How Will Florida Recognize Its Indian Tribes?

March 11, 2023 9:09am

The annual 60 day session of the Florida Legislature began this week in Tallahassee. While the constitution only requires the legislature to pass one bill (the budget), thousands of bills are under consideration.

Among those bills are House Bill 553 and Senate Bill 954. The two bills would give state recognition to four specific Indian tribes and bands: The Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the Santa Rosa Band of the Lower Muscogee, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The bills would also create a process through which other tribes and bands could petition the state for recognition in the future.

While these bills may appear innocuous, they do not have universal support of Florida's Native American Tribes. Chief Ghost Dancer of the Perdido Bay Tribe of Lower Muscogee Creek Indians explained his opposition to this bill on my radio program today. Our interview is now archived online as a podcast at www.TheMikeBatesShow.com/podcasts/230311 (Segment 3).

He explained his opposition to One America News Network last week. That is viewable at https://rumble.com/v2bgvdy-chief-ghost-dancer-were-begging-desantis-to-kill-indian-recognition-bill.html?fbclid=IwAR0C2qDkbutaUn4pu4bzaO7smk6RL4OnnXuo95b2kH6j55P2Zf5jbuVh_bA