BC RV Resort a Panther Posse at Florida Basketball is back at popular winter spot Gulf Coast University Ahfachkee School COMMUNITY Y 5A EDUCATION Y 1B SPORTS Y 1C Volume XLI • Number 12 December 29, 2017 Tribal members concerned about Lake Okeechobee Watershed project BY LI COHEN Staff Reporter BRIGHTON — A presentation made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District on Nov. 28 left the Brighton Reservation community in an uproar over the federal agency’s plans to potentially place a large part of the Lake Okeechobee Watershed (LOW) Project within 1,000 feet of Tribal lands in Brighton. According to the Corps, the project ultimately has four goals: Improve the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of water in Lake Okeechobee; better manage the lake’s water levels; reduce high-volume water discharges into the estuaries of the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers; and LPSURYHV\VWHPZLGHRSHUDWLRQDOÀH[LELOLW\ To achieve these goals, the Corps plans to Kevin Johnson build a large reservoir along the boundaries President Mitchell Cypress and Santa Claus bring some holiday cheer to Brianna, 11, a patient at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood on Dec. 8. President Cypress and Santa distributed toys to of Brighton, near St. Thomas Ranch. patients throughout the hospital as part of the Board’s annual toy drive. At the meeting, attended by Chairman Marcellus W. Osceola Jr., Brighton Councilman Andrew J. Bowers Jr., and dozens of Tribal members, the Corps Board’s toy drive brings joy beyond reservations suggested four alternatives for reservoir placement, each of which uses reservoirs for above-ground storage and underground BY KEVIN JOHNSON toy drive. who might not be able to make it home for Another girl named Brianna, this one storage with Aquifer Storage and Recovery Senior Editor President Mitchell Cypress, Hollywood Christmas; some might go home early with a age 9, smiled as Rep. Wareham gave her a (ASR) wells. and Board Rep. Gordon Wareham and Santa smile on their face,” said President Cypress, Bratz doll on the day before her birthday. • Alternative 1Br – a $1.9 billion BEVERLY BIDNEY Claus spent hours Dec. 8 distributing dozens who added that the toy drive is one way “That was awesome,” Brianna’s mother plan – would place the K-05 reservoir, which Staff Reporter of toys to patients ranging from nine days the Tribe can show its support in the local said. would be approximately 14,600 acres and to 19 years old. Each child was given an community, which in a way supports the Brandon Large, 11, was given a football have 198,000 acre-feet of storage, along HOLLYWOOD/IMMOKALEE — DJH DSSURSULDWH JLIW DV ODUJH ER[HV ¿OOHG Tribe through the casinos. by Rep. Wareham. the east border of the St. Thomas Ranch )URP URRP WR URRP DQG ÀRRU WR ÀRRU WKH with toys were hauled through the hospital Brianna, 11, glowed when she was given “I love it. They were awesome to do gifts of new toys lit up young faces at Joe hallways with assistance from the president’s a toy by President Cypress from The Little that,” said Brandon, a New England Patriots DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood staff, Seminole Fire Rescue and Hollywood Pony series. fan. )See WATERSHED PROJECT on page 6A thanks to the Seminole Tribe Board’s annual Boys & Girls Club. “It’s really good. It’s from the movie,” “Give it to the children in the hospital she said. )See TOY DRIVE on page 4A Lisa Osceola takes Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum featured the helm at EIRA on USA Today travel list BY BEVERLY BIDNEY has grown over the years and she wants to BY LI COHEN trying to do here. We’re not some isolated Staff Reporter continue that trend. Staff Reporter museum that people aren’t familiar with,” “A lot of parents don’t know about 'LOOH\ VDLG RQ D ¿QDO QRWH ³:H¶UH JHWWLQJ rodeo,” she said. “The more you can get our name out there. ... It just shows how )RU WKH ¿UVW WLPH WKH (DVWHUQ ,QGLDQ the kids involved in something that requires BIG CYPRESS — USA Today gave the tribes around the country are maintaining Rodeo Association has a female president. responsibility, the better. Rodeo is yearlong, Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum an early Christmas their history and culture and they’re proud of Lisa Osceola was elected at the EIRA annual not seasonal like basketball and other present this year, featuring the museum that. They’re not going anywhere.” awards banquet this summer. sports.” on the company’s list of “Great places to To see the full list, visit USAToday.com/ Osceola is no stranger to the rodeo. The Osceola has been part of EIRA honor the original Americans.” The list also travel. daughter of Josiah Johns, an Indian National leadership for years and has served as features Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, Finals Rodeo Hall of Famer and co-founder secretary and barrel racing director. EIRA’s the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in of the Florida Indian Rodeo Association GLUHFWRUVDUHUHVSRQVLEOHIRUVSHFL¿FHYHQWV Ohio, Connecticut’s Mashantucket Pequot which in 1995 became the EIRA, Osceola team roping header, team roping heeler, Museum and Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma. Courtesy photo JUHZ XS LQ WKH URGHR DQG UHFDOOV WKH ¿UVW bareback, steer wrestling, calf roping, saddle The museum found out about the At right, the man standing in a canoe is just one rodeo held in the old Brighton arena. bronc, women’s breakaway, barrel, bull opportunity the weekend of their 20th part of the large permanent exhibit at the Ah-Tah- “I remember when they asked workers riding, rodeo queen, fundraising and kids anniversary celebration at the end of August. Thi-Ki Museum in Big Cypress. Below is the front to get their crazy horses and old bulls and rodeo / special events. Carrie Dilley, the museum’s visitor services entrance to the museum. cattle owners to put in a few calves for the “I rely on the directors,” Osceola said. and development manager, explained that rodeo,” she said. “I did rodeo from the day I “We have a pretty good team; they get in Cécile Ganteaume, an associate curator could walk.” here and help. It’s all us putting on these at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of In her role as president, Osceola wants rodeos, but it’s something we all enjoy.” the American Indian in Washington, D.C., to get more kids involved in the rodeo by mentioned the opportunity while at the offering more clinics. The youth rodeo )See EIRA on page 3A celebration. Dilley believes Ganteaume put in a good word for the museum to USA Today. While other publications have featured the museum over the years, mostly about large events such as the American Indian Arts Celebration, Dilley said “to be included on a list like this is really special.” “It’s just awesome to share the Seminole story with the greater area. It’s not just Florida history; we’re being recognized on the national level,” she said. “It’s the country’s history and people are recognizing that. It’s great exposure for the Tribe and the museum. … To go neck-and-neck with some these well-known places is awesome.” While getting recognized by USA Today is a large accomplishment for the museum, Dilley said they still have huge plans ahead. One of these plans is a fundraising for a redesign of the museum’s permanent exhibit. In June, they will also house an exhibit called “We are here” that focuses on Tribal Kevin Johnson departments and how they work together to The 2018 Eastern Indian Rodeo Association season kicks off Feb. 3 with the Betty Mae Jumper serve the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Memorial Rodeo in Hollywood. Action from last year’s rodeo is shown here. “This is a great testament to what we’re Editorial ..............2A Health .................9A Sports .................1C See pages 4-6B for Christmas photos INSIDE: Community .........3A Education .......... 1B 2A • The Seminole Tribune • December 29, 2017 Native American All of us need students continue facing to stand up for education challenges justice for Native • Natalie Pate, families along with additional obstacles Education to develop curriculum exploring many Native American students face outside the Native American experience and provide Americans of the classroom. professional development to teachers and Statesman Journal A doctor in Pennsylvania told Debbie administrators relating to the curriculum. Native American students in Oregon HEELH$XVWLQJUHZXSLQWKH*UHDW Austin in the late 1970s when she was a • Brooklyn Wehr, Louie look up ways to help outside of school and in Depression, a “time when it was young mother, “Don’t ever bring your child check the box “American Indian/Alaska WKHFRPPXQLW\:HFDQ¿QGDQRUJDQL]DWLRQ not a good thing to be an Indian.” here again — You people carry syphilis and Native” for race/ethnicity when enrolling in Schmidt and Logan Holdt, that helps support Native American rights, D tuberculosis.” school. Talked down to by teachers, professors The Register-Guard and vote for laws that don’t take away or and medical professionals, berated by Shortly after, a college professor in But in order to receive services from erase history. We can educate the community passers-by, Austin thought, “If we were Oregon told her the same thing. So did her the school districts, they have to do the about Native Americans by letting indigenous white, things would have been a lot easier textbooks. additional paperwork required by the federal his fall, eighth-grade U.S. people teach us about their culture. for us.” “Our children need to know that is not government and prove they have a parent or history students at Spencer Butte The city of Eugene needs to celebrate But she doesn’t want her more than 40 true,” Austin said.