The Florida Ethnographic Collection at the Florida Museum of Natural History is one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Florida Miccosukee and Seminole materials in the world.
Our commitment to responsible cultural stewardship is exemplified through our close collaboration with the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and Tribal Historic Preservation Office. We work closely with the collections and curatorial staff to engage in respectful indigenous care practices, carry-out NAGPRA compliance, and curate meaningful public exhibitions that honor and promote Indigenous heritage.
Man’s long shirt, cotton cloth and thread, made at Tamiami Trail, 1950, 49.2” top to bottom (92782).
As of Summer 2023, the Florida Ethnographic Collections at the Florida Museum consist of over 1,600 items identified as being manufactured or used by the members of the Seminole or Miccosukee Tribes of Florida, and includes documentation related to the peoples in southern Florida. These items represent various categories of material culture, including clothing and accessories, household and food preparation equipment, recreation items such as toys, and basketry items. Among the individual objects are bandolier bags, baskets, beadwork, dolls (there are over 300 in the collections), moccasins, rattles, silverwork, tools, woodcrafts, and patchwork clothing. There are also media collections in the form of photographic prints, photographic slides, postcards, posters, glass plate negatives, audio recordings, books, newspaper articles, and paintings.
Many of these items were systematically collected by John Goggin in the 1940s and 1950s, to be used as a research and teaching collection. Numerous of the other items have been donated by relatives of people who lived and worked among the Seminole and Miccosukee in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Substantial donations from the personal collections of Keith and Sara Reeves, Anne and Charles Reynolds, and Muffy Clark Gill have further enhanced the collection. A subset of the items from this collection are currently on exhibit in Gainesville within the Hall of South Florida People and Environments. The Anne D. Reynolds and Charles L. Reynolds Jr. Ethnographic Endowment is used to generously support research, curation, and enhancement of the Florida Ethnographic Collections.
The Florida Ethnographic Collection is accessible to students or scientific researchers affiliated with established research and/or educational institutions. Please contact collections manager Jen Green (jgreen@floridamuseum.ufl.edu) with research or collections inquiries.
If the Big Cypress Reservation in southern Florida is not within your direct area for an in-person visit, please consider touring the online exhibits at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki as a great way to further explore the rich cultural history of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Sash, fingerwoven, Seminole, wool yarn, glass beads, ca. 1830s-1840s, 2.3” wide at center (E-602).
Basket, Miccosukee/Seminole, split saw palmetto stems, 1943, purchased at Musa Isle, 14.2” long (92922).
Garters, fingerwoven, Seminole, wool yarn, glass beads, ca. 1830s-1840s, 8.3” long (E-596).
Woman’s skirt, Seminole, cotton cloth and thread, 20th century, 37.8” top to bottom (2007-7-3).
Three baskets, Miccosukee/Seminole, split palmetto stems, upper: basket tray, 1939, 13.8” long (92917); lower left: basket sieve, 1939, 11.4” long (92907), lower right: basket tray, early 20th century, 13.7” long (92903).
Plate, Miccosukee, wood, made in 1949 by The Frog (Miccohatchee) at Everglades City for Deaconess Bedell, 8.9” diameter (E-883).
Woman’s skirt, Seminole, cotton cloth and thread, early 20th century, 36.0” top to bottom (98-7-2).
Doll, female, Seminole, cotton cloth, glass beads, palm fiber, ca. 2000, 9.8” high (2006-20-20).
Sofkee spoon, Seminole, wood, early 20th century, 16.9” long (E-989).
Basket pincushion, Seminole, sweetgrass, cotton thread, palmetto fiber, late 20th century, 3.9” diameter (87-46-6).
Miniature canoes: Seminole, wood, ca. 2000, 12.4” long (2007-7-17) and 11.8” long ( 2007-7-18).
Sash, fingerwoven, Seminole, wool yarn, glass beads, ca. 1830s-1840s, 4.0” wide at center (E-600).
Sofkee spoon, Seminole, wood, late 19th century, 23.4” long (88-6-1).
Bows and arrows: bow, Miccosukee, wood, made by Charley Cypress at Big Cypress Reservation, 1952, 47.6” long (92801); spear, Seminole, bamboo, twine, ca. 1926, 57.7” long (92-46-4); bow, Seminole, wood, ca. 1890s, purchased at Mr. Charlie Tiger Tail’s Trading Post, 58.3” long (E-789); arrow, unfinished, Miccosukee, wood, ca. 1950, 31.9” long (92803); arrow, Miccosukee, wood, ca. 1952, made by Charley Cypress, Big Cypress Reservation, 30.2” long (92806); arrow, Miccosukee, wood, ca. 1952, made by Charley Cypress, Big Cypress Reservation, 34.5” long (92802).
Man’s long shirt, cotton cloth and thread, early 20th century, 47.2” top to bottom (21387).
Basket tray, part of a set used for sifting, Miccosukee, split palmetto stems, made at Josie Billie’s camp, 1939, 13.8” long (92917).
Sofkee spoon, Seminole, wood, made by Charley Cypress, Big Cypress Swamp, 1952, 19.7” long (92794).
Dolls, female, Seminole, cotton cloth, glass beads, palm fiber: ca. 2000, 4.3” high (2006-20-19), ca. 1978, 4.5” high (E-663), and ca. 1982, 4.9” high (E-806).
Woman’s skirt, Seminole, cotton cloth and thread, mid-20th century, 41.3” top to bottom (2008-27-1).
Basket, Seminole, sweetgrass, cotton thread, palmetto fiber, early 2000s, 6.9” long (2006-20-1).
Doll, male, Seminole, cotton cloth, palm fiber, early 20th century, 12.0” high (2007-7-14).
Basket, Seminole, split saw palmetto stems, 1943, purchased at Musa Isle, 7.5” long (92921).
Basket, Seminole, split saw palmetto stems, purchased at Bert Lasher’s camp, Miami, 1943, 6.3” high (92919).
Woman’s skirt, Seminole, cotton cloth and thread, satin cloth, made by Dorothy Buster, 1970s, 35.5” top to bottom (2008-27-2).
Male “Doctor’s” coat, Seminole, 1830s or 1840s, 45.1” top to bottom (E-595).
Doll, female, necklace, Seminole, cotton cloth, glass beads, palm fiber, ca. 2000, doll is 2.5” high (2006-20-8).
Mortar and pestle, Seminole, wood, early 20th century, near Moore Haven, 27.6” high (E-932).
Man’s shirt, Seminole, cotton cloth and thread, ca. 1930-1950, 21.0” top to bottom (E-982).
Bandolier bag, Seminole, cotton cloth, glass beads, ca. 1830s-1840s, 4.0” maximum width of band (E-603).
Basket sieve, part of a set used for sifting, Miccosukee, split palmetto stems, made at Josie Billie’s camp, 1939, 11.4” long (92907).
Woman’s skirt, Miccosukee, cotton cloth and thread, early 20th century, 30.7” top to bottom (87-1-1).
Basket, Miccosukee, split saw palmetto stems, purchased at Tamiami Trail in 1949, 8.0” long (92904).
Basket, Seminole, sweetgrass, cotton thread, palmetto fiber, cotton cloth, glass beads, 1990s; made by Agnes Billie Cypress (basket) and Lucy Johns (lid), Immokalee, 20.0” high (97-8-1).
Woman’s skirt, Seminole, cotton cloth and thread, made by Ruby Clay (nee Billie), early 1960s, 35.0” top to bottom (E-699).
Miniature stickball racquets (pair) and ball, Seminole, cypress wood and buckskin, collected 1950 from William McKinley Osceola’s camp, sticks 6.9” long, ball 1.2” diameter (92888, 92887).
Doll, male, Seminole, cotton cloth, palm fiber, early 20th century, 12.8” high (2007-7-15).
Dolls, female, Seminole, cotton cloth, glass beads, palm fiber, early 20th century, 6.7” high (2007-7-9), 6.6” high (2007-7-10), 7.7” high (2007-7-12), and 7.4” high (2007-7-11).
