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   Tarnport (tarnport@mastodon.green)'s status on Sunday, 03-Nov-2024 00:42:53 JST Tarnport

   in reply to

   Also, the first "Seminole Villages" attractions were 100% outsiders making tourist bait. Later the Seminoles began their own such enterprises, but the boom came from outside and they were hired actors on a payroll. It is a fascinating, surprisingly modern, compelling, beautiful story of a native people - really just a remnant of 200 left to die in the swamp - who took what they had and leveraged themselves into the modern world. They were almost destroyed 3 times, and still, there they are.

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     Tarnport (tarnport@mastodon.green)'s status on Sunday, 03-Nov-2024 00:42:54 JST Tarnport

     in reply to

     (cont'd) The dolls, patchwork textiles, and many "traditional" crafts we think of as their culture were in fact in no way traditional until tourists starting coming to FL and money was to be made. They did not exist before that. Lastly (and best imo) alligator wrestling was intentionally cultivated and learned by importing a guy from Louisiana to teach them the moves. I mean, good for them! Make the money to feed their families off American hegemonic exotism. But nothing is as it seems.

     Bill repeated this.
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     Tarnport (tarnport@mastodon.green)'s status on Sunday, 03-Nov-2024 00:42:55 JST Tarnport

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     Not to seem mysterious about it, here's a few of the surprises: They were not independent of OK Seminoles til 1957, and at the same time largely converted Southern Baptist, led by their first chief Billy Osceola! The signature sunhat-like women's asymmetrical hairstyle was only a 1930s generational fad based on retail womenswear. It only lasted 20 years but it was the 20 years during which the Seminoles of Florida became documented and better known, thanks to the Florida tourism boom. (cont'd)

     Bill repeated this.
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     Tarnport (tarnport@mastodon.green)'s status on Sunday, 03-Nov-2024 00:42:56 JST Tarnport

     The older I get the more suspicious I am of any pre-packaged history. I spent some time today reading up on things I thought I already knew about the Seminole Tribe of Florida, before I wrote any more about it in my novel. Turns out I didn't know jack, had maybe 5% right of what I learned in just a cursory dig. The superficial "made for export" simplified storylines and profiles (physical appearance is one, too) are always presented by people with something to gain. I should know that by now.

     Bill repeated this.