Honoring a Little Known Culture:
the Florida Seminole Tribe
Arguable Position
Architectural Restoration of Native American Culture, while preserving historical context is important now more than ever to keep legacies relevant for future generations of these lesser-known and disappearing cultures of which the Florida Seminole Tribe is one of.
Courtney Hooks
Thesis II
Arch 799 -01
Professor Julie Rogers-Varland
Spring 2020
This thesis will explore the architectural enhancement of the Florida Seminole Culture at the Big Cypress Reservation, aims to preserve cultural historic context to keep legacies relevant for future generations of this lesser-known and disappearing culture. Currently much of the tribe’s culture is unknown to those who grow up outside of the reservations. The rich vibrant culture is mostly preserved by word of mouth, therefore most of the written works available are written by non-natives. Their strong heritage is celebrated during ceremonies that take place annually; yet currently there is no permanent location at the reservations that allows these ceremonies to grow and create a visual story to pass down to future generations.
At the Big Cypress Reservation, the current museum sits. The Ah Tah Thi ki museum gives visitors a glance into the past but does not show how the future can be shaped. By encompassing this location with a new culture center, the tribe can celebrate their past and prepare for the future by passing down the knowledge of the ancestors. At this central crossroads within the reservation a new culture center gathers the historical ceremonies and histories with the necessities of everyday life. The central point acts as a connection to the living village and the current cemetery. From a museum with a learning center to a restaurant and convenience store; which is supplied by a farming area located on site. Incorporating indoor and outdoor gathering spaces of different types to draw all generations to the site.
Thesis Diagram
Research
Diagrams
Plans & Elevations
Persepectives
Pathway to the Ceremony Space
View from the Living Village
Entrance to the Culture Center
Entrance to the Farm Area
Outdoor Amphitheater
Ceremony Space
Shading Structure
Entrance and Food area Shading
Moving Forward
Looking forward; the world right now is in flux. No one knows what the next few months or even days will hold. We are going through a pandemic and an economic recession; no one is unaffected.
I had the opportunity to visit the closest casino in Tampa Florida once it reopened.
Seeing how they are working out the ways to reopen to get money flowing again was inspiring; but also frightening to see how the world can change so rapidly. Doorways are limited upon entrance, your temperature is checked, gloves are optional, but masks are required. Over a hundred of the staff are outfitted with lime green shirts that are part of the safe and sound crew that go around sanitizing high touch surfaces every so often. The slots are limited, only the slots on the ends of the rows are turned on to work with the 6-foot social distancing rules. Other procedures have been put in place to keep the staff and visitors safe and sound. Therefore, finally money should flow back into the tribes.
At the same time as my visit I saw an article online that discussed that the tribes have yet to receive any stimulus money even though there was a set amount designated for the tribes. It's shocking to see that after so long the tribes are still considered second class citizens and are not treated as regular Americans.
The goal of bringing light and understanding to such a troubled past for one of the tribes here in Florida, should help to push them into the future, give outsiders an understanding of what the tribe was put through by our own government's hands and sooner than later; the tribe will not be considered second class.