The Enduring Seminoles: From Alligator Wrestling to Casino Gaming (Florida History and Culture) [Paperback]

PATSY WEST (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 081303213X | ISBN-13: 978-0813032139 | Publication Date: February 17, 2008 | Edition: Revised

"A unique social and economic history of the Seminoles and an insightful view of their cultural adaptation and cultural continuity that previously has not been appreciated or understood."--Florida Heritage

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

West, the current director of the Seminole/Miccosukee Photographic Archive in Fort Lauderdale, FL, deals directly with the problems and possibilities imposed upon the Seminoles by the rise of Florida as a tourist mecca during the 20th century. She clearly illustrates the Seminoles' resiliency in adapting to significant changes while still maintaining traditional cultural and social values. West documents the post-Civil War shift from traditional ways to their current position as a major economic force in the Southeastern United States. Significant challenges to the traditional Seminole economy have included the draining and dredging of the Everglades and the growth of the tourist industry. This book represents a positive and enlightening contribution to contemporary Native American ethnographies and how traditional cultures can be maintained in the face of increasing technological and informational change. Recommended for public and academic libraries.?John Dockall, Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

"This engaging short work of anthropology and Florida Indian history deserves a wide audience. . . . It is sophisticated enough for a university seminar but filled with appeal for anyone interested in Native Americans, Florida history or the interaction of tourists and native peoples."--Tampa Tribune Times

 

"Engrossing. . . . West has shown us just how vital tourism has been to the Seminoles and the Miccosukees."--Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

 

"Packed full of stories and details about Florida tribes and tourism."--Orlando Sentinel

 

"A unique social and economic history of the Seminoles and an insightful view of their cultural adaptation and cultural continuity that previously has not been appreciated or understood."--Florida Heritage

 

"Everyone interested in Florida's Indian population will certainly want this book for their personal collection."--Polk County News Chief

 

"Provides significant contextual information from a Native perspective that undermines facile assumptions about Indians as passive victims of an exploitative tourism industry, contributing to ongoing postcolonial debates about similar phenomena worldwide."--Journal of American History

 

"What West makes most clear is that the Natives quickly perceived the degree to which the tourists valued dramatic displays and they adapted the process over the years to serve their own economic ends."--Florida Historical Quarterly

 

"Should make some scholars look again at what they thought were the effects of commercial enterprises on the lives of American Indian people in this hemisphere."--American Indian Quarterly

 

Patsy West, director of the Seminole/Miccosukee Photographic Archive in Fort Lauderdale, writes a regular history column for the Seminole Tribune, the Seminole tribal newspaper.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Florida; Revised edition (February 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081303213X
• ISBN-13: 978-0813032139
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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