Seminole Museum Earns Coveted National Accreditation

It took about five years plus a whole lot of introspection and some big changes, but the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum has received its national accreditation from the American Association of Museums.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki, with its main branch located on the tribe’s Big Cypress Reservation and a smaller facility in Okalee, became the first tribally operated museum to earn accreditation this spring. The National Museum of the American Indian, operated by the Smithsonian Institute, was accredited this spring as well.

The main facility, which opened in 1997, is the steward of more than 11,000 artifacts and archives that the tribe started collecting more than 20 years. The campus, visited by people from all over the world, is made up of three buildings, totaling over 5,000 square feet of space, and includes four galleries. Read more in American Indian Report.

Florida Eying a New Deal on Seminole's Compact

The Sun-Sentinel.com reports this week that the Florida legislature is ready to roll out a bill that would strip the Seminole Tribe of the right to offer card games – baccarat and blackjack -- at its casino. The tribe negotiated a compact with the state just two years ago and any tinkering with it could change the financial terms – the Seminoles had agreed to pay the state $100,000 a year for the next 25 years, based in part on the tribe’s ability to offer blackjack at its casino. 

Drugs and Alcohol Cut Seminole Lives Short

Despite the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s economic success — its annual revenues from gaming operations and other enterprises is around $1.4 billion — alcohol and drug abuse plague its young people, according to an article published by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Sept. 28.

With the year not even over, 17 Seminole tribal members have died in 2008, and alcohol or drug use is linked to 11 of these deaths, whether it be car crashes or suicide, the Sun-Sentinel reported. The 27-year-old daughter of Tribal Councilman David Cypress, who died in a car crash last spring, is among the fatalities.

Each of the tribe’s 3,300 members receive about $120,000 a year, free education and a guaranteed job, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Over the last 10 years, the life expectancy of Seminole people has dropped from 59.7 years to 48.5 years, according to the paper, citing the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics as the source of these statistics. The average life expectancy for all Floridians is 73. Is the low rate related to substance abuse?

Although the tribe did not officially comment on the death rate of its members, a few members were interviewed and had insight to share on the substance abuse issue, including Jarrid Smith, 23, who said, “I'm not sure the tribe is doing enough to address the problem."

Per Caps Enough, Court Says. Mom Doesn't Need Child Support from Dad

A mother seeking child support from her children’s father was denied because, a Florida appeals court determined, the children’s needs were more than adequately covered by per caps from the Seminole Tribe. As members of the Seminole Tribe, the mother and the father each received $10,500 a month. Each of their four children received $2,625 a month and an additional $7,600, which was deposited in a trust account that would be paid to each child when he or she turned 18. The court affirmed a lower court ruling that under Florida law, it could depart from the presumption of parental support for the children because other sources of income made it unnecessary. The case is Cypress v. Jumper, Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.