by Windy Goodloe, Secretary, Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association
From Saturday, January 18 to Sunday, January 19, Florida Black Historical Research Inc. (FBHRP Inc.) held its annual event titled “The 187th Anniversary Annual Seminole Maroon Spiritual Remembrance of the Two 1838 Battles of the Loxahatchee River” in Jupiter, Florida. This year’s theme was “No Quarter! The Saga of the ‘Negro Fort’ Settlement at Prospect Bluff,” which is located in Apalachicola, Florida, and was a prelude to the Seminole Wars. This theme continues the FBHRP Inc.’s overall mission of “Telling the Full History.”
On Saturday afternoon, attendees gathered at the West Jupiter Community and Recreation Center. The theme of this special forum was titled “Florida’s Black Frontier” and was moderated by Ms. Antoinette Riley, who is on the FBHRP Inc.’s board. Ms. Gwendolyn Ferguson, with the African American Research Library and Cultural Center of Palm Beach County, gave the invocation. Following the invocation, Dr. Wallis Tinnie, who is also a FBHRP Inc. board member, welcomed everyone and invited us all to eat before the program began.
After dining on a wonderfully catered meal that consisted of curry chicken sliders, meatballs in a savory sauce, a colorful pasta salad, spring rolls, and peach cobbler, Dr. Anthony Dixon, author of Florida’s Negro War and writer/producer of the Black Seminole Project, kicked things off. He gave a general overview of the history of the Negro Fort and the events that led up to the First Seminole War.
Following Dr. Dixon, Mr. Willard “Bill” Steele, historian and archaeologist, spoke about “Florida’s Black Frontier.” Interestingly and to my delight, he spoke about Brackettville and Nacimiento and also shared pictures of both places in his slides. He ended his talk with a photo of three young men on horses who were related to Corina Torralba, our treasurer.
On Sunday, we gathered at the Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park at 10:00 a.m. This part of the event was titled “Battlefield Spiritual Remembrance” and was hosted by Mr. Dinizulu Gene Tinnie, who is a FBHRP Inc. board member. The opening Indigenous blessing of the land was done by Raining Deer, who is Iyeska, Powhatan, and a member of the Cox Osceola Seminole Tribe of Orange Springs, Florida. She had walked the area, purifying it with sage, before the program began. She also invited everyone to be saged after she finished her ceremony. Following Raining Deer, Nana Mena Yaa and her family performed a traditional libation ritual. It was beautiful and sacred. Next, Ms. Maritza Santan, who is an ayurveda specialist, led the crowd in a short meditation. Following this beautifulul reminder to breathe and center ourselves, Fluteity, who is a member of the University of Florida Affiliate Faculty Center for Arts, Migration + Entrepreneurship (CAME), used the flute to heal the sacred site at which we had all gathered. She spoke about how the flute was healing and used for reconciliation. She had us close our eyes, place both feet on the ground, and place our hands over our hearts while she played. Doing this seemed to help us connect with the music on a deeper level.
Following Fluteity, Mr. Richard Wilder and the Buffalo Soldiers presented the colors. Once the flags had been placed, “Taps” was played to honor all of the fallen. Following the presentation of colors, Derek Hankerson, president of the Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservations, gave the welcome. Dr. Wallis Tinnie gave a beautifully moving tribute to our ancestors as she read “Somebody Forgot to Telly Somebody Something” by Jennifer Lisa Vest.
Dr. Anthony Dixon took on both introduction and speaker duties as Mr. Dale Cox, one of the featured speakers, unfortunately had to cancel. Following Dr. Dixon’s presentation, Mr. Willard Steel spoke. The title of his talk was “Archaeology Today: In and Around Tallahassee, Florida.” Following both presentations, the audience asked questions and then were treated to another wonderful lunch.
And on a personal note: I was delighted to see my little friend NuNu, who is one year older and definitely one year wiser. We hugged as soon as we saw each other. Then, she took me to see a display that she and several other children had made using grains, beans, and flowers. She explained how the circular pattern that was divided into four sections represented everyone who lived on the earth. She explained the importance of the corn, rose petals, lentils, rice, and black beans that had been used. Just as she did last year, she taught me something new. Knowing NuNu means knowing the future is in good hands.
