Buffalo Tiger facts for kids
William Buffalo Tiger (born Heenehatche; March 6, 1920 – January 6, 2015) was an important leader of the Miccosukee Nation. This Native American tribe lives in the Everglades area of Florida. He was the first elected chairman of the tribe, serving from 1962 to 1985. Before that, he led the General Council starting in 1957. His hard work helped the Miccosukee people organize politically. It also led to the United States government officially recognizing them as an independent Native American tribe in 1962. Under his guidance, the Miccosukee wrote their own constitution to govern their people.
In 1959, Buffalo Tiger even led a group to Cuba. There, the government of Fidel Castro formally recognized the Miccosukee Nation. After this, the U.S. Government also recognized the tribe in 1962. In 1971, under Buffalo Tiger's leadership, the Miccosukee were the first tribe to take charge of their own social and educational programs. This idea was later encouraged by the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975. Buffalo Tiger and the tribe used their independence to protect their culture and traditions in their homeland. He also wrote a book about his life, called Buffalo Tiger: A Life in the Everglades (2008), with historian Harry A. Kersey. Later in his life, he ran an airboat tour company in the Florida Everglades.
Early Life in the Everglades
William Buffalo Tiger was born Heenehatche in 1920. He grew up in a traditional Miccosukee village in the Florida Everglades. His family lived in a "chickee," which is a house built on stilts above the ground. As a member of the Miccosukee tribe, his first language was Mikasuki. This is one of the Muskogee languages. He learned all about the traditional customs of his people. In the early 1900s, the Miccosukee were often seen as part of the Seminole tribe. They kept their traditional way of life by living deep within the Everglades, away from most other communities.
The Tamiami Trail was a road built through the Everglades in the 1920s and 1930s. This road cut right through Seminole and Miccosukee lands. It brought tourists to the area, which created some jobs and a market for Miccosukee crafts. However, it also started to change their culture. Many Seminole people lived closer to towns and adapted more to the new ways. In the 1940s, the Seminole began moving to special Indian reservations. But the Miccosukee chose to stay outside these areas.
Becoming a Miccosukee Leader
In the 1950s, the Seminole people faced new challenges. In 1953, the U.S. government suggested ending their status as a tribe. This would have meant losing certain benefits and, more importantly, the government ignoring their independence.
Most Seminole people in Florida organized to gain political power. In 1957, they were officially recognized by the federal government as the Seminole Tribe of Florida. This process showed the cultural differences between the groups. Another big issue was claiming land taken by the government in the 1800s. The Seminole tribes in Oklahoma and Florida wanted money for the lost lands. However, the Miccosukee and other traditional groups wanted the land itself returned.
At this time, the Seminole and Miccosukee formally became separate tribes. Buffalo Tiger led the Miccosukee. They gained state recognition in 1957 and federal recognition in 1962. Other traditional groups did not join either tribe.
The Miccosukee people wanted to keep their traditional ways and stay somewhat separate from the main culture. Buffalo Tiger learned English as a young man while working as a housepainter. He began to speak for his tribe when dealing with non-Native Americans. As the modern world came closer to the Miccosukee and the Everglades, he became a strong and clear leader for his community.
Buffalo Tiger became chief of the Miccosukee in 1957. After the tribe wrote its constitution, he was elected as their first tribal chairman. He served as chairman for many decades. To help the tribe gain federal recognition, Buffalo Tiger asked several countries to recognize the Miccosukee in 1959. Only Cuba responded. He, Homer Osceola, and Morton Silver traveled to Cuba in 1959. They met with Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba's new government.
Buffalo Tiger worked with state and federal officials to make changes. He also worked to protect the tribe's culture and natural resources. In May 1971, under his leadership, the Miccosukee signed a contract with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. This contract allowed them to take over their own social and educational programs. Before this, government workers ran these programs. Buffalo Tiger worked closely with the tribe's lawyer, S. Bobo Dean, who helped with talks in Washington, D.C. The Miccosukee were the first tribe to take such control. They did this thanks to President Richard M. Nixon's idea of Indian self-determination in 1970. This happened even before a law was passed in 1975 to support it.
The Miccosukee have several areas of land, known together as the Miccosukee Indian Reservation. In 1983, they also made a deal with the state water conservation district. This gave them access to and rights to fish and hunt in 200,000 acres of wetlands.
Chief Buffalo Tiger was also part of the Florida Governor's Council on Indian Affairs. This group was created in 1974 to advise the state's governor. He and the chief of the Seminole tribe were co-chairs of this group. Two-thirds of the members were chosen by the two federally recognized tribes in Florida.
Buffalo Tiger helped bring modern improvements to his people. This included controlling their own programs, developing their economy, and improving medicine and education. At the same time, he supported efforts to keep their culture alive. The Miccosukee Indian Village Museum was founded in 1983. Some traditionalists disagreed with him because he didn't gain more land for the tribe. He was voted out of office in 1985.
Later Years and Legacy
After the late 1980s, Buffalo Tiger started a business giving airboat tours through the Everglades. He used these tours to teach people about the environment and to gain support for protecting the area. He was against building I-75, a major highway, through the Everglades. This highway was finished in 1993. His family members took over his airboat tour business, Buffalo Tiger's Airboat Tour, in the 2000s.
Buffalo Tiger was married three times. He lived in Miami. He had five children. Two of his sons from his first marriage are active in the Miccosukee community. One worked as an engineer, and Steven Tiger led a rock band called Tiger Tiger.
His autobiography, Buffalo Tiger: A Life in the Everglades (2008), won several awards. These included the Samuel Proctor Oral History Award and the James J. Horgan Book Award.
