This gator is ironic because his name is Tiny.# As you can see.

Clearly he's not.

And he used to## be alive.

He used to be in our old alligator pit# before we got it refurbished and redone.

We had## a hard time disconnecting from Tiny, and we just# had to make sure we acknowledged our history and## we brought them up to the future.

Now with us.# And here he.

Is.

Exactly.

Thank you gentlemen,## it's great having both of you here today.

Really# appreciate your time.

Ppop, I want to start## with you.

We are here on the lovely Miccosukee# Indian Village on the Miccosukee Reservation.## Talk a little bit about the significance# of this land and why it is so important## to you and your people.

We're only here# because of this land.

It protected us.## It saved us during the war times.

In# fact, this village we're in right now,## there's actually some very important meetings# that were held here back in the day when we were## trying to become a federally recognized tribe.

And# this village used to actually belong to a family.# But once we became a tribe, they allowed the# tribe to use it to make sure we could do outreach## to people who weren't living in the Everglades# non-natives.

It’s a pretty, uh, pretty significant## place for that right now.

Talbott Let's talk# about the history of the Miccosukee and the## Seminoles.

We hear so much about the Seminole# Indians in the state of Florida.

Talk a little## bit about both of those tribes, the significance.# And is there collaboration between the two tribes?

Well, the history goes back to pretty much the# Seminole Wars, where we banded together with## the Seminoles.

Seminole was actually derived# from a Spanish word, Seminole, and it became## Seminole to the Seminole people.

It's actually# not an Indian word.

Um, but they lumped us all## in as Seminoles during the Seminole Wars.

And so# we came down here.

Um, you know, uh, they were## recognized back in 58 or somewhere around there# in the 50s 5757.

And then we requested for the## government that we wanted to be recognized as our# own tribe.

Um, because we had some cultural and## political differences.

When that happened, the# two tribes pretty much split.

We were recognized## as a separate tribe.

And right now, you know,# we share family and all that.

We have a really## good relationship with the Seminole tribe now.# Excellent communication and collaboration on## different things to especially the environment.# Which is so important.

I know that's really been## a focus for you, Popeye, lately.

And we'll# talk a little bit about that in a moment.# But you're the youngest member of the Business# Council.

You were a teacher for a really long## time.

You're an artist.

You've been really focused# on the youth and education.

Talk a little bit## about the importance of working with the young# people and teaching them your culture, but the## juxtaposition of living in the modern world.

How# do you do that?

It's of the utmost importance that## we focus on the young people because they're the# only reason we're going to have a future.

It's the## legacy that we need them to carry on.

And I know# growing up, I remember my grandparents being very## involved when I had questions.

They help give me# a lot of guidance and I see how I benefited from## that guidance.

So I had to make sure we passed# it on to the next generation.

That's the only## reason we're here, because we have that in our# tradition.

Young people teach old people and it's## a whole lifelong endeavor.

So you always have# to stay connected.

Throughout our whole life,## we actually have a embassy fellowship program# right now that we started recently, and that is so## high school and college graduates in the tribe, we# can train them a little bit more in-depth on the## tribe's history, how our government functions, how# tribes have function when the American government.# So that way they can speak upon the tribe's# history, whether it's to the general public or## to elected officials or whoever needs to know more# about the tribes so we can get done what we need## to get done.

We're trying to make sure these young# people realize they have a place and that they are## of value.

Talk a little bit about the relationship# between the Miccosukee and the Gators.

So from## time to time, you know, hard times, sometimes# gators will be hunted.

So that way there's## sustenance for us.

As they built the highway.# When our people were hunting, they noticed, hey,## these non-natives driving past, they're stopping# to watch us hunt the gator.

That's when we started## doing alligator wrestling, which was adapted# from traditional gator hunting techniques,## but obviously so we could keep the gator# alive now.

And that's where this whole sport## of alligator wrestling started, which it's really# more of a show, not so much a sport, but it gives## us an opportunity to stay connected with nature# and to teach others outside of here how nature is,## because these guys are incredibly misunderstood.

And it's also a reminder that no matter how much## you think things are in control, nature is still# able to win.

You as the Miccosukee have been in## this area and in the Everglades.

The modern world# out there is continued to evolve.

So talk about## what some of the biggest challenges have been for# the tribe and the rest of, say, South Florida,## for example.

Well, it's a lot of it's encroachment# and also water quality, right?

Um, and I think## that's become a bigger issue now as more people# have moved to Florida, they're beginning to## recognize the importance of the Everglades.# That's where they get their drinking water## from and everything.

I think people are starting# to hear our voice a little more on that.

You know,## we've been raising the alarm for a long time, and# it's good that people are starting to listen now,## and we're ready to educate.

Them as well.

We're# putting more effort into outreach and educating## government officials, because there's a lot of# important decisions that are about to be made.# For example, the wilderness designation# of Big Cypress, that's an issue that's## ongoing wilderness.

The way this country# approaches it basically says that, oh,## this piece of land we want to designate as# wilderness, it's no habitation by people,## no impact by people basically saying that# there is no history of humanity there.

And## we've been living in Big Cypress for centuries.# My grandmother Peggy, she's about she's almost## 100 years old.

She lives in a camp still.

And# to think like they want to disconnect her and## us from that land and act like we haven't# been present, like she was born out there,## not in a hospital.

It's important that we let# people know what's really at stake, because a lot## of people don't understand that we don't have Big# Cypress accessible to us.

That's where we hold our## ceremonies.

That's where we get medicine.

That's# where we get resources to build our homes, our## traditional homes, our chickens and things like# that.

If the Everglades is not helped, if it's not## cleaned up, those aquifers, they get polluted.

Millions of millions of South Floridians are## going to be out of water.

So that's like high# level stuff.

We have to keep in mind.

It's not## just us we're trying to protect and benefit# from.

It's the outside population as well that## we're looking out for in the end.

Talk about how# important Miccosukee Day was to the tribe.

It's## acknowledging our existence and our history, which# is often undercounted in modern times.

I mean,## a lot of people don't even know that we're still# around.

For the mayor to make this type of change## and especially the other county commissioners,# it's nice because it's a culmination of a lot## of the work our people have been doing.

Those# who were here before us and all the outreach## and education.

It's also a nice indicator that# we're moving past mythology and starting to## get into actual history, that's always the# most important thing to us.

Acknowledge the## actual history.

Let's talk a little bit about# the misconceptions that you think the outside## non-native world has with the Miccosukee Tribe.

The most common one, and that's why we have a## village, is because they think we live in Ttp's.# Or actually, you'd be surprised because I've## done a lot of traveling through the country and# people are like, Oh, what are you?

I always try## to describe myself as a human first, and people# don't like that.

When I get to describing myself## as Miccosukee, it's like, Oh, you're native.

And# sometimes you'll be like, Oh, we thought you were## all dead.

It’s to that level.

Yeah.

And we have# a different way of philosophy.

The way we look## at life.

For example, we have gaming.

But that's# only so we can fund everything we're doing here.## As far as trying to protect the environment.

It's# actually in our Constitution.

We have to conserve## the land and resources for future generations.# So that's what everything is going towards.

And## a lot of people think we're doing gaming just# because we want money.

It's like, no, we need## that to keep doing the important stuff.

That's# just the means to an end.

You are an artist.# Paipai somewhat.

Yeah.

No You are.

I've seen your# work.

Talk a little bit about Miccosukee culture## and some of the artistry that is on display.

That# is really quite beautiful.

Well, I like to think## in some ways art saved us because that's what you# really saw.

Are people developing when they were## left in peace here after the war times, that's# when you saw stuff like patchwork being developed,## Palmetto's dolls beating and stuff like that came# a little bit later through trading or whatnot.## We teach that to our students at the school# in the Miccosukee Language Arts Department,## because we want to make sure they have that skill# because like if you look at like the Patrick here,## this was developed out here in the swamps and# it's informed by our existence out here in## the Everglades.

Trent, we're here with your# beautiful beating, this beautiful work that## you do.

What inspires you?

Uh, the creative# freedom, you know, to take some of them, put## in your own hands, make something out of# it, and just the colors and everything.# It kind of, you know, get your mind going.# Like, what's the process?

How am I going## to go about this?

And, you know, you just# see it in your head and it just goes from## there.

This is a daisy chain and this is what# we learned back in like second or third grade.## The simplest form you could do.

But later on# I kind of added this to make it, you know.

A little more different, make it pop.

You# were also mentioning that within clans,## you cannot marry one another, even if you're not# necessarily blood related.

When you're in a clan,## it doesn't necessarily mean you're a blood# relation, correct?

That's correct.

It's## more of a cultural connection, which is honestly# more important in some ways than the blood part,## because clans is what keeps our culture alive.

If# you have a clan, you're able to immerse yourself## in the traditional ways.

So if you want to do# medicine, if you want to dance, you want to sing,## You need to make sure that you know, you're# keeping this clan lineage alive.

And we get## those from our mother.

So that also keeps that# connection going.

We do know that the Mikitchook## are a matriarchal society.

Telworx talk a little# bit about that and the role of the female.

The## women have a lot of power in our tribe.

There's# always going to be ahead of clan, and that woman## makes most of the decisions for the family and# the decisions that affect the tribe as well.# So, you know, we always rely on the woman's# opinions on that Hmm.

And their decisions?

Yeah.## Actually, when I ran for this office.

I did flip# a coin.

But before I flip the coin.

I checked with## my grandma.

If I should even entertain this idea.# She was cool with it.

Yeah, Yeah.

She's always## been a she's been a good advisor for me.

My mom# told me not to, but I didn't.

I don't listen.

What## is a really important message that you would# like non-Natives to know?

You know, for us,## the tribe.

I think it's evident in everything# that we've accomplished that the tribe always## adapts.

We're just going to keep on going.

And,# you know, we're always going to be here.

And we## always want to be good neighbors through to# the people in South Florida.

So, you know,## provide jobs, give back to the economy and, you# know, fight for the Everglades as well for them,## not just for us.

History tells us what we've done# and what we should do and what we shouldn't do.## And American history is intrinsically tied# in with native history, because so much has## been in action or reaction to our existence.

But when you prioritize American mythology## over history, that basically leaves# us completely out of the book.

I mean,## that's why we're doing this right now so# people can get a better understanding.

I mean,## you have people living in Miami-Dade or Collier# County, Broward, all their life, but they don't## know anything really about Seminole or Miccosukee# other than, oh, they both have gaming.

So to me,## that speaks a lot on the work that we need# to do.

And not just us, but as a people.

We## need to acknowledge reality.

Being on the# same page so we can move forward together.