The 1955 Miccosukee Child Custody Case Leads to Tribal Recognition

The 1955 Miccosukee Child Custody Case and Tribal Recognition. This incident in 1955 demonstrated the divisions between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe. Between Reservation Indians, and Traditional Indians. Between Patriarchal and Matriarchal. Joe Billie, a Seminole man from the Dania (Hollywood) reservation, decided that he wanted to raise and send his children to a modern school, after their mother died in January 1955. This was against the traditional ways of the Seminole and Miccosukee people who lived along the Tamiami Trail. Traditionally, the children would be raised by the mother’s family, and not by the father. The children were sent with their matriarchal grandmother, and kept in a village deep in the Everglades. The county sheriff threatened to send a posse in to take the children away and force them to go to the modern school. The children were eventually surrendered after a confusing legal battle of sovereignty. Did the state or county have authority over the Indians? Could they just come in a take people off the reservation? This was before both the Seminole Tribe and Miccosukee Tribes had federal recognition. Newspaper articles researched: Miami Herald, July 10, 1955: “Indian Tribal Law at Stake in Court” Miami News, July 10, 1955: “Posse Takes Hand in Indian Dispute.” Sarasota Herald Tribune, July 11, 1955: “Posse to Scour Glades to Find Indian Woman.” Fort Lauderdale News, July 14, 1955: “U.S. Disclaims Jurisdiction in Seminole Tribal Squabble Involving Fire Children.” Miami News, July 28, 1955: “Seminoles Snub Paleface Court.” Sarasota Journal, July 28, 1955: “Seminoles in Court on Custody Case.” Miami Herald, July 29, 1955: “If Seminoles Lose, They’ll Go to U.N.” St. Augustine Record, July 29, 1955: “Miccosukee ‘Nation,’ Claiming State Laws Not For Them, Plan Test Case.” My books: https://bookshop.org/shop/seminolewar Interested in learning more about the Florida Seminole Wars? Check out this free guidebook for the Seminole War Heritage Trail: https://dos.fl.gov/historical/preserv... The the Seminole Wars Foundation: www.seminolewars.org My blog: (Seldom updated.) https://seminolewar.livejournal.com/ Miami Herald, July 30, 1955: “Cast Aside Tribal Ways, Big Seminole Cries.” Fort Lauderdale News, July 31, 1955: “Indians Ask Fair Deal.” Miami Herald, August 9, 1955: “Tribe ‘Surrenders’ to Lonely Dad of 5.” And, “Secrecy Shrouds Talks Over Tots.” Miami Herald, September 22, 1955: “Seminoles Deny There’s ‘Nation’.” Orlando Sentinel, October 29, 1955: “Seminoles Vow to Flee White Schooling.” Statesville Record, October 31, 1955: “Indians Shun White Schools.” Miami Daily News, March 28, 1956: “Fear of White Man’s School Holds Up U.S.-Seminole Pact.”