Seminole Voices: Reflections on Their Changing Society, 1970-2000

1. Economic Change

1. Economic Change From 1971 to 1979, the initiation and successful development of such lucrative enterprises as tax-free cigarette stores (known as “smoke shops”) and high-stakes bingo halls dramatically changed the modern economy of the Seminole Indians. The tribe continued to support the older standbys of cattle, tourism, and crafts, but it also encouraged economic diversification by providing both capital and a safety net for entrepreneurs desirous of branching out into new endeavors. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc., channeled funds into a variety of business ventures, including citrus groves, cane sugar, ecotourism and safari tourist attractions, commercial real estate, a Sheraton Hotel in Tampa, and the Micco Aircraft Company, a commercial aircraft business.1 Most significantly, since 1988 the Seminoles have expanded their casino operations. The Coconut Creek Casino opened in 2001, and in 2004 the Seminoles built two Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos—one in Tampa and one in Hollywood. In 2006 the tribe acquired the Hard Rock International chain for $965 million. Tribal leaders have used the profits from these businesses to enhance tribal health, education, and social welfare programs, making up to some degree the cutbacks in federal funding during the Reagan administration. Under the leadership of James Billie the tribe instituted a revenue-sharing program. In the 1990s a monthly dividend was distributed to tribal members, thus boosting the standard of living for families. The Seminoles’ new business ventures and a commitment to free enterprise created a foundation for widespread economic security among Seminoles that had not existed previously. The new revenues brought increased opportunities for education and training, which in turn 16 economic change enabled the younger generation to vie for new jobs in both the public and private sector. By 2006, most tribal members had access to modern housing and health care. In addition, the tribe spent over $1 million per year on education alone, including grants-in-aid to promising Seminole college students and the operation of the Ahfachkee School. Other tribal funds had been allocated for such projects as the Seminole Police Force; gymnasiums at Brighton and Big Cypress; a senior citizens center; the Cultural Heritage Project; and building of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. More than three hundred tribal members were employed in dozens of governmental departments, including law enforcement and legal services. By employing Seminoles in the “smoke shops,” bingo halls, and government positions, the tribe reduced the unemployment rate by 50 percent. The 1996 annual budget, which exceeded $100 million, reflected the economic progress made by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc.2 The tribe continues to expand its economic horizons, and in 2007 it appeared to be on the verge of creating even greater economic success. The overall functioning of tribal economic activities, centered in the large, modern government headquarters in Hollywood , is computerized and more efficient and better organized than in the past. The Constitution of the Seminole Tribe originally established the Tribal Council as the chief governing body (composed of a chairman, a vice-chairman, and council representatives from each reservation), and the council currently administers the Seminole Police Department, the Human Resources program, the tribal gaming enterprises, citrus groves, the Billie Swamp Safari, the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, and the majority of the cigarette-related industries. The tribe’s Legal Services Department supervises a public defender’s office, the Water Resource Management, and the Utilities Department. The tribe does not operate a court system; legal and criminal matters not resolved at the local level are referred to the proper state or federal au- economic change 17 thorities. The Seminoles’ drive for economic independence has been aided by the fact that the tribal government is exempt from all state and federal taxes. Individual tribal members are liable for the same state and federal taxes as any other citizen.3 The economic changes from 1945 to the present have been slow in coming, but are dramatic nonetheless. Joe Dan Osceola recalled that “prior to 1957 . . . there wasn’t any kind of activities or jobs for the Indians on the reservation—none whatsoever. It was a typical Indian reservation. That is the most depressed oppressed area that you can imagine. So now what you see today, is the difference between day and night.”4 After World War II the Seminoles primarily worked in unskilled jobs, were isolated from mainstream Florida, and still lived in chikees. Seminoles earned a living in various...