James E. Billie facts for kids

James Edward Billie (born March 20, 1944), often called Chief Jim Billie, is a well-known leader. He served as the chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida for many years. He held this important position from 1979 to 2001, and then again from 2011 to 2016.

His first time as chairman lasted 22 years, which was a very long time for an elected leader. In 2001, he was removed from his position. However, he later won a lawsuit and received $600,000. In 2011, he was re-elected as chairman, winning almost 60% of the votes.

In 2005, Sarasota Magazine called Chief Billie "the most powerful American Indian leader of the past century." He is famous for helping the tribe succeed in a major court case in 1996. This case, called Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida, helped protect the tribe's rights as a self-governing nation. In 2019, he received the Florida Folk Heritage Award.

Early Life and Seminole Culture

Jim Billie was born in 1944 in a simple camp near Dania, Florida. His mother, Agnes Billie, was a Seminole from the Bird clan. His father was a sailor who went to war and never knew Agnes was expecting a baby. His mother named him Whookipee, which means "He who has been taken away."

Even though his father was white, Jim Billie was raised as a Seminole. This is because the Seminole people follow a matrilineal system. This means children belong to their mother's clan. So, Jim Billie was part of his mother's Bird clan. He grew up learning the traditional Seminole ways.

When he was nine, his mother passed away, and he became an orphan. But he was not alone. Several families from the Bird clan took care of him. He is still very close to them today. By age fourteen, he was earning money for his family by catching and wrestling alligators in tourist shows. He also loved music from a young age. He later used the sounds he heard to create his own songs.

At 19, in 1965, he joined the United States Army. He served in special units during the Vietnam War.

Chief Billie's Career and Tribal Success

After returning to Florida, Jim Billie worked various jobs on the Seminole reservation. He was concerned about the young people in his community. He began to study his heritage more deeply and spoke about the Seminole traditions. He also started a very successful business building traditional Seminole houses called chickees. Many non-Native people wanted these authentic structures. He also managed the Seminole Indian Village on the Hollywood reservation.

He soon became involved in tribal politics. His first elected role was on the General Council.

Leading the Tribe's Gaming Industry

In 1979, Jim Billie was elected Chairman of the Seminole Tribe. He led the tribe through important legal challenges. These challenges were about the tribe's plan to open a high-stakes bingo game. The previous chairman, Howard Tommie, had first suggested this idea.

Despite challenges from the state, the Tribe opened its first gaming site. This was a big step because it showed their right as a self-governing nation to have gambling. At that time, gambling was mostly illegal in many places. The success of these gaming operations brought a lot of money to the Seminole Tribe. Many other Native American tribes later followed their example.

States tried to control gambling even after the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) was passed in 1988. This act set federal rules for tribal gaming. In 1996, the Seminole Tribe won a major case in the US Supreme Court. This case, Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida, confirmed the tribe's sovereign rights. It meant the state could not regulate the tribe's gaming outside of the IGRA.

As the tribe's income grew, they built a large five-story administration building. The Tribal Council was pleased with the tribe's success under Billie's leadership. They raised his annual salary to $330,000. He became the highest-paid elected official in Florida.

Later Years and Business Ventures

In 2001, the Seminole Council removed Billie from his position as chairman. They said there were disagreements about money. The St. Petersburg Times wrote articles about him, and the FBI investigated him for years. The tribe's court case against him ended after he was removed from the council in 2003. He was also not allowed to use the tribe's airplanes. He sued the Council and was awarded $600,000 by the Seminole Tribe that same year.

By 2005, an audit showed the Seminole Tribe had earned $1.1 billion in revenue that year. In 2007, the tribe bought the Hard Rock Cafe franchise. This included restaurants, hotels, and casinos around the world. By 2011, the Sun Sentinel newspaper estimated the tribe's total earnings were in the billions of dollars and still growing.

In 2011, Billie ran for chairman again and won. He defeated Mitchell Cypress, who had been chairman for two terms. Billie won with 58.4 percent of the votes. He was removed as chairman again in September 2016.

After leaving the chairmanship, Billie went back to his business. He continued building traditional chickee huts. This was his first business before he entered tribal politics. In 2005, Billie also became the CEO of Micco Aircraft Company in Oklahoma. This company makes recreational aircraft.

Family and Music

Jim Billie has eight children. He lives near Lake Okeechobee on reservation lands with his longtime wife, Maria, and their two children, Eecho and AUBEE. Both Eecho and AUBEE, who is a Broadway Star, credit their success to their parents, James E Billie and Maria Billie.

Besides politics and business, Billie is also a talented musician and songwriter. His band is called The Shack Daddies. They play a style of music he calls "swamp-rock," which is a type of folk rock. In 1999, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his song “Big Alligator.” This song was on his album, Alligator Tears.

That same year, Billie helped the band Phish organize their two-day New Year's Eve festival. This huge event took place at the Big Cypress reservation. About 80,000 fans came to the Seminole land. Billie even performed two of his songs with Phish during their concert on December 30.

In February 2012, Billie had a stroke. This caused him to temporarily leave his office as chairman.

Awards and Recognition

• 1999: Nominated for a Grammy Award for his song “Big Alligator.”
• 1999: Received the Outstanding Music Achievement award from the First American in Arts Council.
• 1999: Named a Living Legend by the Native American Music Awards.

In Pop Culture

In 1999, the band Phish held a New Year's Run Festival at the Big Cypress Reservation in Florida. Jim Billie was invited on stage. He spoke to the large crowd and played a few songs with the band. (Phish, Big Cypress 1999)