History

Indian Casino Florida Panhandle Resorts

Tribal Language Groups.

Locate casinos near Pensacola Florida with drive time and travel distance. Florida has seven Indian casinos. Six are owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and one is owned and operated by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. The total annual revenues from Indian gaming in Florida is estimated to be $2.5 billion ranking third in the U.S. #1 Casino Choice of U.S. The following Indian-owned casinos and bingo halls are located in the state of Florida. Click the casino or bingo hall name or photo to view more details. Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Center 500 SW 177th Ave.

The map and tribal names shown below are located at website http://www.native-languages.org/florida.htm

You will also find information regarding the formation of the Seminoles. This site states that, 'Seminoles were not originally a single tribe but an alliance of Northern Florida and South Georgia natives who banded together in the 1700s.'

Not all researchers agree on the history and tribal grounds of early Native Americans in Florida so read information on this issue from several sources to gain a deeper understanding of the issues.Tribal groups particular to our local area include: Euchee, Chickasaw, Muskogee Creek, probably Choctaw, and the Alabamo, Coosada (Koasati), Chatas and Sawoki.

Native Americans in Northwest Florida.

When tracing Indian ancestors in OkaloosaCounty, search the counties between Mobile, AL. and the Apalachicola River, FL. During the later part of the 19th century Creeks from south Alabama and South Georgia migrated into West Florida, adding to the small Indian population already present here.Some of those who were ‘removed,' upon returning to their home area tried to stay as close as possible to their ancestral tribal grounds. Florida Indians tended to live together in small family groups, usually in remote areas to avoid undue attention or trouble. This way they could also move quickly to another area if necessary. Creek country was from Pensacola, FL to the Apalachicola River; Seminoles were generally from Apalachicola to the East and South, the Uchees favored Uchee Valley and down to Ft. Walton Beach, FL. The Creek/Seminole people, more connected to the Georgia Creeks, centered near Perry, FL. They were not particularly close to the other tribal groups in the Panhandle. WaltonCounty was a center of gravity in the Creek wars of 1836-37. Understanding what happened in the Florida panhandle in those years is most significant.
The challenges of tracing Native American ancestry can be legion and complex so pace yourself and take the long view. Remember that the native peoples, as a rule, did not maintain a written tradition. Most documentation was done by the white settlers via families named in land treaties or on trading post ledgers or census records. Also, many tribal associations have been deeply affected by whether they were ‘removed’ or ‘unremoved’ from their native lands. More recently, the search is further convoluted by attempts to obtain tribal 'membership.'

In the very early years (late 1700s - mid 1800s), the Creek peoples of the Southeast occupied territory as follows:

Upper Creeks - Occupied most of Alabama from south of the Tennessee River to Pensacola, FL.

Lower Creeks - Occupied most of Georgia and North Florida.

Seminole -' Breakaway' Creeks, Apalachees & Afro- American slaves who relocated to South Florida.

Here are a few profiles of key people who have played a role in the history of Native Americans in our general area:

Andrew Ramsey, Chief of the Miccosukee Band of Apalachicola Creeks. Andrew Ramsey was born in 1923 and is an Apalachicola River Creek Native American living in Blountstown Florida. His family ancestors settled Calhoun County in 1815. Andrew’s Indian name is Vntolv Harjo and under this name he was Chief of the Miccosukee band of the Apalachicola Creeks. The Creeks used to share a cultural history with the Seminoles, but following the Treaty of Moultrie Creek in 1823 they became a separate people. The government closed their Indian reservation on the west side of the Apalachicola River in the late 1830s.
Calvin McGhee, Chief of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Despite the forced removal of Creek Indians from Georgia and Alabama in 1836, some Creeks in the Tensaw district of Alabama maintained a distinct community around the small town of Poarch. The federal government held a tract of land at Poarch in trust for the Indians until 1924. In the 1940s the community began to organize politically in its own interest, and from 1950 to 1970 tribal leader Calvin McGhee spearheaded a campaign for recognition of Creek land claims in the southeastern states. The Poarch Band raised funds largely through an annual Thanksgiving Day Pow Wow. The Poarch Band descends from Muscogee Creek Indians who sided with the United States in the Creek War of 1813-1814.

-- Calvin McGhee Cultural Center. 5811 Jack Springs Rd.Atmore, Alabama36502

Muscogee Nation of Florida (formerly The Florida Tribe of Eastern Creek Indians) PO Box 3028. Bruce, FL 32455, is recognized by the House and Senate of the State of Florida. They reside in small townships across north Florida interior; families represent the clans of the Wind, Bird, Deer, Bobcat, Bear and Big House. (Google them and look for the town name, Bruce, FL.)

Santa Rosa County Creek Indian Tribe, Inc. 4344 US Hwy 90 Suite A. Pace, FL. located between Pensacola and Milton in northwest Florida along Hwy 90 and Interstate 10, their mission is to raise community awareness to the Native American cultures, traditional and current issues. Surnames include: Nichols.

Nathan Chessher, Elder, Muscogee Nation of Florida, is our local authority on historical aspects of Native Americans in our Okaloosa County area. The short list below is gleaned from his article, 'The Creek Nation in Okaloosa County, Florida' See the 'Native American Research & Resources' section at this website to locate this article and his article entitled, 'Indian Traders Migration to Our Area'. See more of his work in the Culture & Heritage section of this web page and in the exhibits at the Baker Block Museum.

There was a significant Indian trail along the Blackwater River.
Both the trail and the river served as a dividing line between the Upper Creek and Lower Creek
hunting grounds.
There was (an Indian) Village near the Oak Grove Community on the Yellow River at the Great Ford,
many refugee Indians joined this group after the First and Second Creek Wars.
In December, 1814, the Old Alabamo King and 30 of his warriors were killed, and 75 people were taken
prisoner. This occurred on the East side of Yellow River, in present-day Okaloosa County, the exact
location is unknown.

Trade Paths<