Seminole Tribe Breaks Ground for New Lakeland Community
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Seminole Adakai Robbins addresses EIRA rough stock cattlewomen Broward school board clinic COMMUNITY Y 4A EDUCATION Y2B SPORTS Y 1C Volume XLIII • Number 1 January 31, 2019 Seminole Tribe breaks ground for new Lakeland community BY DAMON SCOTT but Tribal members had to start leaving well Staff Reporter before the opening date. The Tribal Community Development LAKELAND — Seminoles in the RI¿FH DQG LWV H[HFXWLYH GLUHFWRU 'HUHN Tampa area can see the light at the end of the Koger spearheaded much of the work in the tunnel for what will eventually be 150 new ¿QDOVWUHWFK homes in Lakeland. At the groundbreaking ceremony, A ceremonial groundbreaking of phase Koger thanked his staff and the many one took place Jan. 23 in front of more than Tribal departments who were involved in 200 people who gathered at 9523 Moore the process, including special recognition Road. The site is near where infrastructure to Senior Director of Operations Derrick work will soon begin for a new residential Smith. community. ³,FDQ¶WZDLWWRZDONLQWRWKH¿UVWKRPH Tribal Council joined dignitaries from It’s been many years overdue for you to have the city of Lakeland and Polk County to mark your own community,” Koger said. the occasion, along with Tribal members, Koger then introduced a short video Seminole Tribe of Florida employees and that showed many aerial views of what the visitors. landscape of the Lakeland property looks The message was similar from all who like – a country feel with abundant water spoke: It’s taken a long time to come to features, trees and other vegetation. fruition, but all the effort, which involved “This groundbreaking ceremony is the dozens of meetings and years of planning, next step in developing what promises to be a KDV¿QDOO\SDLGRII well-planned and vibrant community,” Polk “We started on this journey many, many County Commissioner George Lindsey said. years ago,” said Chairman Marcellus W. “You’ve chosen one of the most beautiful Osceola Jr., who described the land the Tribe locations in central Florida.” acquired in Lakeland as “God’s country.” The site includes 752 acres in all, purchased in 2007. It is about 37 miles Long and winding road northeast of the Hard Rock Tampa. The land was put into trust in 2016. )RU \HDUV 7ULEDO RI¿FLDOV DQG RWKHU Chairman Osceola said the Tampa VWDNHKROGHUVKDYHEHHQ¿JXULQJRXWWKHEHVW community now numbers about 250. About way to create a new community for those 100 were moved to make way for the casino. who were displaced by the Hard Rock Hotel “This is a tremendous achievement. We & Casino Tampa. They’ve tried to do it as do this for the Tampa community after all quickly as possible as well, to bring together WKHVDFUL¿FHVWKH\PDGHVRWKH7ULEHFRXOG Beverly Bidney prosper,” Chairman Osceola said. scattered Tampa area residents who have From left, Tampa Reservation Culture Language coordinator Herbert Jim, medicine man Bobby Henry and Tampa Reservation administrator Richard Henry yearned for a reservation of their own. stand together at the groundbreaking site for a new Seminole community development in Lakeland on Jan. 23. The Hard Rock Tampa opened in 2004, )See LAKELAND on page 5A Alex Johns serves on Future Hollywood medical center governor’s named for Betty Mae Jumper transition BY DAMON SCOTT Staff Reporter team HOLLYWOOD — A matriarch and Seminole legend – one with a long list of BY BEVERLY BIDNEY personal and professional accomplishments Staff Reporter – was honored on the Hollywood Reservation Jan. 16. Shortly after last year’s gubernatorial A ceremonial groundbreaking for the election on Nov. 6, the Seminole Tribe’s Betty Mae Jumper Medical Center took Natural Resources Director Alex Johns place on a plot of land just southeast of the received an email from the staff of then Seminole Classic Casino, with the towering Governor-elect Ron DeSantis asking if he 450-foot guitar-shaped hotel at the Hard would serve on his transition team. Johns Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood looming in and about 40 or 50 others said yes to the view to the north. request and began to work on policy issues “It’s a great and proud day for our family affecting the state. on the occasion of this great and historic “I believe this position I have accepted dedication,” Jumper’s son – Moses Jumper gives the Seminole Tribe a seat at the table Jr., also known as “Bigg Shot” – said. “Her and a voice in State whole life was an adventure. It’s the kind policy,” Johns of thing they make documentaries or even wrote in an email movies about today.” to the Board. “The Indeed a book has already been written opportunity to about her life, Patsy West’s “A Seminole serve the Governor Legend: The Life of Betty Mae Tiger and the State of Jumper.” West was at the ceremony and Florida is not one shared some of her knowledge of Jumper. that I take lightly.” Jumper, born in 1923 in a Seminole Johns worked camp in Indiantown, Florida, died in 2011 at on the committee DJH 6KH ZDV WKH 6HPLQROH7ULEH¶V ¿UVW that addressed and only Chairwoman, beginning in 1967 at environmental the age of 44. Derrick Tiger issues pertaining to Jumper Jr. served as the master of Moses Jumper Jr. speaks Jan. 16 at the groundbreaking ceremony for the medical building named in memory of his mother, Betty Mae Jumper, on the water quality and ceremonies for the groundbreaking, where Hollywood Reservation. supply, ecosystems, generations of his family were in attendance. species, natural Hollywood Board Representative Health care connection Chris Osceola. “And without the support of resources and ‘Best lady in the world’ Alex Johns Gordon Wareham reminded everyone of a “She will never be forgotten because Tribal Council over the past six years we agriculture. His taste of how many hats Jumper wore in her she lives inside every single one of you,” wouldn’t be able to be here today.” work on the All the members of the Tribal Council life – alligator wrestler, historian, author, Chairman Marcellus W. Osceola Jr. said Councilman Osceola pointed out that transition team and Board of Directors, including many editor, educator and storyteller. to the rows of Jumper’s relatives in the the new clinic is actually the second to be helped to develop the administration’s former Tribal leaders, spoke in glowing “I learned how much love this lady had audience. environmental, natural resources and terms of Jumper and the work she did on QDPHG IRU -XPSHU7KH ¿UVW ZDV GHGLFDWHG for her people. Not just her Reservation but “She knew we needed health care in our in Hollywood on Feb. 10, 1984, but it has agriculture policies. behalf of the Seminole people. for all her people. It was a great honor to lives,” he said. largely been outgrown. Johns, who also serves as president of President Mitchell Cypress said Jumper know this lady. This building will remind us Of Jumper’s many titles and “Moving forward with this new the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, focused ZDVKLV¿UVWERVVZKHQVKHZDVWKHGLUHFWRU that we live on the shoulders of great people, accomplishments, she is well known for her complex, I believe it’s the future for the on water quality and supply. Water quality, of health in 1974. Cypress said when he was born at Jackson Memorial Hospital in great leaders,” Rep. Wareham said. work and advocacy in the realm of health Hollywood community and it will be here to VSHFL¿FDOO\WKHDEXQGDQFHRIDOJDHZDVWKH Family members and friends spoke of care. She was a nurse for 40 years. The serve us for many years. All our services will biggest challenge because of the perception Miami it was Jumper who took the time to her big heart and shared warm memories medical center is named after her, in part, for be in one building and we’re adding services of the issues versus the science. visit his mother and is the one who gave him they had of her as a generous person and that reason. that we’ve never had here on the reservation Often, the public perception is that his name. “She’s the best lady in the world. I really loving mother. “It was one of my goals to make sure before,” Councilman Osceola said. admire her,” President Cypress said. the Hollywood community would get a new )See JOHNS on page 8A clinic one day,” said Hollywood Councilman )See BETTY MAE on page 6A Editorial......................2A Health.............................9A Sports............... ............1C @TheSeminoleTribune @SeminoleTribune INSIDE: Community..................3A Education....................1B Arts & Entertainment...4C 2A • The Seminole Tribune • January 31, 2019 Reflection and Overwhelming appreciation: George H. W. support for Indian and Barbara Pierce Bush Child Welfare Act n Jan. 16, 325 tribal nations, 57 should overturn the erroneous district court Native organizations, 21 states, decision and support American Indian and Already a Capitol Hill destination and during their own time. He often used his O31 child welfare organizations, Alaska Native children and families because • Suzan Shown Harjo lunch café of Native foods, the NMAI Mall &DSLWRORI¿FHDV3UHVLGHQWRIWKH6HQDWHDQG Indian and constitutional law scholars, it’s the right thing to do.” Museum will open the National Native others’ leadership rooms for meetings among and seven members of Congress joined the American Veterans Memorial in 2020. Native leaders and Members of Congress -- United States and four intervenor tribes in “The State of Texas and other Plaintiffs, The 1989 National Museum of the including Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell ¿OLQJEULHIVWRXUJHWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV&RXUW supported by the Goldwater Institute, bring n looking back on the year 2018, it American Indian Act contains the historic (R-CO), Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) and John of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to uphold this litigation against the Indian Child LV¿WWLQJWRRIIHUDUHÀHFWLRQRQDQG repatriation provision that mandated the S.