The Seminole Tribe was primarily based in Florida. Originally, they were settled in northern Florida, and eventually moved more and more south due to pressure from European and American settlers. However, the Seminoles were not the only tribes to move south. Many other tribes that were prominent in Florida and the surrounding areas were forced out. With that being said, the tribes gained different practices from other tribes because of the fact that they may have settled close to one another. From being so close to the surrounding tribes, the Seminoles have picked up many different practices along with the practices that were already put in place from previous tribal members. Throughout the years, the Seminole Indians have picked up different …show more content…
During the early 1800s, the Seminoles and a number of other tribes were affected by Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act and were forced to leave their homes (Penney, 2004). With that being said, the tribes picked up different styles of patchwork due to the incorporation of other tribes practices. The Seminoles, in particular, picked up more floral and colorful designs (Penney, 2004). It was a design that mixed different Midwestern styles of organizing patters with symmetry and floral patterns from the Cherokee and Creek (Penney, 2004). These patterns, when printed on darker backgrounds, represent the different cultural values of the Native identity through the production of the patchwork and showing of the regalia (Penney, 2004). Regalia is defined as a garment that is worn during Pow Wows, which are special ritual dances practiced by a number of Native American tribes (T., 2011). Each regalia is different for each dancer, but they all represent their own family with the colors and designs used (T., 2011). These are important because they are something that has been done for years and years. These Pow Wows are ways to personify the soul and the spirit of the Native American culture (T., 2011). These dances represent the past, present, and the future of the Native American …show more content…
While baskets and mats were quite the popular items to make, the Seminoles also made sashes, garters, straps, and headbands from a process called finger weaving (Downs, 1995). Finger weaving is a technique that includes a lot of twining and interlacing of the different material, such as animal or vegetal fibers (Downs, 1995). For the most part, women are the individuals who did the finger weaving (Downs, 1995). Beads were eventually incorporated into the weaving, which created the opportunity for different designs and patterns. Some designs that have been said to be very popular in the Seminole tribe consist of chevrons, diamonds, and sometimes lightning designs (Downs, 1995). A lot of the designs were geometrical in some sort. Sashes, in particular, had a couple different uses. The first being a belt; some tribe members would wear the sash around their waist (Downs, 1995). The sash also came in handy when the tribe members needed to wear it across their shoulders. The sash, most of the time, held the individuals' weapon so it made it easier for them to maneuver around (Downs, 1995). These sashes typically had tassels at each end and were sometimes filled with beads in different patterns (Downs, 1995). The Seminoles used a number of different materials to make different baskets. When basket weaving became popular in the tribe, the Seminoles began using split cane (Downs, 1995). The split cane was available to them