Miccosukee

Divisions between the Miccosukees and Seminoles peaked during the 1950s. Under the federal government's program of termination of recognition, it proposed terminating the U.S. recognition of the Florida Seminoles in 1953. The Miccosukee response was the Buckskin Declaration in 1954, which a Miccosukee delegation personally delivered to one of president [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]'s aides. The declaration stated that the Trail Indians wanted nothing from the U.S. government; the Indians only wanted to be able to live their lives on the land as they always had.{{Cite book |last1=Tiger |first1=Buffalo |title=Buffalo Tiger: A Life in the Everglades |last2=Kersey, Jr. |first2=Harry A. |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2002 |location=Lincoln |pages=85–86}} Meanwhile, the reservation Indians in Florida became known as the [[Seminole Tribe of Florida]] after they developed a constitution and corporate charter to organize a government; they achieved federal recognition in 1957.

Divisions between the Miccosukees and Seminoles peaked during the 1950s. Under the federal government's program of termination of recognition, it proposed terminating the U.S. recognition of the Florida Seminoles in 1953. The Miccosukee response was the Buckskin Declaration in 1954, which a Miccosukee delegation personally delivered to one of president [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]'s aides. The declaration stated that the Trail Indians wanted nothing from the U.S. government; the Indians only wanted to be able to live their lives on the land as they always had.{{Cite book |last1=Tiger |first1=Buffalo |title=Buffalo Tiger: A Life in the Everglades |last2=Kersey, Jr. |first2=Harry A. |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2002 |location=Lincoln |pages=85–86}} Meanwhile, the reservation Indians in Florida became known as the [[Seminole Tribe of Florida]] after they developed a constitution and corporate charter to organize a government; they achieved federal recognition in 1957.

The land claims and termination controversies heightened the distinction for the Miccosukee living near the Tamiami Trail. Unable to gain similar federal recognition of their own right to sovereignty, a group of Miccosukees, led by the young councilmember [[Buffalo Tiger]] (Heenehatche), visited Cuba in July 1959 during the brand-new [[Fidel Castro|Castro]] regime's celebration of the [[26th of July Movement]] in Havana.{{Cite news |last=Reno |first=Bob |date=July 28, 1959 |title=Seminoles Win Cuban Approval |pages=1, 2A |work=The Miami Herald}} This strategy was successful for the Miccosukees, as the U.S. government began negotiations upon the group's return to Florida. The Trail Indians gained federal recognition of their sovereignty in 1962 as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Buffalo Tiger became the first chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe, and he continued to lead as chairman of the Miccosukee Business Council until 1985.

The land claims and termination controversies heightened the distinction for the Miccosukee living near the Tamiami Trail. Unable to gain similar federal recognition of their own right to sovereignty, a group of Miccosukees, led by the young councilmember [[Buffalo Tiger]] (Heenehatche), visited Cuba in July 1959 during the brand-new [[Fidel Castro|Castro]] regime's celebration of the [[26th of July Movement]] in Havana.{{Cite news |last=Reno |first=Bob |date=July 28, 1959 |title=Seminoles Win Cuban Approval |pages=1, 2A |work=The Miami Herald}} The nation congratulated Castro in his success in the Cuban revolution, and Castro responded by offering to “formally recognize” the Miccosukee as a sovereign nation.{{cite book |last1=Rutherford |first1=Scott |title=Canada's Other Red Scare |page=63}} This strategy was successful for the Miccosukees, as the U.S. government began negotiations upon the group's return to Florida. The Trail Indians gained federal recognition of their sovereignty in 1962 as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Buffalo Tiger became the first chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe, and he continued to lead as chairman of the Miccosukee Business Council until 1985.

The Miccosukee Tribe continued to pursue increased tribal sovereignty. On May 4, 1971, the Miccosukee Corporation assumed operational responsibility for all of the programs formerly administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These programs included healthcare, law enforcement, and education, among others. The Miccosukee Tribe was the first Native American tribe in the U.S. to achieve this distinction by taking advantage of the [[Richard Nixon]] administration's stated preference in 1970 for [[self-determination]] among Indigenous tribes.{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2023 |title=Tribal Self-Governance Timeline |url=https://www.tribalselfgov.org/resources/milestones-tribal-self-governance/ |access-date=October 19, 2023 |website=Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium}} This preference for self-determination was later enshrined as the [[Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975|Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act]] of 1975.

The Miccosukee Tribe continued to pursue increased tribal sovereignty. On May 4, 1971, the Miccosukee Corporation assumed operational responsibility for all of the programs formerly administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These programs included healthcare, law enforcement, and education, among others. The Miccosukee Tribe was the first Native American tribe in the U.S. to achieve this distinction by taking advantage of the [[Richard Nixon]] administration's stated preference in 1970 for [[self-determination]] among Indigenous tribes.{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2023 |title=Tribal Self-Governance Timeline |url=https://www.tribalselfgov.org/resources/milestones-tribal-self-governance/ |access-date=October 19, 2023 |website=Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium}} This preference for self-determination was later enshrined as the [[Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975|Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act]] of 1975.