER POUR: Wine & Spirits

Showcase on Sept. 27 from noon to 4 p.m.

The immersive tasting event will

celebrate the innovation, craftsmanship and

leadership of women winemakers, distillers

and culinary professionals live entertain It

will have live entertainment. Go to casino.

hardrock.com for tickets.

Beverly Bidney

Kids and adults fill the Immokalee library for the sweetgrass basket demonstration.



     



  





 

Beverly Bidney

     








    ­

€ ‚ ­

Immokalee kids get a close-up look at the baskets.

See page 4B for more about Seminole sweetgrass

7A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Hard Rock helps supply meals for earthquake victims

NIGC announces

$46.2 billion in

FY25 gross gaming

revenues

FROM PRESS RELEASE

HOLLYWOOD — In reponse to the

Venezuela earthquake, Hard Rock Heals

Foundation, the charitable arm of Hard

Rock International, together with Hard

Rock Bet, is contributing $60,000 to fund

approximately 15,000 meals through World

Central Kitchen, a nonprofit known for

quickly deploying chef-prepared meals to

communities affected by natural disasters

and humanitarian crises.

On the ground, Hard Rock Cafe Caracas

team members are preparing and serving

1,000 fresh meals each day for nearby

families and residents affected by the disaster.

The Cafe is acting as a central distribution

center alongside World Central Kitchen.

“In moments of crisis, our responsibility

is to move quickly and compassionately to

help people in need,” said Jeff Hook, chief

operating officer for Hard Rock International

and Hard Rock Heals Foundation Board

member. “Through the Hard Rock Heals

Foundation, Hard Rock Bet, World Central

Kitchen and our dedicated team at Hard

Rock Cafe Caracas, we are helping deliver

nourishment, comfort and care to families

facing an incredibly difficult recovery.”

To support the relief, visit https://donate.

wck.org/campaign/816248/donate.

FROM NIGC

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National

Indian Gaming Commission announced

July 21 gross gaming revenues of $46.2

billion for fiscal year 2025, the highest ever

for the Indian gaming industry. This figure

reflects a $2.3 billion increase over FY 2024,

representing overall growth of 5.3% across

the Indian gaming industry.

The gross gaming revenue figure is

derived from independently audited financial

statements submitted by 545 gaming

establishments operated by 246 tribes across

29 states. Seven of the NIGC’s eight regions

showed an increase over FY 2024.

“Indian gaming is an important

contributor to tribal economies that

empowers sovereign tribal governments to

invest in their communities and provide their

citizens with essential services,” said Vice

Chair Billy Kirkland in a press release.

“I would like to wish the Indian gaming

community a job well done on another

strong year. These GGR results reflect the

continued commitment of tribal regulators

and operators to responsible growth and

community benefit,” NIGC Associate

Commissioner Sharon Avery said in the

release.

NIGC uses gross gaming revenue as

a key industry measure, defined as the

amount wagered minus winnings returned to

players. The agency collects this information

annually to assess trends and help guide

regulatory policy in support of the Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act.

FROM PRESS RELEASE

Hard Rock

Hard Rock Caracas team members prepare food.

Patricia Tate to lead Salt River Community Gaming Enterprises

FROM PRESS RELEASE

SALT RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA

INDIAN COMMUNITY, Ariz — Salt

River Community Gaming Enterprises

(SRCGE)

announced July 29 the

appointment of Patricia Tate as president

and chief executive officer, effective Aug. 1.

An enrolled member of the Salt River

Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Tate

becomes the first woman and first enrolled

tribal member to serve as CEO of the Gaming

Enterprises. She steps into the organization’s

top leadership role following more than two

decades of executive service, during which

she has helped guide the growth of Casino

Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.

“Today’s announcement marks an

important milestone for our gaming

enterprise and our Community,” said Martin

Harvier, president of the Salt River PimaMaricopa Indian Community, in a press

release. “After 22 years of dedicated service,

Ms. Tate brings a deep understanding of our

organization, strong financial leadership, and

a long-term commitment to its success. The

August birthday for

Hard Rock co-founder

Community’s selection reflects confidence

in her experience and vision, and I look

forward to working alongside her as we

continue to strengthen our gaming enterprise

for the benefit of our Community.”

Tate joined the Gaming Enterprises in

2004 as controller, was promoted to chief

financial officer in 2006, and served as

executive vice president and chief financial

officer from 2011 through 2026, a period

which included the expansion of Casino

Arizona and the opening of Talking Stick

Resort.

As president and CEO, Tate will oversee

all aspects of Casino Arizona and Talking

Stick Resort, with a focus on sustainable

growth, operational excellence, employee

development, and continued investment in

initiatives that support the economic wellbeing of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa

Indian Community.

Tate holds a Master of Finance &

Accounting and a Master of Business

Administration from Keller Graduate School

of Management and a Bachelor of Science in

Accounting from the University of Arizona.

Her professional

achievements have

earned

significant

recognition, including

being named a 2026

Phoenix

Business

Journal Outstanding

Women in Business

honoree,

2015

Female

Executive

of the Year, a 2015

AZCentral Highest

Ranking Executive

Patricia Tate

Woman, a 2014

Phoenix Business

Journal Outstanding CFO, and one of

Arizona’s 50 Most Influential and 50 Most

Dynamic Women in Business in 2013.

Beyond her executive leadership, Tate

has a long record of civic and charitable

service. She currently serves on the Board

of Directors of the Arizona Humane Society

and her past board roles on the Board of

Governors for the Boys & Girls Club of

Greater Scottsdale and Florence Crittenton.

Upcoming shows at Seminole Brighton Bay

Wiki Commons

Peter Morton, a co-founder of Hard Rock, turns

79 on Aug. 7. Morton and Isaac Tigrett opened the

first Hard Rock Cafe in 1971 in London.

BRIGHTON — Here’s a look at

upcoming shows at Seminole Brighton Bay

Casino on the Brighton Reservation:

• Aug. 22 – Country music artist

Elijah Scott, 8 p.m.

• Sept. 5 – Classic Albums Live,

Andy Matheis named

SVP of Marketing at

Hard Rock Tampa

Classic Albums Live,

a modern-day

orchestra that brings the world’s greatest

records to life on stage note for note and

cut for cut, will present Led Zeppelin: II.

Showtime is 8 p.m.

• Nov. 6 – Grammy winning singer

Richard Marx, 8 p.m.

• Dec. 5 – Legendary hard rock band

Blue Oyster Cult will perform its classics

starting at 8 p.m.

For more information visit casino.

hardrock.com/brighton.

TAMPA — Seminole Hard Rock

Hotel & Casino Tampa announced July 30

the appointment of

Andy Matheis as

senior vice president

of Marketing, where

he will lead the

property’s marketing

team and oversee

strategic initiatives

to strengthen the

brand,

enhance

guest

engagement

and drive continued

growth.

Matheis

joins

Seminole

Hard

Rock Tampa with

Andy Matheis

nearly 20 years

of gaming and

hospitality marketing experience. Most

recently, he served as senior vice president

of Marketing and regional chief marketing

officer for Caesars Entertainment, overseeing

integrated marketing efforts across the

company’s eight Las Vegas resort properties.

In that role, he refined brand positioning,

strengthened customer engagement and

delivered measurable business results in one

of the world’s most competitive gaming and

entertainment markets.

Cha-ching for

Chobee patron at

Brighton Bay

FROM PRESS RELEASE

BRIGHTON — A lucky guest

from Okeechobee won a jackpot totaling

$39,618.89 on July 22 at Seminole Brighton

Bay Hotel & Casino.

The guest was playing Aristocrat

Gaming’s Triple Supreme slot machine

and placed an $8.80 bet on a 10-cent

denomination to land the jackpot.

The winner chose to remain anonymous.

Classic guest

hits slot for

$258K

FROM PRESS RELEASE

Memories of Elvis concert comes to Immokalee

FROM PRESS RELEASE

IMMOKALEE — Chris MacDonald’s

Memories of Elvis in Concert tribute to the

King of Rock and Roll returns to Seminole

Casino Hotel Immokalee on Aug. 15 at 8

p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets

are available from ticketmaster.com or at

moreinparadise.com.

MacDonald is the star and creator

of Chris MacDonald’s Memories of

Elvis in Concert, a national touring fullproduction, multi-media tribute, complete

with a dynamic band and singers. With the

ultimate honor of being the only tribute

artist hired by Elvis Presley Enterprises to

perform at Graceland’s Heartbreak Hotel,

MacDonald draws his audience in with the

look, sounds and nuances that made Elvis

the King. The show is not a parody or an

overdone impersonation; rather, there is a

true understanding of what Elvis did best,

connecting with his music and the heart of

HOLLYWOOD — A lucky guest hit

a massive jackpot totaling $258,769.58 on

July 13, while playing Aristocrat Gaming’s

his audience. It is a natural, heartfelt tribute Dragon Link slot machine at Seminole

Classic Casino in Hollywood.

to an American icon and his music.

The guest wagered $25 on a $1

As an accomplished and experienced

entertainer, MacDonald has performed in denomination to land the grand jackpot. The

progressive has since reset to $200,000. A

Vegas and Bransona.

progressive slot machine starts with a base

jackpot amount that increases as guests

continue to play.

Richard Marx to

perform Nov. 7

New restaurant to replace Cipresso

FROM PRESS RELEASE

HOLLYWOOD — Seminole Hard

Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood announced

July 30 plans to introduce a new signature

restaurant created by Major Food Group

(MFG), an acclaimed hospitality company

behind some of the world’s most celebrated

dining destinations.

The forthcoming restaurant will succeed

Cipresso, which permanently closed July

19 following seven years of service. Guest

favorites from Cipresso are being offered at

Abiaka Wood Fire Grill, which has expanded

its operations to seven days a week.

In 2024, a partnership between Hard

Rock International and Major Food Group

was created to develop and curate distinctive

dining experiences across Hard Rock’s

global portfolio of integrated resorts, hotels

and casinos. Hailed as one of “the most

creative companies in the world” by GQ,

Major Food Group has redefined luxury

hospitality with internationally renowned

restaurants, private clubs, and residential

endeavors that include Carbone, Torrisi, and

ZZ’s Club.

“Major Food Group has an extraordinary

ability to create restaurants that become

destinations in their own right,” said Jim

Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International

and CEO of Seminole Gaming, in a press

release. “Bringing an exclusive MFG

concept to our resort is an exciting next step

in our partnership and reflects our continued

investment in world-class dining and

hospitality. We look forward to sharing what

we are creating together later this year.”

Additional information, including the

restaurant’s name, culinary direction, design

renderings, opening timeline and reservation

details, will be announced this fall, according

to the press release.

954.522.3500

Travis W. Trueblood, LL.M

Advocacy for Sovereignty & Justice

helping the

seminole community

For Many Years

Areas of Practice:

• Native American Law Matters

• Civil Rights & Serious Legal Matters

24 houRs a daY

• Business Law

• Tribal, State and Federal

Court Representation

Admitted to Practice:

Tribal Courts / FL / DC / MD / TX / U.S. Supreme Court

Call or Text:

(954) 871-ATTY (2889)

Calls Answered 24 Hours

Consultations Always Free

500 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 900, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33397

www.truebloodlaw.com

O f f i c e s i n F o r t L a u d e r d a l e , F L , a n d Wa s h i n g t o n , D C

IMMOKALEE — Grammy-winner

Richard Marx will perform his hit songs at

Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee on Nov.

7 at 8 p.m. For ticktets go to moreinparadise.

com. Attendees must be 21.

Marx is a singer, songwriter, and

producer whose career has spanned four

decades of chart success and creative

reinvention.

RichaRd

castillo

WHO’S YOUR ATTORNEY?

Choctaw Tribal Member

Veteran - U.S. Navy and Air Force

FROM PRESS RELEASE

RIchaRD caStIllo

FloRIDa cRIMInal DeFenSe attoURney

www.caStIllolawoFFIceS.coM

Since 1990 I have protected rights like yours.

My office defends DUIs, drug offenses, suspended

licenses, domestic violence, and all felonies and

misdemeanors throughout Florida and the

United States.

The hiring of an attorney is an important decision

that should not be based solely upon advertisement. Castillo worked as a Public Defender in

Broward County from 1990-1996 and has been in

private practice since 1996. In 1995, he was voted

the Trial Attorney of the year. He graduated from

Capital University in 1989 and was admitted to the

Florida Bar in 1990, Federal Bar in 1992, and the Federal Trial Bar in 1994.

8A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

New article series features Doris

Duke Oral History Collection

BY ANTHONY ALVAREZ

Oral History Assistant

BIG CYPRESS — From 1966 to

1975, tobacco and energy billionaire Doris

Duke funded seven universities regionally

spread across the United States to document

the diverse historical perspectives that

Indigenous people have via recorded oral

history interviews.

Chosen to document the diverse

historical perspectives that Southeastern

Indigenous people have, the University of

Florida recorded over 1,000 oral history

interviews with narrators from tribes

throughout the Southeast, including the

Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Despite the project’s seemingly

progressive objective to document Native

American perspectives, the University of

Florida used these oral history interviews

as opportunities to research the Seminole

Tribe, write several books on its history, and

exploit its stories by using them to inform

their research without consent and keeping

them housed in an archive 285 miles away

from the tribe’s reservations. To correct this,

the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum organized the

transfer of the University of Florida’s entire

collection of Florida Seminole oral histories

to the museum in 2023. With this collection

back on the reservation, the tribe regains

control over how these oral histories are

accessed, used, and are now made accessible

to the community.

To raise awareness of this collection,

we’re starting a new series that highlights

the stories captured within it. This month,

we’re sharing Ivy Stranahan describing the

fun that Seminole children had trying on

shoes and hats for the first time in her and

her husband’s trading post. If you’re a tribal

citizen interested in listening to or receiving

copies of these oral histories, please contact

me at Anthonyalvarez1@semtribe.com or

call the museum at (863) 902-1113.

Interviewer: You made your first

contact through the [Seminole] children, did

you not?

Ivy Stranahan: I made contact through

the [Seminole] children entirely. They

were very curious to see me, and they’d

come over in the bushes around me in the

cottage. I would see them and I was anxious

to meet them, too. And I would come out

on the porch and smile and say something.

But of course, I didn’t know any Indian, but

they understood what I said. It took about

6 or 8 months to a year for us to really get

acquainted. But every time they would come

in, they would come over to spy out to see

what I was like, and eventually I got them to

come up to the doorsteps and into the house.

They were very curious, just like any child.

They wanted to know. They came into the

house, and they would try on the shoes. They

had never worn shoes, you know? And the

hats, the big hats that we used to wear at that

time, and our dresses, and they would laugh

and have more fun. I used to tell them they

could laugh more than our girls. Nobody

ever thought of an Indian laughing, you

know? They are very stoic. But they had lots

of fun.

Quilt block honors

MMIP

STAFF REPORT

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

The rows of cassette tapes and transcripts being cataloged by Anthony Alvarez, Oral History assistant.

In a recent social

media

post,

the

National Museum of

the American Indian

highlighted

Emma

Alcazar’s (Chickasaw)

Quilt

Block

for

NMAI's theme of 20th

century to present day

(1902–2026).

These are her words:

"Because Native women and girls are

victims of violent crime at a higher-thanaverage rate, I knew I wanted to highlight the

plight of missing and murdered Indigenous

people by including my handprint, created

in red fabric, in honor and remembrance of

lives that have been disrupted or lost, and to

recognize the ongoing struggles that we still

fight.

For the background of the block, I chose

colors from the natural world, and I was

inspired by the diamond shapes that appear

in star quilts, fishing nets, leaves, feathers,

decorated containers, and most personal to

me—in Chickasaw and Choctaw beaded

necklaces. These diamonds are individual,

like our separate tribes, but interlock to create

a connected pattern for the background of

this quilt block. They represent our collective

experiences during the past 125 years. I

wanted to show that although we faced and

still face adversity, we are still here."

—Emma Alcazar (Chickasaw).

Milo Osceola, Pedro Zepeda

featured in Toronto art exhibition

STAFF REPORT

Stickball sticks made by Milo Osceola

and a ball made by Pedro Zepeda are part

of the GATHER in Toronto exhibition that

opened July 23 at the Market Gallery in

Toronto, Canada.

The exhibit features documentaries, the

contemporary art by Osceola and Zepeda,

both from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, as

well as Marina Dempster, Maria Hupfield,

Safoura Zahedi, Benjamin Spears, Daniel

Henhawk, Elder Aceytuno and David

Barnett, and new and historic items from the

City of Toronto Art and Artifact Collection.

“This exhibition invites visitors

to examine some of the ways people

come together in

companionship,

competition

and

celebration through

sport,” said Tara

Chadwick,

chief

curator,

Toronto

History

Museum,

who has previously

worked

with

Seminole

artists

for exhibitions in

City of Toronto

Fort

Lauderdale.

“The

Creator’s Tara Chadwick, chief

Game, or lacrosse,

curator

has a long history

City of Toronto

"Seminole Sticks" by Milo Osceola are paired with sticks from Ojibwe and Mohawk in the Toronto exhibition. Osceola's sticks are the first two on the left

and the first two on the right.

City of Toronto

Pedro Zepeda's "Seminole Lacrosse Ball" (first

ball in the photo) at GATHER exhibition in Toronto.

rooted in community and culture, helping

to shape values, resolve disagreements and

build unity. Works featured in GATHER

in Toronto, including “Seminole Sticks”

(2015) by Milo Osceola and “Seminole

Lacrosse Ball” (2015) by Pedro Zepeda, help

AUGUST 2026

ARTIFACT OF THE MONTH

ARTIFACT OF THE MONTH

The Artifact of the Month for August is a fragmentary

tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) tooth. Tiger sharks can

be found on both coasts of Florida and are widely

distributed across the world (Compagno 2005). One

place they are not naturally found is on the Brighton

Reservation, where this tooth was excavated. The damage

this tooth sustained prior to being in the ground allows

archaeologists to piece together what it might have

been used for.

Shark teeth are found in archaeological sites across

South Florida (Kozuch 1993). At the time it was believed

that the people inland did not have ready access to

marine resources like shark teeth. However, sites like

Fort Center and multiple sites in the Everglades show

that shark teeth could be found with people througout

Florida, not just on the coasts.

Figure 1: Fragmentary tiger shark tooth.

Red: drill hole. Green: black coloration.

Orange: enamel wear

THPO

wikimedia.org

Figure 2: Whole tiger shark tooth. Red circle

overlays the drill hole of the THPO’s tooth. Blue

line is where THPO’s tooth is broken.

Unlike other bones archaeologists find, which can be

turned into awls, pins, hooks and other tools, with shark

teeth, what you see is what you get. Shark teeth naturally

have a cutting edge and a puncturing point. However,

this does not mean that people of the past did not

modify the teeth of sharks. Modification is the process

by which peoples of the past altered the shape of a bone

or tooth to better fit a purpose, either by blunting the

tip, removing parts of the tooth, or drilling a hole for

attaching to a handle. This tooth is a perfect example of

those types of modification.

There are three telltale modifications on this tooth which

point to it having been a tool. The root, the topmost

section, is the most obvious as it has a bore hole drilled

through it. This could be a sign that the tooth was used

as a tool. The dark coloration near the drill hole could

be remnants of resin or cordage used to attach it to a

handle, or as a decoration. There are spots of wear on

the edge of the tooth where the cutting edge is dulled

and the enamel is chipped. This shows a possible point

of contact between the tooth and whatever it was being

used on, such as wood, meat, cordage, or leather.

Compagno, L.J.V., D. Dando and S. Fowler, 2005. Sharks of the world. Princeton field guides. Harper Collins Publishing Ltd.,

London. 368 p.

Kozuch, Laura (1993) Sharks and Shark Products of South Florida. Institute for Archaeology and Paleoenvironmental Studies

University of Florida

Pollerspoeck, Juergen & Straube, Nicolas. (2019). An identification key to elasmobranch genera based on dental morphological

characters Part A: Squalomorph sharks (Superorder Squalomorphii).. 18. 77-105.

Stienen, Karl T. (1971) Analysis of the Non-Ceramic Artifacts from a Hopewellian Affiliated Site in Glades County Florida, Florida

Atlantic University

Sears, William H. (1994) Fort Center: An Archaeological Site in the Lake Okeechobee Basin, University of Florida Press

tell a larger story about how traditional and

contemporary ball games have strengthened

social bonds, supported wellbeing and

passed knowledge between generations.”

The exhibition allows visitors to listen

to local sports origin stories alongside

artistic reflections on identity, resilience and

belonging through works that highlight the

power of connection across cultures and

communities.

The exhibition runs through Nov. 1 at

the gallery in downtown Toronto.

SEMINOLE HISTORY STORIES - AUGUST 2026

ANCESTORAL ANSWERS TO

PESKY PROBLEMS

How did the ancestors deal with the pesky problem of bugs?

As you probably know, the simple answer is plants – including

leaves, seeds and roots. But methods differed from place to

place depending on what was available.

In many cases, fragrant oils from the leaves of plants like

mint and eucalyptus were applied directly to skin to deter

insects. In other cases, roots from plants like goldenseal

were ground into powder, combined with greasy animal fats,

and spread onto the skin. Compounds from the goldenseal

repelled insects and the animal fats made it easier to apply

the goldenseal powder and allowed it to remain on the skin

longer. Interestingly, applying animal fats also served to

protect ancestors from sunburn! (This method is probably

what the professor was thinking of when he said ancestral

Floridians used rotting fish to repel insects – except it was

more likely that they used oil from fish combined with local

plant materials.)

Ancestors also went to the source of the problem. Controlled

burns helped to clear underbrush where many insects breed,

which was also an effective method of driving off venomous

snakes. This helped to reduce insect (and snake) populations

around villages, camps, and gardens.

As with the other examples from this year’s Seminole History

of the Month series, these methods were appropriated by

colonizers who struggled to adapt to the conditions they

encountered. What’s more interesting about this case,

however, is that colonizers initially reacted to the methods

with disgust and ridiculed ancestors for the practices,

suggesting they were unclean (even though colonizers were

known for poor personal hygiene, as records from the time

indicate). Of course, it wasn’t long before colonizers stole the

ancestor’s methods of repelling insects and added them to

their own routines.

To see more Seminole History Stories, please visit the THPO website at www.stofthpo.com

Top:

An Aedes aegypti mosquito, Photo by Joao Paulo Burini via Getty Images

Middle: Hydratis canadensis, Goldenseal, was used as protection.

Photo by Lonnie Galt-Theis

Bottom: A controlled burn through Everglades sawgrass.

Photo by Michael Gue, NPS

9A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Health

More than a number

on the scale

A plain-talk guide to healthy weight, and the small

steps that get families there together

BY TERESA SNOW

Health Contributor

The smell of fry bread drifted across

the yard as Linda watched her grandkids

race to the swings. Ten years ago, she would

have chased them. Now her knees ache by

noon, and the shorts she wore last summer

sit unworn in the drawer. Nothing dramatic

happened. The weight just crept up, a few

pounds each year, the way it does for so

many of us. If Linda's story feels close to

home, keep reading. Extra weight is one of

the most common health challenges in our

community, and one of the most manageable.

What It Is

So what do doctors mean when they say

someone is overweight or obese? In plain

terms, it means a person is carrying more

body fat than is healthy for their height.

Your body needs some fat to stay warm and

store energy. Problems begin when the body

stores more fat than it can put to use.

Most clinics use a screening number

called Body Mass Index, or BMI. It compares

your weight to your height. You do not need

to do any math. Your nurse can tell you your

number in seconds, and many pharmacies

can too. A BMI between 25 and 30 counts

as overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher counts

as obese.

One important note. BMI is only a

starting point. It does not measure muscle,

and it does not tell your whole story. Think

of it like the check engine light in your truck.

It does not say exactly what is wrong. It

simply says it is worth taking a look.

Why It Matters

health. And habits can change, one small

step at a time.

Take a breath, because none of this is set

in stone. You do not have to fix everything

at once, and you do not have to do it alone.

What to do

• Move for 30 minutes most days. A

brisk walk counts, and you can break it into

two or three shorter walks if that fits your

day better.

• Fill half your plate with fruits and

vegetables. Aim for five servings a day. One

serving is about one piece of fruit or one cup

of raw veggies.

• Trade sugary drinks for water.

Cutting one soda a day removes about 150

calories, and that adds up fast over a month.

• Keep portions honest. A healthy

serving of meat is about three ounces,

roughly the size of a deck of cards.

• Make it a family effort. Kids

copy what they see, so cook together, walk

together, and keep the fridge stocked with

fruit instead of soda.

• Limit screen time. Keep TV and

phone time under two hours a day for kids,

and swap some of it for outdoor play.

Quick tips for busy weeks

• Park farther from the door and let

the walk count.

• Take the stairs whenever you can.

• Wash and cut fruits and veggies on

Sunday so they are easy to grab.

• Eat slowly and stop when you feel

satisfied, not stuffed.

• Weigh yourself once a week at the

same time of day.

Hollywood's

health fair

promotes

preventative

care

BY DANIELLA HAKIM

Staff Reporter

HOLLYWOOD — The Seminole Tribe

of Florida's Health Department continues

to save the day, encouraging youth and

families to make health-conscious decisions,

celebrating the third anniversary of their

health fair and comic con.

"When we're healthy, we're able to

participate," said newly crowned Jr. Miss

Florida Seminole Dahlia Sanders. "And when

we're able to participate, we're able to make a

positive impact within our communities and

connect with others."

The Howard Tiger Recreation Center

brimmed with staff and tribal youth on July

31.

The fair proffered learning opportunities

and demonstrations organized by the tribe's

Integrative Health Department and its Center

for Behavioral Health. In turn, vendors filled

the gymnasium, showcasing Funko Pops,

comic books, mangas (a genre of Japanese

graphic novels), and art; tribal youth engaged

in photo opportunities and games such as

Dungeons and Dragons and Legos.

"We're promoting overall health,"

said the Integrative Health Department's

registered dietitian, Karen Two Shoes.

"Native Americans are at high risk of diabetes

and kidney issues. We encourage everyone

to get tested and are promoting preventative

care. We're teaching families to make healthconscious decisions."

A1C testing for diabetes and prediabetes

and GFR testing to measure kidney

functioning was held at this year's fair.

"By bringing Comic Con into the

mix, we're able to screen young adults that

may not have been previously tested," said

Jamie Diersing. "That way, if there are any

concerns, we can catch them early."

"Our mission is to educate, but most

importantly, we want everyone to connect,"

said the Integrative Health Department's

Director, Suzanne Davis. "A lot of times,

people choose to stay within the comfort of

their home. We aim to bring people together."

"Everybody comes and brings a piece

to make this possible," Davis added. "It's

thanks to the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum,

Human Resources, the Health Department,

the Seminole Police Department, and several

other departments that we're able to bring

these resources to the community."

Did you know?

Extra weight makes your heart work

harder every hour of the day. Over time,

Losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body

that raises the risk of high blood pressure,

diabetes, stroke, and worn-out knees and weight can lower blood pressure and blood

hips. It can drain your energy, disturb your sugar. For a person who weighs 200 pounds,

sleep, and cut into the moments that matter that is only 10 to 20 pounds. Small steps

most, like keeping up with your grandkids at make a real difference.

a tribal fair or dancing at a family celebration.

The takeaway

According to the CDC, about 7 out of

every 10 American adults carry more weight

Linda's turnaround did not start in a

than is healthy. Native communities have

doctor's

office. It started in her own kitchen,

been hit especially hard. Healthy food has

not always been easy to find or afford, and with cold water on the table instead of soda

the active traditions of past generations have and fruit within easy reach on the counter.

given way to desk jobs, long drives, and By the next summer, she was out at the

swings pushing the grandkids herself. You

drive-thru dinners.

FROM NCIA

can start today, at your own table.

It affects our

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Kids

who

SERVING

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AND

FULLY

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Here is your one action: at dinner

carry extra weight early in life often carry

The National Congress

of water and skip

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with the health risks tonight, set out a pitcher

We

keep

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response

hubs

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Indians will hold

the

soda,

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that come with it. The habits our families

its

tribal

impact days Sept.

Small

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made

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build at the dinner

today shape

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health of the nextFlorida,

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emergency materials

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Sessions

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to

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Source:

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for

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Control

plywood,

generators,

roof

southern

Alabama

markets,

and

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and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Congress and agency officials

worth. It is about

habits,

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we’re always ready to assist

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Daphne Sanders and newly crowned

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Sanders represent the Culture

Department.

Daniella Hakim

Thommy Doud, dressed up as Toy Story's "Woody," poses with Takaius Osceola, left, Yariah Osceola,

center, and Nokaiyah Osceola, right.

Daniella Hakim

From left to right are Education staff members Lydiana Saintil, Shayla Brown, Janelle Bishop and

David Atehortua, who handed out goodie bags filled with health-conscious snacks for attendees.

Upcoming

NCAI events

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Aubrilee Billie, left, Brian Billie Jr., center, and Allie Billie, right,

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Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

in July the selection of seven projects for

the fiscal year 2026 Capital Infrastructure health clinic (Grand Ronde, Ore.) – HVAC

Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health

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to fund projects that support improvements Care Facility (Belcourt, N.D.) – facility

to existing health care facilities to reduce lighting replacement

Dena’ina Wellness Center (Kenai,

operating costs, improve energy and water

efficiency, and enhance overall facility Alaska) – Kenaitze Solar Installation Project

Consolidated Tribal Health Project

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The projects selected are: © 2025 Rapid Response

IMMOKALEE

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10A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

SEMINOLE SCENES

Kevin Johnson

SUMMER BREAK ALMOST OVER: With many schools in Florida set to open Aug. 10, summer break

is close to ending. Kids were busy with activities on reservations, including RJ Powell, left, and his

brother Knowledj Ervin. They spent July 29 practicing basketball in the gym at Chupco’s Landing in

Fort Pierce. Ervin is entering his freshman year at Fort Pierce Central; Powell will be heading into 8th

grade. Both play basketball and football for local teams.

SMP

HOMEGROWN TALENT: Aubee Billie, from the Brighton Reservation, sings at the reservation’s July 4th celebration during the evening’s concert

performances. Billie is a 2026 graduate of Elon University in North Carolina, where she was a double-major in music theatre and arts administration

and a minor in business administration.

Beverly Bidney (4)

BUSY BC: Justice Jumper, left, and Dalaylah Cypress, center, practice their softball pitching with the

8U Wild Spirit team on July 21, a few days before the start of the NAYO tournament. At far right, Boys

& Girls Club member Zendaya Quintana enjoys the slide at the Big Cypress pool on July 21. Below, kids

compete in a game of dodge ball at the Herman L. Osceola Gymnasium in BC.

Mayli Tommie (4)

WORLD CUP WATCH PARTY: President Holly Tiger joined thousands of soccer fans at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood to watch the championship game of the

2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19. They weren’t alone. Spain’s 1-0 victory against Argentina in New Jersey drew more than 60 million viewers in the U.S. on

Fox and Telemundo, according to media reports. Hard Rock Live offered the watch party on massive screens free of charge; tickets went quickly.

FSU (3)

UPCOMING SEASON: The 200-plus page 2026 Florida State football media guide was released in July.

It features Seminole Tribe of Florida tribal member Zae Thomas, a defensive back who is entering

his second season on the team. The guide also has features about how the team incorporates STOF

heritage into its uniforms, traditions and other experiences. The guide is available on the team’s

website under links and media center. FSU opens its season Aug. 29 at home against New Mexico

State.

11A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

NATIONAL NATIVE NEWS

Lumbee Tribe votes against I-95

casino in Robeson County

Seven months after receiving full federal

recognition, the Lumbee Tribe of North

Carolina has officially voted not to move

forward with a proposed casino development

off I-95 in Robeson County.

According to unofficial results from

the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board, voters

overwhelmingly rejected the proposed

amendment, with roughly 62% voting

against it. The measure received 3,363 votes

in favor and 5,553 votes opposed.

Tribal Chairman John Lowery, who also

represents Robeson County as a Republican

in the North Carolina General Assembly,

expressed disappointment in the vote but

noted the people have spoken.

“A majority of the Lumbee people have

spoken, and they have said no to progress

and have decided to stay with the status quo

or simply staying with the way things are,”

Lowery wrote. “As a federally recognized

Indian tribe, we had the opportunity, like

so many of our brother and sister tribes, to

exercise our sovereign rights to the fullest

and generate billions of dollars to assist our

tribal members and lift this entire region.

This decision by the majority of Lumbee

voters is historic and ensures we will not

move forward with gaming.”

The proposed amendment would

have created a constitutional framework

for gaming within the Lumbee Tribe. The

measure would have authorized tribal

leaders to negotiate gaming compacts,

regulate gaming operations, and oversee

any future gaming enterprises. It also would

have removed a requirement that gamingrelated ordinances receive approval from

the tribe’s general membership through a

referendum, instead placing that authority

with tribal leadership.

Under current tribal rules, referendums

require participation from at least 30%

of eligible tribal members to be valid.

Constitutional amendments, however, only

require a simple majority of votes cast and

are not subject to any minimum participation

threshold. Supporters of the project estimate

the casino could create between 2,750 and

3,500 full-time jobs, with priority hiring

given to Lumbee tribal members. Salaries

were projected to range from approximately

$45,000 to more than $300,000 annually

depending on the position.

Under federal law, gaming revenues

would be dedicated to specific purposes,

including tribal government operations,

education,

healthcare,

housing,

rehabilitation programs, public safety

initiatives, economic development projects,

charitable contributions, and programs

that benefit tribal members. Because tribal

gaming revenue is not subject to federal or

state income taxes, the tribe would keep all

earnings generated by the casino.

Lowery, said that he will support the

majority opinion and not bring the issue

forward again before his term expires in 18

months.

The Lumbee Tribe received full

federal recognition in December 2025.

Shortly afterward, the tribe purchased

approximately 240 acres along Interstate

95 for $6 million as the site of the proposed

casino and entertainment complex.

- The Carolina Journal

Judge rejects California tribes’

latest attempt to kill blackjack at

cardrooms

California’s dozens of private gambling

halls can continue offering blackjack and

other table games after a San Francisco

judge ruled [in June] that Attorney General

Rob Bonta overstepped when he tried to ban

them.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge

Richard Darwin ruled that Bonta’s Bureau

of Gambling Control didn’t have the legal

authority to issue statewide rules severely

restricting the games at cardrooms.

The ruling, which followed Darwin’s

temporary order in May, is the latest

defeat for the state’s casino-owning Native

American tribes. They have spent years and

tens of millions of dollars unsuccessfully

appealing to courts, voters, the Legislature

and California regulators to put their only

in-state competitors out of the blackjack

business.

The tribes contend cardrooms have

unscrupulously

violated

state

laws

prohibiting anyone but tribal casinos from

offering “house-banked,” Las Vegas-style

table games including blackjack, the most

lucrative.

Cardroom operators say the ruling once

again proves their business model is legal.

It also ensures taxes that cities receive from

blackjack revenues will continue to support

local government services and cardroom

jobs.

“For more than a year, we have said this

case is about far more than gaming — it is

about whether the attorney general and his

regulators can bypass the Legislature and

unilaterally rewrite decades of established

law,” Kyle Kirkland, a Fresno cardroom

owner and president of the California

Gaming Association, said in a statement.

“The court delivered a clear answer: they

cannot.”

James May, a spokesperson for

California

Nations

Indian

Gaming

Association, didn’t return an interview

request.

Bonta’s office said in an email that

officials were disappointed in the ruling and

are reviewing their options.

- Cal Matters (Sacramento, California)

Deborah Begay wins JP primary

while facing judicial misconduct

charges over Facebook post

Maricopa County’s (Arizona) first

Native American justice of the peace,

Deborah Ann Begay, is facing charges of

judicial misconduct for a complaint that she

used her status as a judge to obtain special

treatment for a friend’s son.

Begay, who is Navajo, worked as a

justice of the peace for the Moon Valley

precinct of the Maricopa County Justice

Court from 2021 to 2025. After she lost the

2024 election, she worked as a pro tem judge

for the Maricopa County Justice Courts.

In [a July 21] election, Begay won

the Democratic primary for justice of the

peace in the neighboring Encanto precinct,

defeating businessman and former state

legislator Ken Cheuvront. There is no

Republican candidate, so Begay will will

the November election by default.

In July 2025, Begay made a Facebook

post saying that she had called some other

judges for help after her friend’s son was

detained over the July 4 holiday weekend

for not having a driver’s license.

“Not the usual way things go but look

for more of this if you have higher melanin

content,” the since-deleted post read. “I

didn’t have any local judges phone numbers

but (Justice of the Peace) Jennifer Jermaine

did. She helped me to help someone else.”

Begay went on to thank the three judges

who she said had helped her: Jermaine, Gila

County Justice Court Judge Pro Tem Javier

Sobampo and Pima County Justice Court

Judge Victoria Steele.

“Everything turned out fine,” Begay

wrote.

After seeing the post, someone made

an anonymous complaint about it to the

Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct.

“It must be nice to be a former judge,”

the complainer wrote. “If you are, you get

to ask current judges to get your friends out

of jail.”

Begay deleted the post after Jermaine

asked her to. Jermaine told the commission

that she didn’t know why Begay had asked

her for other judges’ phone numbers,

according to the Commission on Judicial

Conduct’s statement of charges.

In a December response to the

complaint, Begay said that she didn’t believe

she had done anything wrong.

“I respectfully deny the allegation that

I have used, or attempted to use my judicial

office to secure any personal advantage,”

she wrote. “At no time have I invoked

my title, authority or position as a judge

— explicitly or implicitly — to influence

decisions, obtain services, or gain treatment

not equally available to members of the

public.”

In a follow up letter to the commission’s

disciplinary counsel Brian Bohan, Begay

wrote that her only intention when reaching

out to the other judges was to find out the

process for holding people over the holiday

weekend.

She added that the post was aimed at

“general advocacy against racism and in

support of due process. I wanted others to

know this is a value shared by the judiciary.”

But the Commission on Judicial

Conduct found that the post made it seem

that Begay used her judicial connections to

obtain favorable treatment for her friend’s

son. In January, the commission formally

reprimanded her, taking into account past

warnings it issued to Begay about her

campaign conduct as well as previous social

media posts that it said violated the Judicial

Code of Conduct.

In February, Begay requested a formal

hearing on the charges against her, which is

yet to be scheduled.

In a July 10 response to the formal

charges, issued in May, Begay wrote of her

“longstanding commitment to administering

justice fairly, treating litigants with dignity,

and faithfully carrying out my judicial

duties.”

She wrote that the post was made to

thank the judges for “making themselves

available to the public” and was aimed

at “maintaining public confidence in the

judiciary.”

“The allegations accurately reflect

neither my intent nor my conduct,” she

wrote.

Begay asked the commission to

consider her history of serving the public

via her 20 years in the U.S. Navy and as

a guardian ad litem for Gila River Indian

Community children in foster care.

Begay also wrote of the gravity of her

status as the first Native American elected

to the Maricopa County Justice Courts

and as a two-spirit person, who embodies

both female and male, she has “advocated

for inclusion, dignity, and equal access to

justice.”

She wrote that, if the commission finds

that she violated judicial ethics, it would

stand in contrast to the rest of her judicial

record.

“The totality of the circumstances

reflects, at most, a word choice that could be

(and was) misconstrued — not a willful or

intentional violation of the Arizona Code of

Judicial Conduct,” Begay wrote.

She asked that the commission dismiss

the charges against her, or issue a private

reprimand.

- Arizona Mirror

US Sen. Heinrich, New Mexico

tribes seek rules to rein in prediction

markets

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.),

along with local Indigenous tribes and

pueblos, is urging Republican senators to

restrain online gambling apps, saying the

unregulated platforms pose an “existential

threat” to tribal gaming rights and

sovereignty.

Heinrich on [July 17] sent a letter to

Republican chairmen of two U.S. Senate

committees that are considering separate

pieces of legislation that deal with digital

assets like cryptocurrency. As drafted,

according to the letter, both the CLARITY

Act and Digital Commodity Intermediaries

Act remove accountability for online

platforms that allow users to bet on sports

and other events online.

The “rapid expansion” of the apps,

which allow users to bet on sports and

otherwise engage in casino-style gambling,

“poses an existential threat to tribal

sovereignty by undermining the revenue

that tribes rely on for government services,”

Heinrich and 11 other Democratic senators

wrote.

The letter argues that the apps bypass

federal tribal gaming laws and also undermine

states’ abilities to regulate gambling. In New

Mexico, sports gambling is illegal except inperson at tribal casinos, which tribes rely on

to fund services including education, public

safety, healthcare and housing.

Sixteen tribes and pueblos in New

Mexico signed on to the letter, according to

a news release from Heinrich’s office, as did

the national Indian Gaming Association and

National Congress of American Indians.

The two bills are currently being

negotiated in the U.S. Senate’s Committee

on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

and Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,

and Forestry. Heinrich’s letter warns that if

enacted, the legislation would “effectively

allow prediction markets to offer online

casino-style gaming and sports betting

across the United States, entirely bypassing

the localized tribal-state regulatory systems

required” in federal law.

Heinrich’s letter to leadership of both

committees comes amid lawsuits from New

Mexico’s attorney general and a group of

tribes and pueblos seeking to crack down

on Kalshi, one of the platforms that local

plaintiffs accuse of subverting state and

tribal law. Both lawsuits remain pending in

state and federal courts.

U.S. Sens. Tim Scott (R-South

Carolina) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas)

chair the committees that are reviewing the

legislation. Spokespersons for both senators

did not immediately respond to Source

NM’s emailed requests for comment [July

20].

The letter urges senators to amend the

bills to prohibit the platforms from enabling

sports betting and also make explicit that

the platforms cannot be used to circumvent

existing tribal-state gaming compacts.

Without those amendments, unregulated

online gambling will undermine federal

treaty obligations to tribal governments

and their rights to self-determination,

which represent a “primary pillar of tribal

sovereignty,” the letter reads.

- Source New Mexico

WA tribes, environmental groups

sue over Endangered Species Act

rule change

Washington tribes and environmental

organizations sued the federal government

Tuesday, arguing that recent changes to

Endangered Species Act rules defy scientific

research and pave the way for the destruction

of important wildlife habitat.

The two separate lawsuits, filed in U.S.

District Court for Western Washington,

challenge the Trump administration’s

decision to rescind the legal definition of the

word “harm” as used under the Endangered

Species Act.

In a July 10 announcement, the

Department of the Interior said the new rule

would reduce permitting requirements and

compliance costs for farmers, landowners

and energy producers.

“For years, federal agencies abused

the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and

burden American families and businesses,”

said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “This

action restores common sense, respects

private property, provides much-needed

certainty for landowners and follows the

statute Congress actually passed.”

But the environmental groups and tribes

contend that the change will pose greater

risks for species like salmon, steelhead,

grizzly bears and northern spotted owls.

The rule is underpinned by a 2024

Supreme Court ruling, according to the

Department of the Interior announcement.

When a species is listed as endangered,

federal agencies such as the National Marine

Fisheries Service designate certain areas of

federal or private land as critical habitat.

Before the rule change, developers

seeking permits were required to explain

how they would limit habitat harm in

these areas, but that is no longer the case,

said Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice attorney

representing the nine environmental groups

suing the federal government.

“This is a big deal,” Boyles said,

noting that she expects other lawsuits to be

filed in the near future. She described the

rule rewrite as “an assault on all of these

resources that should belong to all of us,”

which will enrich companies.

The conservation groups that sued

include the Center for Biological Diversity,

Columbia Riverkeeper, Conservation Law

Foundation,

Conservation

Northwest,

Friends of the Wild Swan, Oregon Wild,

Sierra Club, Swan View Coalition and

WildEarth Guardians.

Their suit names lead officials at the

Interior and Commerce departments as

defendants.

Swinomish and Squaxin Island Tribes

fear the rule will undermine recovery efforts

for the federally listed Chinook salmon in

the Puget Sound and Skagit River, which

are reserved for the tribes to fish in under

longstanding treaties with the federal

government.

“We cannot save the ESA-listed

Chinook salmon that are a pillar of our

Treaty rights and our cultural lifeways

when the habitat they need to spawn, rear

and grow is under attack,” Steve Edwards,

chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal

Community, said in a statement. “This new

rule is anti-science.”

The lawsuit from the tribes also alleges

that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and

National Marine Fisheries Service violated

the law by arbitrarily and capriciously

rejecting Swinomish’s consultation request.

- Washington State Standard

After decades of denials, North

Carolina’s Tuscarora Indians take a

step closer to recognition

NC Newsline editor’s note: House Bill

600 does not have unified support from

North Carolina’s Tuscarora communities.

After publication of our story, the Tuscarora

Indian Nation of North Carolina Prospect

Longhouse, the Tuscarora Nation of North

Carolina (Maxton), and the Tuscarora Tribe

of North Carolina (Saddletree) reached

out to NC Newsline to dispute support for

the legislation. They did not speak at the

legislative hearing, but clarified the while

Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina has

continuously sought state tribal reaffirmation

since the 1970s, their leadership does not

recognize the newly formed Tuscarora

Indians of Kahtenuaka Territories named in

H600 as its government.

“I’m a firm believer. When somebody

has been wrong, it has to be righted.”

Rep. Ed Goodwin (R-Chowan) choked

back emotion [July 1] as he tried one last

time to gain recognition for the Tuscarora

Indians.

The 73-year-old Republican recounted

how, in his childhood, the Tuscarora had

worked long hours in the fields of eastern

North Carolina helping his father bring

their tobacco crop to market. Growing

up, he marveled at Tuscarora history, but

felt deeply frustrated that the tribe was

repeatedly denied recognition.

“My heart has hurt because friends that

I’ve had all my life couldn’t get recognized

by the General Assembly. That just didn’t sit

right,” Goodwin told members of the House

Committee on American Indian Affairs.

On a week that the North Carolina

legislature was focused on passing a $34

billion state budget, Goodwin, the vice chair

of the House appropriations committee,

wanted to use his time to fight for a tribe

largely dismissed by the state Commission

of Indian Affairs.

“You may think I’m a nut, but I’m not.

You may think I’m a crybaby, but I’m not. It

pissed me off,” said Goodwin.

He has tried unsuccessfully each

session since 2019 to pass similar legislation

on behalf of the tribe.

“I’ve tried all different kind of angles,

and I’m about on my last tire. My tire’s

blown out on me now, but I think this

is the final effort that I will ever have to

have a chance to get the Tuscarora nation

recognized,” Goodwin said.

This year, Goodwin is advocating for

House Bill 600, which would officially

recognize the Tuscarora Indians of

Kahtenuaka Territories and grant two seats

on the Commission of Indian Affairs and

one seat on the American Indian Heritage

Commission.

Language buried deep in this year’s

state budget gives the Catawba Indians a seat

on the commission, but not the Tuscarora.

The Tuscarora have long sought

recognition from the state, arguing it is

essential to preserve their culture and

traditions. Tribal members and officials

attended the hearing to make their case.

“Where will this tribe be located?

Where’s the headquarters at?” asked Rep.

John Lowery (R-Robeson), chairman of the

Lumbee Tribe. The Lumbee Tribe of North

Carolina received full federal recognition

last December after more than a century of

lobbying Congress.

Brandi Locklear-Alvarez, a member of

the Tuscarora, said the tribe does not have a

central office, but has no desire to encroach

on Lumbee territory.

Opponents of recognition of the

Tuscarora have suggested for years that they

are merely a splinter group of the Lumbee.

Tribal Council co-chair David Webb

said H600 does not create or invent a new

tribe, nor take anything away from another

tribe.

“Instead, it recognizes our modern

tribal government,” said Webb. “It’s really

about fairness. It’s about correcting a

historical error, and this committee has the

opportunity to do that.”

Rep. Anna Ferguson (R-Jackson), a

member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee

Indians, said while she was spiritually

with the Tuscarora, she could not logically

support the measure.

“I would like to see a more unified

presentation,

especially

from

the

Commission of Indian Affairs,” said

Ferguson. “You’ve been denied there in

the past. What I would like to see is going

forward that you work with the commission.”

“It appears that the commission does not

have a desire to work with them based on the

comments that were made,” responded Rep.

Amber Baker (D-Forsyth). Baker said it was

also unfair for the commission to base state

recognition on whether the Tuscarora of

New York could validate the tribal members

in North Carolina.

After an hour of debate, lawmakers

voted 6-2 to advance the bill sending it on

to the House State and Local Government

committee. And while the legislation could

stall as the session winds down, Rep. Carla

Cunningham (U-Mecklenburg) reminded

the Tuscarora no one on Jones Street should

diminish or determine the value they bring

to their community.

“Every day I fight for who I am, even

when people don’t like it. They haven’t

come from where I came from,” said

Cunningham. “Stand for who you are. When

people say no, you say, ‘God is watching.

He is not finished.’ You aren’t either.”

- NC Newsline

After residential school survivors

speak out, Ottawa reinstates funding

to travel for counselling

Indigenous Services Canada has

confirmed it now has funding available to

pay for travel costs so residential school

survivors and their family members can

continue in-person counselling.

The news comes after mental health

counsellors were told [in July] travel costs

would no longer be paid for though the

Indian Residential School Resolution Health

Support Program.

Indigenous Services Canada told CBC

News of the change in an email [July 29].

The funding will pay for travel costs in

the N.W.T. and Nunavut for the rest of the

current fiscal year. It applies to both clients

and counsellors.

Earlier this week, ISC said funding

was still in place for virtual appointments,

but counsellors said many of their clients in

remote communities didn’t have access to

reliable internet or phone, or a quiet place to

carry out such appointments.

Counsellors and Dene National Chief

George Mackenzie have denounced that

decision.

On [July 29], an Indigenous Services

Canada spokesperson said the funding will

allow both in-person and virtual services

to continue, while the department works to

develop a plan for the coming years.

- CBC (Canada)

Warm Springs Reservation faces

years of recovery after Bench Fire

sweeps through

Warm Springs tribal member Shana

Johnson sat in her purple Scion in front of

her barn and watched a firefighting crew

leave for the night as thick wildfire smoke

turned the setting sun a brilliant orange.

The Bench Fire that erupted [in

July] upended life for Johnson and the

three generations of her family living on

a sprawling ranch on the outskirts of the

640,000-acre reservation. The winds shifted,

forcing them to flee briefly to a nearby open

field for safety. They lost electricity for

seven days, lost power to their wells and

rationed granola bars as their food spoiled.

“We were so frightened that we didn’t

want to leave our animals, our cows and our

horses and our dogs and cats,” Johnson said.

“I mean, it’s not like for us, we can just pick

up and move. So we pretty much decided

that we were going to all stay and make sure

that our animals were OK.”

The Bench Fire tore through the Warms

Springs Reservation, burning at least six

homes and forcing hundreds to evacuate

as roads closed and the air filled with thick

smoke. The fire is now about one-third

contained, but it will likely take years for the

tribe to recover from the disaster.

The fire is one of at least 30 fires

that have burned nearly 1.8 million acres

statewide as Oregon endures one of the

worst wildfire seasons in years. Another

fast-moving fire broke out late Saturday

near Madras amid hot and windy conditions.

For the Warm Springs tribe, the blow

from the Bench Fire has been both financial

and emotional, from the loss of ancestral

foods to revenue from timber sales, said

Edward Henderson, Treasury-Secretary and

CEO of the Confederated Tribes of Warm

Springs.

“It’s the land, the fish, the animals,

all of it,” he told OPB. “We see it as

interconnected. Someone outside might say,

‘It’s just a forest, it’ll grow back.’ We live

here and were supposed to take care of it,”

he added, his voice catching with emotion.

Evacuation orders were downgraded

this week and the tribal government offices

reopened Thursday. But residents are still

dealing with boil water notices and water

shortages, sporadic electricity and closed

roads, and many are still scattered.

Thousands more on the reservation who

couldn’t get out have been under shelter-inplace orders for more than a week.

As the fire raged last weekend it

threatened the tribal agency district where

the government operates. For five days,

the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’

offices were closed and tribal resources and

communication suffered.

Henderson, the tribal official, said that

he’s heard tribal members’ frustrations

over the last week. Even after tribal offices

reopened on July 30, there’s been confusion

and anger with basic services that are

affected.

“We haven’t been as fast forthcoming

on some of the services that they need,” he

said. “We understand that.”

- Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)

12A • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

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1B • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Education

B

‘Largest turnout yet’ as dozens of Seminole

youth attend national UNITY conference

BY DANIELLA HAKIM

Staff Reporter

Beverly Bidney

Vanessa Osceola with the tractors she used during her time at SWEP in the Junior Cypress Rodeo

Arena.

Students receive hands-on

experience as summer work

program continues to grow

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

The 2026 Summer Work Experience

Program (SWEP) gives students a first-hand

look at the working world, the experience

of working every day and the satisfaction of

earning a weekly paycheck.

This year SWEP had 81 high school and

college kids working in a variety of tribal

jobs from June 8 to July 31. Last year the

program had just 55 participants, which is

a testament to the power of exposure and

promotion.

“We went to the reservations weekly

to connect with the departments and build

networks and relationships,” said Charlene

Marsh, Education Work Experience Program

Supervisor. “We went to events, we showed

up. The more they saw us, the more they

knew. People started beating down the doors

and before I knew it, the applications started

flooding in.”

SWEP began in 2005 with the goal of

preparing students for the workforce by

instilling in them a strong work ethic and

familiarity with employment opportunities

within the tribe.

“The placements are more aligned with

what they want to do in life,” Marsh said.

“We had more of a diversity of placements

and more career specific placements this

year.”

Over the summer students worked in

the Hollywood clinic, tribal court, Tribal

Community Development, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki

Museum, the Department of Conservation

and other tribal departments.

Vanessa Osceola, 18, a senior at

Ahfachkee, spent her summer working at the

Junior Cypress Arena. Her responsibilities

included smoothing and moving the rodeo

arena dirt by using tractors, cutting the grass,

putting up and painting fences around the

property.

See EXPERIENCE on page 2B

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. —Youth

from the Seminole Tribe of Florida ventured

out to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the

2026 National UNITY Conference from

July 10 to July 14. About 40 students were

accompanied by Education Department

staff, including higher education program

manager Reginal Belizaire, education

advisors Martha Santibanez, Dana Osceola,

Jason Billie, Shayla Brown, Nancy Jimmie

and Bianca Serpas, and education student

success specialist Mackinley Rolle.

“This is our largest turnout yet,” Osceola

said. “In 2024, we were accompanied by

15 students. This year, we have around 40

students in attendance. Some Seminoles

have traveled up on their own, as well.”

The National UNITY Conference is a

five-day youth-led annual event held every

July in a pre-selected region of the United

States. According to UNITY, which stands

for United National Indian Tribal Youth,

about 3,000 Natives attended this year’s

convention.

Workshops, keynote speakers, and

interactive youth-led activities provided

students

with

hands-on

leadership

development and an environment where

native youth voices are encouraged.

Panelists covered topics surrounding

culture and leadership, with an emphasis on

civic engagement, missing and murdered

indigenous women (MMIW) prevention,

personal development, and environmental

concerns.

“This year’s activities have been so

much more interactive, and it’s made me

realize how other tribes are similar to ours,

too,” said Shyla Herrera from the Hollywood

Reservation. “The workshops have been

much more introspective, and I can take

something back myself—like meditating.”

This was Herrera’s second year attending

UNITY.

The conference’s keynote speakers

included Lindy Waters III, a Kiowa and

Cherokee Native with the San Antonio

Spurs of the NBA; Chef Pyet DeSpain, a

Daniella Hakim

Making a heart shape with her hands, Curmya Smith smiles wide as she walks the UNITY Flashback

Runway, representing the Seminole Tribe of Florida at the UNITY conference in Oklahoma City.

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Native and

award-winning global private chef; Dallas

Goldtooth, a writer, actor, and Dakota from

the village of Cansayapi within the territory

of the Oceti Sakowin people; Julian Brave

NoiseCat, a writer and academy awardnominated filmmaker from the Canim Lake

Band Tsq’escen and descendant of the

Lil’wat Nation of Mount Currie. In addition

to listening to panelists, tribal youth took the

opportunity to meet and greet the speakers

one on one.

Students fashioned traditional garments

such as regalia and ribbon skirts for culture

night and 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s costumes

for talent night, where students across tribal

nations opted to walk down the runway.

“I’m really thankful that you’re all

here,” said Watson Whitford, the male copresident of the National UNITY Capsule

Executive Committee. “We gather to

honor native youth and those who continue

to inspire their communities through

leadership, service, culture, advocacy, and

academic excellence.”

On July 10, Seminole tribal youth

attended a dinner hosted by President Holly

Tiger at a local restaurant. The following

afternoon, Big Cypress Councilwoman

Mariann Billie organized and hosted a true

crime murder mystery dinner show called,

“The Dinner Detective.” Both meals were

sponsored by Brighton Councilman Larry

Howard.

According to Seminole tribal youth,

this gathering continues to shape the way

in which students view leadership and the

significance that comes with being a leader

within their communities.

“Our time here has showed me that

leadership looks different to different

people,” said Victoria Osceola-Bernard from

the Trail Reservation. “Being here made me

realize that we need a youth council, too.”

“UNITY shows you how much you can

do,” said Curmya Smith from the Immokalee

Reservation.

The 2027 National UNITY Conference

will take place at the Gaylord Palms Resort

and Convention Center in Orlando from July

1 to July 5.

See UNITY on page 3B

SWEP students spend summer in

natural areas of reservations

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

BIG CYPRESS — The Department of

Conservation’s Summer Work Experience

Program (SWEP) participants examined

aquatic creatures captured in fyke nets in the

Kissimmee Billie Slough on the Big Cypress

reservation July 7 and got some good news;

they found more native wildlife in the nets

than invasive species.

Led by Joe Andreoli, DOC invasive

wildlife biologist, Karter Puente and

Marley Jimmie went thigh high in the

water of the slough to see what animals

were captured in the nets. They are veteran

SWEP participants; both worked with the

department last summer.

Puente chose DOC because he enjoys

being outside and keeping an eye on fish,

animals and plants. He can envision a future

for himself in wildlife.

“It seems like a nice job to have,” said

Puente, 16, who will be in 10th grade at

Moore Haven Middle High School in the

fall. “I can see getting a job like this.”

Jimmie is interested in environmental

conservation and chose DOC to get more

experience. She wants to study botany in

college.

“Students should do everything they

can and try new experiences, including

things they are afraid of,” said Jimmie, who

is an incoming 11th grader at Moore Haven

Middle High School. “I used to be scared to

touch a fish, but now I do it and it’s fun.”

DOC sets the cone-shaped fyke nets

numerous times a year to establish a baseline

inventory of aquatic species in the slough.

The fish and other animals can enter the nets

easily, but it’s harder to get out.

The department checks the nets

regularly to determine when each species

enters and how long they stay in the slough.

In the dry season, these species congregate

in pools of water that remain. Sampling

at the start of the wet season shows which

species survived in the pools of water.

“Our findings in 2025 and 2026 show

us that invasive species like the Brown

Hoplo are very good at surviving in these

pools,” Andreoli said. “With this baseline

data we can then compare how our results

differ before, during and after the Western

Everglades Restoration Project (WERP).”

WERP connects the slough to the rest of

the Everglades, which can make it easier for

invasive species get into its ecosystem.

During the outing in the slough, in

addition to other species Puente found a two

or three pound Florida gar and Marley found

a gar and an invasive walking catfish. Once

they find the fish, invasive or native, they tag

it on its fin with a hole punch and let it go.

They also found and kept two native

species, a Greater Siren which is an aquatic

salamander, and the American Flagfish,

which is widespread in Florida. The

department will bring them to outreach

events such as career and college fairs, Earth

Day and EPO department fairs to highlight

the ongoing research being done by DOC.

The DOC SWEP program alternates

between field work in forestry and the fish

Beverly Bidney

and wildlife section of the department. SWEP student Karter Puente, left, DOC invasive wildlife biologist Joseph Andreoli, center, and SWEP

Students learn how to collect and analyze student Marley Jimmie on the Big Cypress Reservation July 7 after spending time in the slough looking

data and are trained to use ArcGIS Pro, field for invasive and native species.

maps, Microsoft Excel and other apps. By

the end of the program, students will have

earned a certificate for ArcGIS mapping.

The SWEP program ran from June 8July 31 and had 81 participants tribalwide.

Beverly Bidney

Karter Puente holds two pig frogs found in the slough.

Beverly Bidney

DOC invasive wildlife biologist Joseph Andreoli with SWEP students Marley Jimmie and Karter Puente in the Kissimmee Billie Slough examining the aquatic

creatures caught in the fyke nets. The animals were then released back to the slough.

2B • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Lauren Good Day

explores matriarchy in

fashion showcase

BY DANIELLA HAKIM

Staff Reporter

Debuted on the 2026 Southwestern

Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA)

Native Fashion Week gala runway in Santa

Fe, New Mexico, Lauren Good Day’s

“Sacred Lineage” Ribbon Dress Collection

explores the matriarchy as a living system of

reverence, care, and cultural continuity.

“The meaning of my art goes past the

superficial—past the beauty of the object or

garment,” Good Day said. “But each item’s

appearance goes into the storytelling.”

Good Day’s art is rooted in its originality.

The artist and multi-award-winning designer

is an enrolled member of the Mandan,

Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations of the Ft.

Berthold Reservation in North Dakota and

is a registered Treaty Indian with the Sweet

Grass Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan,

Canada.

The designer’s early childhood

brimmed with color—attending Pow Wows

and observing her mother and grandmother

handmake Tribal regalia and moccasins

for traditional ceremonies. At six-yearsold, Good Day’s mother introduced her to

beadwork.

“I learned by watching,” said Good

Day. “I started out beading and crafting

Tribal regalia, later expanding into different

mediums such as ledger drawings and

rawhide parfleche work.”

When asked to participate in SWAIA

Native Fashion Week, designers were

encouraged to create five looks representing

their interpretations of handcraft and couture.

“Immediately, I thought of the greatest works

I’ve created—my cradleboards.”

The designer sources inspiration

from her original art pieces, especially her

ledger artwork. Good Day took inspiration

from cradleboards she’d crafted months

in anticipation, and ones she’d previously

made for her own children, for her “Sacred

Lineage” collection—exemplifying what it

means to be a matriarch, nurture the next

generation, and contribute to communities

and society as a woman.

“Coming from a matriarchal tribe,

women play very important roles in our

society,” Good Day said. “Exemplifying the

power and knowledge of women has always

been something I’ve wanted to communicate

through my art. With this collection, I

wanted to highlight Indigenous women

from various tribes that have done important

work and play pivotal roles within their own

communities.”

Good Day handcrafted six ribbon

dresses in just six weeks; the sixth look was

worn by the runway’s opening performer.

Tomasina Chupco, from the Seminole

Tribe of Florida’s Fort Pierce Reservation,

modeled Good Day’s pink patterned ribbon

skirt and top on the SWAIA Native Fashion

Week runway.

“I’d asked Tomasina if she was willing

to come out to Santa Fe for the runway show,

and luckily, she was,” Good Day said. “I

admire the work and advocacy she does for

the Seminole Tribe of Florida. I’m grateful

she was able to join us.”

Chupco, an Indigenopathic Medicine

Practitioner, is the founder of Indigenous

Intentions, specializing in limited edition

cause jewelry with partnerships extending

to organizations such as the StrongHearts

Native Helpline, the National Indigenous

Women Resource Center, Indigenous

Peoples Movement, and more.

“It never felt like I was simply modeling

a garment,” Chupco said. “These garments

hold family history, cultural teachings,

memories, and relationships. Because of

that, I felt responsible to walk the runway

with respect—to honor the vision behind the

work and the women whose stories inspired

it.”

With the garments made specific to each

model, Good Day stressed the importance

of showcasing diversity and a strong

representation of bold colors.

The vibrant ribbon dresses featured

Good Day’s signature synched waist paired

with studded belts, beaded moccasins

handcrafted by Shawn Zephier, and

dentalium-shell breastplates handcrafted

by Russell McCloud. Select models carried

cradleboards covered in quillwork and

ledger artwork.

Alongside Good Day’s original and

handcrafted one of one “dress” series,

Science in the summer

at Hollywood Preschool

Calvin Tiger

From left to right, Victor Baker, Talena Castillo and VictorySue Baker experiment with mixing colors

at a display during the Hollywood Preschool’s science event July 7. It was the first time the preschool

has held a science event.

Emily Seiler

Tomasina Chupco walks the SWAIA Native Fashion

Week runway in Lauren Good Day’s “Sacred

Lineage” collection.

SWAIA showcased the latest works of

Indigenous designers Jamie Okuma, Pamela

Baker, Patricia Michaels, and Jontay Kahm.

“We all come from different cultures

and different communities,” Good Day

said. “I would encourage young artists, or

newcomers to Indigenous fashion, to explore

their own cultural stories, perspectives, and

aesthetics within their artwork. We all have

stories to tell.”

Good Day’s artwork has been featured

in numerous solo and group exhibitions at

galleries and museums across the United

States and Canada, including the National

Museum of American Indian in Washington

D.C. and New York City.

Good Day’s wearable art collections,

limited edition prints, handcrafted jewelry,

and ledger artwork are available for purchase

Calvin Tiger

on laurengoodday.com.

Lakisha Coley Davis, Hollywood Preschool head teacher, works on an activity with Camille Sanders

Calvin Tiger

Elena Jim, left, and Jaidyn Sanchez check out the lava lamp exhibit.

NIEA convention to be

held in Buffalo

FROM PRESS RELEASE

Emily Seiler

Lauren Good Day, center, stands alongside her models and looks designed for this year’s SWAIA Native Fashion Week.

EXPERIENCE

From page 1B

“It’s always hands on so I don’t have to

sit in an office all day,” Osceola said. “I get

to learn more stuff I didn’t know how to do,

like drive tractors.”

Her father Dayne Johns and grandfather

Rodney Osceola have herds. She grew up

working with cattle and now has two bred

heifers of her own.

“This isn’t the first year I’ve done

SWEP here,” Osceola said. “I have a knack

for the work.”

She also helps during rodeo season

by pushing the animals into the pens and

onto the rodeo floor. Osceola said she likes

getting out of the house, meeting new people

and learning new things.

Peyton Hill, 15, a junior at Montverde

Academy in Clairmont, spent her summer

working at the Big Cypress Boys & Girls

Club. She helped out with the kids and

created a painting depicting the Deer Clan,

which will be hung in the community center

with paintings of the other clans. She is a

member of the Otter Clan.

Hill’s father Robert Hill used to draw

and she learned to paint when she was 6 or

7 years old. She takes art classes at school

and would like to be an animator one day;

she has already created a cartoon world filled

with a few characters. Hill also writes the

cartoons’ stories.

This was Hill’s second year in SWEP

The 57th annual National Indian

Education Association Convention and

Trade Show will be held Oct. 7-10 at the

Buffalo Convention Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

Each year, this gathering brings

together Native educators, students, tribal

leaders, and advocates from across the

country to connect, learn, and move Native

education forward together. The 2026

theme, “Strength in Community: Building

the Future Together,” reflects the collective

responsibility to support one another, uplift

students, and shape education systems that

honor sovereignty, language, and identity.

Educator Day (Oct. 7) is dedicated day

for educators working in Native-serving

schools and programs, focused on practical

strategies, meaningful connection, and

shared learning grounded in community and

experience.

Student Day (Oct. 9) is for Native youth

to come together, engage in interactive

sessions, build connections, and experience

learning that reflects who they are and who

they are becoming.

Throughout the week, attendees

can attend keynotes, sessions, cultural

experiences, and an exhibit hall that

brings together organizations and partners

committed to Native education.

For more information visit neia.org.

Three College Fund faculty

fellows earn doctorates

FROM PRESS RELEASE

Beverly Bidney

Peyton Hill with the Deer Clan painting she was in the process of completing for the Big Cypress Boys

& Girls Club.

and she enjoyed helping the counselors and

spending time with the kids when she wasn’t

painting.

“It gives me something to do and it’s

nice to help out,” Hill said. “The kids like

my drawing, they say I’m the best artist in

the Boys & Girls Club. But some of these

kids have real talent.”

Hill said other kids should consider

joining SWEP next summer.

“Just do it,” she said. “It will open your

mind to a new hobby or activity. Now I’m

thinking about working with kids when I get

older.”

DENVER — Three recipients of the

American Indian College Fund’s (College

Fund) Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

have completed their dissertations and

earned doctorate degrees.

The program supports educational goals

of faculty members and works to increase

the number of tribal college and university

(TCU) faculty who hold a doctorate and

to cultivate leadership from within. The

fellowship is only open to TCU faculty, and

recipients may pursue a doctorate in any field

of study. The following fellows received

their doctorate degree this semester:

• Bobbi Lynn Frederick (Crow Creek

Dakota), United Tribes Technical College,

Doctorate of Educational Leadership and

Innovation from Arizona State University.

Frederick’s dissertation shares the results

of a qualitative study she conducted to

examine how cultural knowledge, traditions,

and artistic practices function as sources of

resilience.

• Jennifer Rodin, Sinte Gleska

University, Doctorate of Education in

Curriculum and Instruction with an

emphasis on mathematics education from the

University of Wyoming. Rodin’s dissertation

focuses on mentoring relationships between

TCU Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Mathematics (STEM) students and

community members.

• Matthew

Yates

(Mvskoke),

College of the Muscogee Nation, Doctorate

of Business Administration from Oklahoma

Wesleyan University. Yates’ dissertation

explores the effects of cultural dissonance

within organizations.

3B • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Seminole youth gather at Oklahoma City Convention Center for a group photo.

Daniella Hakim

UNITY

From page 1B

Daniella Hakim

The Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Education Department staff gathers with President Holly Tiger at the UNITY Conference.

Daniella Hakim

Seminole youth at the conference included Victoria Osceola Bernard, far left, Jacob Colon, second left,

Shyla Herrera, center, Luciano Boyce, right.

Daniella Hakim

Seminole Tribe of Florida

students Luciano Boyce, left,

and Payton Hill walk the UNITY

Flashback Runway and strike a

pose.

Daniella Hakim

Lena Cypress makes her name tag for the afternoon’s murder mystery dinner.

Daniella Hakim

From left, Jalaaya Hunsinger,

Alerie Billie and Daliyah Nunez

spend the evening at UNITY’s Gala

Dinner.

With a focus on Native youth, UNITY turns 50

BY DANIELLA HAKIM

Staff Reporter

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The

1970s marked the beginning of United

National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY), a

movement founded by J.R. Cook, Cherokee,

in Weatherford, Oklahoma on April 16,

1976, for the unification and development of

tribal youth across the United States while

fostering the spiritual, mental, physical, and

social development of American Indian,

Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native youth

through greater youth involvement.

Nearly four years later, UNITY

organized its first Native youth gathering

in Washington D.C. where the National

Indigenous Australians Agency and the

Department of Labor co-sponsored one of

the organization’s first conferences at George

Washington University.

Throughout the event, Native youth

assembled on the south lawn of the White

House where President Jimmy Carter

and his son James “Chip” Carter met

with approximately 300 Native students,

launching the non-profit’s nationwide

leadership engagement.

50th Anniversary presenting sponsor was

UNITY has conducted a national youth the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

leadership conference each year ever since, Its Gala sponsor was the Gila River Indian

with a growing number of participants Community, with career and education day

ranging from 2,000 to 2,300.

presented by the Seminole Tribe of Florida

At this year’s National UNITY and the Pechanga Band of Indians.

Conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,

UNITY is the only organization to have

UNITY Honorary Co-Chair and Cherokee a formal network of youth councils. There

Nation. Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. are currently 320 in operation across 36

emphasized the importance in tribal youth states.

preserving tribal nations while representing

“Right now, you live in a time which

their communities and carrying their cultural there is a great deal of division in the United

traditions into the future.

States,” Hoskin added. “Sometimes it feels

“You all descend from people that got a little hopeless, but I think back to my

knocked down, but they didn’t stay down,” ancestors in 1839. They looked around at the

Hoskin said. “You all descend from the precious resources they had left, and I think

people that, from time to time, have been in the most precious resource they looked at

the face of so-called discovery, in the face was the children, the youth.”

of colonization, in the face of the imposition

of the United States. You come from people

that may have been in the face of all of that,

but they never broke.”

The organization’s growing number of

Daniella Hakim

affiliate youth councils engage in annual Keynote speaker Julian Brave Noisecat discusses

projects in four areas: cultural preservation,

the themes behind his newest novel, “We

environmental awareness, healthy lifestyles,

Survived the Night.”

and community service.

The 2026 National UNITY Conference’s

4B • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Generations and reservations share passion to

continue sweetgrass legacy

BY BEVERLY BIDNEY

Staff Reporter

IMMOKALEE — About two dozen

tribal members from Big Cypress, Brighton,

Hollywood and Immokalee converged on

a two-acre plot of land at the Immokalee

Indian Camp June 29 to plant sweetgrass.

First they gathered under a tent to

discuss the process of planting sweetgrass,

among other things, before they went into

the field.

“This is the last time I’m going to work

the fields,” said sweetgrass basket maker

Linda Beletso, who used to pick tomatoes,

peppers, cucumbers and watermelons

in Immokalee fields. “It’s hard to find

sweetgrass now. This is a good thing for the

women and young girls who make baskets.

It’s good to see you girls pick it up and keep

it going.”

After the tribal volunteer planters did

their work during the hot, humid summer

morning, Department of Conservation

(DOC) workers planted the rest. The

department’s forestry program had 22,000

sweetgrass seedlings ready to go in the

ground on the trust land about three miles

from the Immokalee reservation.

Sweetgrass has been found and picked

in Immokalee over the years, but this was the

first time it was planted for tribal members to

use to make sweetgrass baskets.

“This is for you,” said DOC director

Craig Van Der Heiden. “You can come

whenever you want to harvest the sweetgrass.

It should take a couple

of years for it to mature

enough for picking.”

Sweetgrass

picker,

basket maker and teacher

Donna Frank said she

has been chased off land

while picking sweetgrass

numerous times. Once she

was chased away by a man

with a gun in his belt. She

had to drop the bundle of

grass she collected and

leave. Luckily, she already

had a bundle she picked in

her truck.

“I’m very passionate

about this,” Frank said.

“I never imagined I’d be

able to pull grass off our

own land. In the past,

baskets were important to

our survival. We had to

have currency to buy food,

and tourism gave us the

opportunity. It was starting

to die out and I didn’t want

that. This is a sense of who

we are, a strong people.”

Hali Garcia learned the art of

basketmaking from Frank and now teaches

others how to do it. She’s been making

baskets since 2013 and is a fourth generation

sweetgrass basket maker. She has high hopes

for the Immokalee field of sweetgrass and

said time will tell how well it grows.

“Two or three years ago we had

a conversation about bringing back

sweetgrass,” said Big Cypress Councilwoman

Mariann Billie. “I’m glad the Department of

Conservation tested the grass and found the

exact strain we use to make baskets. Donna,

Hali and a few others go out to pick, but we

are trying to have them avoid going to places

they shouldn’t be. This place will be safe and

provide an area for teaching.”

Procuring sweetgrass is a rigorous

endeavor that involves more than just

finding the grass and picking it safely. Once

it’s picked, it must be scrubbed clean and left

Beverly Bidney

DOC conservation technician Carlise Bermudez

plants sweetgrass seedlings in Immokalee.

out to dry. All that activity is the reason a

bundle of grass is so expensive for those who

don’t pick it.

“For me, making baskets is therapeutic,”

Beletso said. “I’m willing to teach, but I’m

left-handed. My daughter [Lorraine Posada]

learned from watching me and even though

she is right-handed, she makes them the lefthanded way.”

Maggie May Jimmie and Rosalinda

Jimmie have been making baskets for less

than a year, after they took a class with

Garcia.

“We always hear we are using up all

the sweetgrass,” said Maggie May Jimmie.

“Now we can plant it and know we will have

more.”

DOC previously planted some plants

in Big Cypress and they did well. When

the Indian Camp land became available

and accessible after it was put into trust, the

department started working on the property.

“We aren’t worried about floods here,

we’ve worked on the property,” said DOC

forester Grant Steelman. “Once the grass is

established, we will plant some shade trees.

The biggest objective is to provide access to

the grass.”

Once out in the field, tribal members

planted the seedlings as fast as a DOC

worker drilled holes in the dirt.

“I can’t believe this is happening,”

Frank said as the planting commenced.

“I can’t help crying, its all about the next

generation knowing this. This is incredible.”

Beverly Bidney

Stacy Jones, Brighton community culture assistant manager, plants sweetgrass in Immokalee.

Beverly Bidney

Craig Van Der Heiden, director of the Department of Conservation, shows Cheyenne Kippenberger,

Maggie May Jimmie and Rosalinda Jimmie how the sweetgrass seedlings will be planted.

Beverly Bidney

Sweetgrass

seedlings sit ready

to be planted in

this Immokalee

field.

Beverly Bidney

Sweetgrass basket makers and pickers Hali Garcia, left, Donna Frank, center, and Linda Beletso

pose together in the Immokalee field before it was planted with seedlings, which should be ready for

picking in a couple of years.

Beverly Bidney

The group gathers near the field where they

planted sweetgrass seedlings at the Indian

Camp property in Immokalee June 29.

Native American artist, whose work involves willow

and pine nuts, earns $15,000 grant

FROM PRESS RELEASE

Melissa Melero-Moose doesn’t just

paint the Great Basin, she gathers it. Willow,

tule, cattails, and pine nuts collected from her

Northern Paiute homelands are embedded in

the layered, abstract surfaces of her mixedmedia paintings, alongside acrylic washes

and rice paper.

That practice has now earned her the

Walker Youngbird Foundation’s Emerging

Native Arts Grant, a $15,000 award given

twice a year to Native artists developing new

bodies of work. Melero-Moose, an enrolled

WATER RIGHTS

From page 2A

Heather Tanana: What we are really

able to achieve through settlements that

you can’t if you go through the courts are

infrastructure projects. And so I think you

know again in recognition of the federal

treaty and trust responsibilities to tribes,

right? That they gave up millions and

millions of acres of land to be restricted

on reservations, often in arid areas, that

the government has a duty to protect

them and to ensure their survival. And

so, again, going back, water is life. Water

is necessary for everything. And so, even

if you get, you know, quantification on

paper, the tribe can’t put that to use, they

need those infrastructure projects to bring

in the water to provide services, and so

that’s again another big component about

this settlement is it includes some large

infrastructure projects that will be life

changing for Navajo and Hopi.

member of the

Fallon

PaiuteShoshone Tribe

based near Reno,

Nevada, will use

the grant to create

a new series

of

paintings

Courtesy photo

for a public

exhibition, with

Melissa Melero-Moose,

venue and dates

‘Access Denied.” Mixed

media with pinenuts on

to be announced

canvas. 36” L x 48” W x 2”

this fall.

D. Permanent collection,

Smithsonian, NAMI.

KUNM: How are tribal members on

the Navajo Nation currently finding and

sourcing water?

Heather Tanana: It’s a struggle. I

mean, it’s a daily struggle. If you’re Diné,

right? You or your someone close to you

and your family is hauling water right now.

Just the average American today uses 100

gallons. If you took a really quick fiveminute shower today, you probably used

about 12.5 gallons of water. That is more

than the average Navajo water hauler who

uses seven gallons a day. Some even have

to confine down to two. So I encourage you

think about your water usage today. How

in the world are you going to meet all of

your needs on seven gallons a day? We

have Navajo families where their children

are going to bed thirsty because they have

to conserve that water. It’s just more costly.

Aside from the public health challenges,

It’s wearing to go and haul water from these

source points takes time out of your day to

do it. Really, really challenging.

KUNM: So, with all that said, why has

Funding available for independent producers to train

Native youth in film and media

FROM PRESS RELEASE

Vision Maker Media (VMM) is offering

funding to independent producers or Native

youth organizations who have an interest in

training Native youth in short-format media

story development and production.

“Native heritage and Native perspectives

must be prominent on all of today’s media

platforms. For that reason, the Native Youth

Media Project is one of the most important

initiatives that Vision Maker Media has

launched in our fifty-year history,” said

VMM CEO and President Francene Blytheit taken this long to propose and to agree on

a settlement?

Heather Tanana: I mean, that’s such

a good question, but I think, quite frankly,

it’s because there’s powerful interests at

play. If we look at again the basin, it’s overallocated. We do not have enough water to

meet all of the needs, and so, as a practical

matter, the water that these tribes are going

to utilize, it’s gonna cut off someone else

who is already using that water, and I think

that creates tensions. But we have to go

back to again, kind of this recognition that

the tribes, they’re sovereigns. This isn’t like

a charity project. This is a legal obligation

that’s owed to them, and it’s something

that others have been taking advantage of.

We’ve had tribal water being used by other

non-tribal users for free. And just think of

how much we paid under the bipartisan

infrastructure law, Inflation Reduction

Act. All these farmers and other users got

money to help stabilize the system. This is

really just kind of allowing tribes to be on

an equal foot as other users.

Lewis in a press release. “Native youth can

build upon the cultural storytelling talents

of their elders while achieving invaluable

media expertise and personal life skills.”

VMM’s call for the Native Youth Media

Project includes experienced independent

producers or Native youth organizations

working with Native youth ages 15-21. The

intended goal is for Native youth to produce a

media piece focused on topics such as health

& wellness, science, climate & environment,

education, art, culture, history, language, and

empowerment. Finished projects will then

be shared in a local community setting and

the screening format will be determined by

the independent producer or Native youth

organization.

Interested independent producers or

Native youth organizations can apply for up

to $25,000 in funding support. All completed

projects should be in an exhibitable digital

format and archived in the highest quality

available. Eligible independent producers

or Native youth organizations must be U.S.based and the call is open year-round. For

the guidelines and online application, visit:

https://visionmakermedia.org/fund-yourfilm/.

5B • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Reservations hold 4th of July celebrations

Hollywood

Brighton

Kevin Johnson

From left, Jeff Johns, John Madrigal and Amos Tiger compete in the pie-eating contest at Brighton’s 4th of July celebration on

July 4 at the Fred Smith Rodeo Arena as the United States turned 250 years old. The celebration included a variety of contests,

bounce houses and slides, community dinner, concert and more.

Daniella Hakim

Jayden Benitez has fun at the 4th.

Daniella Hakim

Jules Gentry enjoys Hollywood’s 4th of July celebration, which offered

rides, games, contests, food, music, fireworks and other activities.

Kevin Johnson

Nehemiah Hardy has a blast on a water slide.

Kevin Johnson

John Huff Jr. and his daughter Whitleigh enjoy their

time at Brighton’s 4th of July.

Daniella Hakim

Tommie Clark, left, and Marley Clark play one of the many carnival games at

Hollywood’s 4th of July celebration.

Kevin Johnson

Daniella Hakim

At left, members of the Hardy family get ready for a photo

op with a patriotic background. From left to right are

Aurora, Kimberly and Naylahine.

Budha Jumper,

left, and Phalyn

Osceola compete in

Hollywood’s 4th of July

horseshoe tournament.

Daniella Hakim (2)

The hatchet-throwing

contest included

Adrianne Bell, far left,

and Gordon Wareham.

SMP

Country music artist Elijah Scott serves as the

headline performer at the celebration.

Kevin Johnson

A group of girls has fun at the 4th under a chickee.

Calvin Tiger

Calvin Tiger

Joe Hughes eyes a ringer in the horseshoe competition.

Hollywood’s 4th of July activities got underway

at 7:30 a.m. on July 2 with the Firecracker Walk/

Run. Participants included Patrick Doctor.

Calvin Tiger

Mercedes Osceola enjoys

Firecracker Walk/Run.

walking

in

the

Kevin Johnson

Miguel Estrada gives it his all in the seedspitting conest.

Kevin Johnson

Mesa Gopher enjoys participating in the

Brighton activities.

Calvin Tiger

Leon Wilcox competes in the horseshoe tournament.

Kevin Johnson

Fred Smith Rodeo Arena was decked out in red, white and blue throughout the arena for 4th of July.

6B • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

1C • The Seminole Tribune • August 2026

Sports

C

Native Soldiers finish

2nd at NABI

BY KEVIN JOHNSON

Senior Editor

Led by head coach Skyla Osceola from

the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Native

Soldiers team is no stranger to championship

games, having advanced to the Native

American Basketball Invitational’s girls

division title game a few times in recent

years.

This year was no different as Native

Soldiers, which includes guard Kash Cooper

(STOF), dominated several games on their

way to the championship game July 18

in Phoenix, Arizona. It seemed the only

thing that could derail them was another

powerhouse, which is what happened in

front of a packed gym at Phoenix College.

Rezbombers, an Arizona-based team that

includes several players from New Mexico,

won their third straight NABI championship

and fourth in the past five years with a 65-51

win against Native Soldiers.

Native Soldiers finished the 64-team

tournament for high school-age players

with an 8-1 record, which included massive

blowouts early. In fact, Native Soldiers’

closest margin of victory was 34 points in

their first four games. Their defense didn’t

allow more than 18 points in any of those

four games.

Darin Sicurello

After pool play, the games eventually Native Soldiers coach Skyla Osceola speaks to her team during a break in a game at NABI in July.

got tougher, but so did the Native Soldiers,

Darin Sicurello

who beat NWT (58-35), Team Stronghold

Nati

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