BIG CYPRESS — Phyllis Cofrancesco received her first Seminole doll in the early 1950s when she was a young girl living in Connecticut. Her parents gave her the doll as a South Florida vacation souvenir. "I had never seen a doll made of tree bark. The clothing on the doll was

BIG CYPRESS — Patchwork clothing is ubiquitous in Seminole communities like blue jeans and T-shirts. The next exhibit at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, on display from Dec. 8 to Nov. 30, 2015, will attempt to explain how traditional Seminole clothing is not a costume using 27 contemporary patchwork garments for every age, gender

FORT LAUDERDALE — Time is being kind to a long-awaited art sculpture project destined to return a Seminole presence to New River in Fort Lauderdale. "We’re moving pretty fast, bringing it all together and getting very excited to see it happen," said Nilda Comas, sculptor of "Florida – A Seminole Girl." The

BRIGHTON — One sentence from Cheyenne Nunez’s poem epitomized the appreciative atmosphere inside the Florida Seminole Veterans Building in Brighton Nov. 6. "I wake up without fear on this day and every day thanks to the brave men and women who have fought for this country," the Jr. Miss Florida Seminole

BIG CYPRESS — Giant red, white and blue drapery in the form of the American flag provided a patriotic cover for more than 300 people at the 27th annual Veterans Day Celebration Nov. 3 inside the Junior Cypress Rodeo Arena entertainment complex in Big Cypress. From the welcoming remarks by Big

BIG CYPRESS — Memories of military service in the Vietnam War filled the Big Cypress Community Center during a Veterans Day Luncheon Nov. 11. Gerald Wellington, the event’s guest speaker, had yet to put his feet on Vietnam soil when he saw the sky light up as his airplane descended. "The airport

BIG CYPRESS — The Environmental Resource Management Department (ERMD) did not wait until Thanksgiving to give thanks to scores of employees. "We already and always have had an excellent staff and a cohesive team made up of dedicated individuals. Today, the Tribe asked us to show appreciation and thanks for all

FORT LAUDERDALE — Fort Lauderdale’s foremost conference center sparkled on a recent Saturday thanks to the United Way of Broward County Mayor’s Gala and a guest list of movers and shakers from the county’s 31 municipalities. The Oct. 25 fundraiser at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center also helped mark

HOLLYWOOD — Becoming the first Tribe in Indian Country to achieve self-regulation certification from the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) is less about luck and more about how the Seminole Tribe of Florida plays a professional hand. "Today is truly an important, historic day for the commission and all of Indian

FORT LAUDERDALE — Jara Ann Courson entered the Miss Florida Teen USA pageant so she could communicate her message of self-empowerment to youth. Like many young girls, Jara was bullied at school. "I was a target for mean girls because I was an insecure introvert for a while," she said. "I