Diverging Paths: Choices in the Face of Encroachment
South Florida experienced rapid growth in the first half of the 20th century, with agricultural and oil companies, county governments, sportsmen, and the National Park Service showing an increased interest in the Everglades. The creation of the intra-state Tamiami Trail encouraged tourism and expanded interactions with pockets of Florida Indians who sold their crafts on the Trail. White encroachment, swampland drainage projects, the depletion of game by sportsmen, and state restrictions on traditional Indian hunting grounds created mounting pressures for the Native Floridians.
In response, Florida Indians made choices that would impact their expression of political autonomy. Some families began moving onto federal reservations that had been set aside for them in the 1910s and additionally in the 1930s, accepting limited governmental oversight in exchange for subsistence. Others operated seasonal Native American tourist villages, which provided economic support that helped preserve aspects of the Indians’ sense of autonomy. Tribal families that sought to maintain their distance from tourists and governmental agents continued to reside in camps around the sparsely populated Everglades.
Children's Political Corner:
During the 1920s, the Indians of Florida had a land problem. Many U.S. citizens had begun to come to Florida––the “Sunshine State”––for vacation and business purposes. Companies began buying a lot of land in South Florida so that they could develop it. The Native Americans living in South Florida, however, did not want to be pushed off their land. So, the members of the different Indian camps found ways to handle this difficult situation. Some talked to U.S. and state representatives to try to find ways to stop the loss of their land, while others moved onto Indian reservations where they thought their rights could be protected.
Task: Look at the images above. Click on each image and read the description. Also read the document provided. Think about these questions:
- What do the photographs tell you about Florida in the late 1920s and early 1940s?
- What options did South Florida Indians have to protect their land rights?
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