On Common Ground: Coming to an Understanding
The Miccosukee Tribe’s mission in Cuba gave the United States a glimpse of the Indians’ keen political instincts in their campaign for tribal rights. Upon the delegation’s return, the United States agreed to reopen negotiations with the Miccosukee Indians. Similarly, the Seminole Tribe's rapid adoption of western programs and style of governance throughout the 1950s made it incumbent on American officials to treat them as a significant political entity as well.
Federal and state officials met with both tribes––now acknowledged as separate Indian groups with administrative authority––for the first time in 1959. The newly acquired political status of the two tribes provided some assurances regarding land and governmental rights, enabling them to discuss geographic and political issues of mutual interest. Although they shared common causes as Florida Indians, the two tribes now each had unique political identities.
In 1960, the Miccosukee Tribe re-engaged the U.S. in intense negotiations concerning the status of their relationship. Part of this effort involved the drafting of a revised constitution in preparation for the next level of their reorganization. Upon its completion--along with reassurances of eventually obtaining a reservation--the Miccosukee Tribe was finally recognized by the federal government in 1962. This gave both Florida tribes equal political footing.
A third smaller group did not believe that the presiding members of either the Seminole or Miccosukee Tribe pursued policies that best promoted the interests or political autonomy of the Florida Indians. Splitting with the two larger groups in the mid-20th century, several families would establish a new faction known as the Independent Traditional Indians of Florida. The formation of their community at Immokalee was the culmination of almost 50 years of continuous strife on how to reconcile their traditional systems of governance with the political realities of a modern world. The lines of dispute split families and clans into opposing sides in a prolonged disagreement over different visions for strengthening the Indian nation. Ultimately, they learned to work together for a common purpose.