42
It was really something! But from all that, and beyond all
that romanticism, I got something from these people, these
friends. I don't compete--stand tall, stand friendly.
Comparisons are odious. Do let your mother and daddy tell
you what you're best at doing. If they tell you to be chief,
go be chief! Tell you to be Indian man--go be Indian man.
As far as career goes, a quality that is very sweet and very
wonderful, and I am grieved that we let the spirit that is
still very vivid and alive in the families--and the kids,
even the half-white kids out there, with their families are
a certain sense--we're in it together, against the wilderness,
and we're all together. We let something' pass us by by not
becoming a little more Indian, though I do think they gave us
the stamp that's America. We are free and equal, and we
don't take any shit off anybody. If they give it to us we
move off down the road.
K: Over the last few years we've heard quite a bit about Indians
in this country--mostly, I think, the Western Indians--taking
part in the civil rights movement along with the Blacks
and the Chicanos. Has there been any representation to you know-
ledge of the Florida Indians in this effort?
R: Well, let's see. Down there in 1960 when our boys were leaders
in the "embarrass the U.S.A.".... See, actually, really, the
Seminoles were a guest of Fidel on his first anniversary, so
we were working at embarrassing 'em a pretty long time before
these latecomers from the West came along.. But old Mad Bear
came down with a pretty girl who was half-white.
K: Who is Mad Bear?
R: Mad Bear was from up around Ithaca, New York--a trouble- making'
Indian from Ithaca, New York. He went down to Havana on that
beautiful first anniversary where Fidel kissed all the Indians
and wept because of how badly they were treated here. It was
still legal and all, but our boys.... What they were fighting
for was land, and....
K: And they gave it up when they accepted the money claim?
R: Naturally, Well, the gave it up when they went into the
money claim. Some of 'em didn't go into the money claim, and
said, "Well, let 'em go, let 'em go. We can take care of
our families for ever and ever." You know, like the Osceolas
own the land they are on. "We can live on garfish, we can run