Language(Amira)

Language

The Seminole Indians have two languages still in use today, neither of which is traditionally written. Muscogee (Creek) and Miccosukee are related but not mutually intelligible. Both languages contain sentence structures and sounds that do not exist in English and are difficult to pronounce using the English language.

With some words the two languages seem to mirror each other; and sometimes the two lingos are uncomparable. For example, the English word bread would be pronounced "tak-la-eek-i" in the Muscogee dialect and "pa-les-tee" in Miccosukee. "Dog" is "ef-fa" in Creek, "ee-fe" in Miccosukee. "Cow" is "wa-ka" in Creek "waa-ke" in Miccosukee.

Many Seminoles are fluent in both languages; some only speak one or the other.

The names of many Florida cities, counties, places, rivers and lakes are taken from Seminole words, both Creek and Miccosukee.

Miccosukee	English
Apalachicola	place of the ruling people
Chattahoochee	marked stones
Hialeah	prairie
Immokalee	my camp
Miami	that place
Ocala	spring
Palatka	ferry crossing
Yeehaw	wolf
Pahokee	grassy water
Apopka	potato eating place
Okeechobee	big water
Homosassa	pepper place
Thonotosassa	flint place

Seminole Tribe of Florida. "Seminole Tribe of Florida - Culture, Language." Seminole Tribe of Florida - The Official Home of the Florida - Seminole Indians.. http://www.semtribe.com/Culture/Language.aspx (accessed July 19, 2013).

Clans: The Seminoles were broken up into several clans. A clan is a family group. Each clan was named after something in nature - Panther, Bear, Bird, Deer, Wind, Snake, Otter. Clan names were very important. Your name announced what clan you belonged to. The Seminoles had a naming ceremony. Only 2 people could have the same name in a clan. When one died, that name was passed on to a boy or girl turning 12. That person carried the clan name until they died, and again the name was passed on. No other tribe or clan could use those names. Clans had songs and special necklaces that also identified them.

Marriage: A wedding could be performed by any male relative of the bride or any one of the "old men" of the tribe. Often, the bride's father performed the ceremony. Marriage between relatives was forbidden. You had to marry out of your clan. When a child was born, it belonged to the mother's clan.

"Seminole Tribe of Florida - Culture, Clans." Seminole Tribe of Florida - The Official Home of the Florida - Seminole Indians.. Seminole Tribe of Florida, n.d. Web. 24 July 2013. <http://www.semtribe.com/culture/Clans.aspx>.

Reflection

Even through all that happened to them historically the Seminole Indians managed to remember their customs and pass down tradition and language. Through the video we watched in class I realize that it was not an easy thing to do in the days when the white people thought all was theirs. The languages are almost like dialects of one another and it amazes me that even if they have never met speakers of either language would always have some type of connection to each other, for they share a common background.

Through their names it is easy to see how close the Seminole tribe is to nature and how much they appreciate family. The Seminoles were known to respect nature and the power it had as well as appreciate all that it had to offer. The way I see it they decided to take that a step further and to get closer to nature took upon themselves the names of parts of nature. 

Amira Cato