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chickee talk

Surveying the Kissimmee Billie Slough

“The Seminole Science of Everglades Restoration”
by Tina Marie Osceola

n previous articles, I promised to share When preparing to write this article, I asked those working
more about what I do at my “real job” as in the field to send me photos they have taken and what their
Ithe Director of the Seminole Tribe of experiences have been while working in the field:
Florida’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office Shawn Keyte, the Crew Chief, and project lead, was responsible
(THPO). Most folks have never heard of for drafting the methodology. He sent a photo that really makes
historic preservation offices, let alone what what they face in the field every single day. There are no clear
kind of work they perform. Anyone wanting to paths. There are dense areas of brush, trees, vines, water and
know more, can read this incredibly long law, the National Historic sometimes wildlife. Shawn’s comments about his photo show that
Preservation Act (NHPA, 1966). The act created a relationship archaeology is more than just a job, it’s a vocation. A person must
between states, tribes, local governments and the federal government have a different level of consciousness. A person must be able to
and their preservation requirements. For the Seminole Tribe of feel or hear what the natural environment is saying, “this photo has
Florida’s THPO, we have a staff of 25 people, mostly archaeologists some meaning to me because I had stopped there for a break and
who perform the work required by federal law. I received a text [that a tribal member colleague’s father had died].
This month, I am focusing on one of the THPO’s largest Over the past few months I’ve gotten to know [them] and have
sections, the Tribal Archaeology Section, led by Tribal really learned about [their] connection to the earth and the land. I
Archaeologist, Maureen Mahoney. Maureen, a graduate of Florida don’t know why, but after she texted, something clicked and I just
State University, has been with the Tribe for more than a dozen felt like I understood the importance of where I was working and
years now and is not only a subject matter expert in Florida who I was working for. That’s when I took the photo. I sent it to
archaeology, but has defined Seminole archaeology or what I like to her and said that I had found this beautiful spot in the slough and
call “Seminole Science.” A primary focus of the Tribal Archaeology that I was going to take a break and think about her and her dad…
Section is to perform cultural resource surveys on tribal lands to I guess what I am trying to say is that working in the slough, in
avoid any adverse effects. combination with getting to know more Tribal members on a
If you watch the History Channel, archaeologists are depicted personal level, has allowed me to really understand how important
more like treasure hunters looking for artifacts by using large earth the native areas and slough are to the Seminole people.”
movers or any means possible… I’m thinking about the Curse of Josh Roche, an archaeologist who joined us early last year, sent
Oak Island. However, the Tribe’s team of archaeologists use the least an incredible photo of a “bear tree,” showing where a bear has
intrusive, disturbing methods possible when surveying tribal lands. been using it as a way to scratch its body. Josh also commented,
This doesn’t sound as interesting as it really is, so this month I want “Sometimes working in the KBS is magical, you see some beautiful
to share photos from the field from one of our largest and most landscape that seems to have been untouched for ages, only for
difficult projects ever embarked upon. there to be an empty Gatorade bottle sitting three feet in front
When the Everglades were drained by the Army Corps of of you. The beautiful landscape quickly turns into an angry sea of
Engineers, many critical areas to the ecosystem were negatively sawgrass palmettos that yearn for blood. However the environment
affected. The Kissimmee Billie Slough, located on the western- changes considerably, from palmettos to a pineland to a hammock,
most side of the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, is one of those then to a swamp in the blink of an eye. Speaking of eyes, you really
areas. As those responsible for Everglades Restoration politicize the have to keep them open, for vines and wildlife.
prioritization of those projects, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has I haven’t run into one yet, but on the fringes of your senses you can
stood firm in its desire to rehydrate the Kissimmee Billie Slough hear something rustling separate of the wind, and it makes you
(KBS). The KBS is very important to the Seminole and its health is remember that you are not alone out there. Honestly, being new
paramount to cultural survival. to this field of archaeology as a whole, this area has been brutal
Federal law being what it is under the National Historic for me. I leave the field with several new cuts each time, or with a
Preservation Act, approximately 1,500 acres of the slough will be pound of Caesar Weed on my clothes and hair!”
surveyed for cultural resources. The methodology requires that Jason Oliver, another archaeologist who joined us early last year,
close to 7,000 holes will be dug by a team of five to six people. sent a really cool photo of a survey marker, once again illustrating
The team will identify and map out the cultural resources needing that although that area seems untouched, it has been traveled,
protection when designing the Western Everglades Restoration “the first one is of a tree tag or survey marker I saw on a random
Project. These resources include everything from archaeological sites, cypress tree. I showed Jack the photo and he said it may be a
traditional plants and landscapes, historic camps, to burial resources. survey marker from the original survey in 1926.”
Community involvement is also critical to the project and members Jack Chalfant, Seminole Tribal Member and Cultural Resource
of Seminole Tribe will be interviewed, consulted, and involved. The Supervisor, focused on the amazing cypress trees they found in the
Tribal Archaeology Section began this survey in December of 2022, slough. The photos he sent really illustrate the amazing landscape
and we predict that it could take anywhere from three to five years of this very traditional and important resource to the Seminole
to complete. people.
16 Life in Naples | February 2023