A group of Florida State University students traveled to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation in South Florida Nov. 1-2 to volunteer at the annual American Indigenous Arts Celebration (AIAC). The event, hosted by the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, celebrated Native American Heritage Month and featured Seminole and Indigenous art, music, food, dance and more.
The festival provided the group of 20 FSU student volunteers the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich culture and traditions of the Seminole Tribe of Florida (STOF) while connecting and engaging with the community on a personal level.
“Our students proudly call themselves Seminoles and this is a great way to get them to see beyond iconography and athletics,” said Andrew Frank, director of FSU’s Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) Center. “I think they learned more about the modern and traditional Seminole world in a short few days than my students normally learn in a semester. They also taught tribal members a lot about FSU and are creating lasting partnerships and friendships.”
The trip, made possible by FSU’s NAIS Center and the Center for Leadership & Service, included a tour of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and volunteering with school groups attending the festival.
“The first day was amazing,” said Alexia Holliday, a second-year political science and English major. “One of the highlights was a spoken word story by a member of the Seminole Tribe, which has been passed down through generations. It was really cool to hear that.”
During the festival, students were able to join in and experience the native and Indigenous art and craft vendors, tribal food, live music, live dancers, alligator wrestling and more.
Matthew Boudreau, a third-year student double majoring in political science and communication, shared that the trip also allowed him to meet new people, including prominent members of the STOF, both at the festival and among the FSU student volunteers.
“I really enjoyed the people that I came down on the trip with,” he said. “I got to meet a lot of new people and it was nice getting to learn together. Everyone on the trip was super interested and asked questions whenever we could.”
“This is but the first of many service and educational opportunities for our students on reservation, and I am excited for what we can do next.”
– Andrew Frank, director of FSU’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Center
Beyond the educational aspect, the festival also provided students the opportunity to learn about the rich history and traditions of the STOF and leave with a deeper understanding of the Tribe’s significance to and collaborative relationship with Florida State University.
“I think that’s something that all students should be exposed to because it gives us a deeper appreciation of the culture,” said Lauren Mayo, a senior double majoring in interdisciplinary social sciences and media communication studies. “Carrying the name of the Seminole Tribe with pride is important.”
Last year, the NAIS Center was created to unite research from academics across diverse disciplines within the university, including art, art history, music, modern languages and linguistics, religion, history, archaeology, geography and anthropology. The NAIS Center provides a physical and conceptual hub for community members who are committed to Native American and Indigenous research and artistic practice, while also promoting and coordinating consultations with tribal nations and community leaders, educational efforts inside and outside of the classroom, and collaborative scholarship more broadly.
“This is but the first of many service and educational opportunities for our students on reservation, and I am excited for what we can do next,” Frank said of the recent trip.
The NAIS Center will soon have a physical location on campus near the Westcott Building and continues to support events and engage with partners across campus, like the Center for Leadership & Service, to enrich global indigeneity research and education.
“The trip was incredibly meaningful for me and all the students that attended,” said Emily Cain, community leadership program coordinator for the Center for Leadership & Service. “It was an amazing experience that I hope will become a yearly tradition. I left with a newfound knowledge of the history and culture of The Seminole Tribe of Florida. It brought me so much joy to be in that space and to learn from others. I hope that highlighting the trip will spark an interest around participating in educational opportunities with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.”
For more information about the relationship between FSU and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, visit fsu.edu/seminole-tribe.
