8
something When I was a little boy we liked to watch white
men, but we were afraid to let them see us so we would sneak
around half a day in the saw grass just watching a man fish
in the canal or watch hunters shooting guns,
"My father's work was hunting. Most of the men folks
in the village would go away for two weeks to a month at a
time on huntin' trips. You know, I was so scared of white men,
and then I went off when I was about twelve or thirteen to
Hialeah, where my uncle had a alligator wrestling camp--
you know, showing off to the white people how you wrestling
alligators. And I went there, and I went to school a little,
and I discovered white people are just-like any other people,
some good, some bad."
K: This is a very interesting story, the story on Buffalo Tiger.
I'm wondering if we couldn't get a copy of your notes, or if...
I know they're rough notes, but I think that they're very valu-
able. I found them very touching and poignant and beautiful.
You think we could?
R: Sure. Buff said to me, he said, "You know, it really is impor-
tant." I'm sorry it never got in print, these notes, 'cause
he said, "It really is important. 'Cause these kids, they're
growing' up now; they're young punks. They won't remember
anything about it."
Actually, I don't think Buff's right. I think the young
punks could tell you some great narratives and stories by the
time they're fifty or eighty. Their mothers and their grand-
mothers and their aunts and their uncles are telling them
stories, too. There are lots of 'em living around that are
telling stories.
K: I should mention here that before we did this interview, you
were kind enough to give me your file that contains some
material on the Florida Indians, some old newspaper clippings,
and so forth. And I think that the thing I found most interest-
ing of all the things were three issues of the newspaper called
the Seminole Indian News, published in August, September, and
October of 1961. What were the origins of this paper? Did you
have something to do with it, and is it still being published?
R: Best paper I ever wrote for. I loved it. You see, this is
the way it happened. In the late 1940s, Indians on the reser-
vations of Florida organized as a Seminole tribe, I don't
know the exact name, but I think it's the Seminole Tribe of