Hollywood Indian Day Community by Derrick Tiger - November 6, 2018September 20, 2024 HOLLYWOOD Indian Day started bright and early for residents of the Hollywood Reservation with a community walk at 7 a.m. Sept. 28. The walk was followed by breakfast at the Culture Camp where eggs, bacon, and an assortment of fresh fruits were served. The smell of smoke from the cooking chickee lingered in the air as Tribal members ate and conversed amongst the sound of children laughing and running about. The atmosphere was as close as it can get to a day at grandma’s camp in the Everglades, and it is almost easy to forget that the Hollywood Reservation is located in the middle of a sprawling metropolis. By 9 a.m. the Florida sunshine brought on its daily slew of humidity and rising temperatures. The recreation and culture department finished setting up the ball field for the first contests of the day: hatchet throwing for the men and log peeling. It would not be Indian Day without the women tossing a few skillets. Other contests that took place throughout the day were the log run, fry bread and pumpkin bread cooking and horseshoes. Participants in the hatchet throwing contest showed their competitive side. Some missed the target, some hit a bullseye, but for the most part everyone simply enjoyed a lively time. The same enthusiasm carried over to the log peeling competition where contestants put in their best efforts to trim the bark off of a log in the swiftest time possible. Tomahawks and drawknives kept the boys busy on Indian Day. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field women practiced their form in skillet tossing. The ladies applied their strength in every heave of the iron cookware to achieve the farthest distance. The friendly competition brimmed with cheers and laughter. By 6 p.m. the sun started to set, or the earth slowly spins, whichever you prefer. Nighttime rolled around with an evening dinner hosted by Hollywood Councilman Chris Osceola that closed out Indian Day for another year. – Derrick Tiger Leon Wilcox gets ready to toss a hatchet in the hatchet throw contest on the Hollywood ball fields.(Photo Derrick Tiger) Miss Florida Seminole Cheyenne Kippenberger gives a big smile with friends Sept. 28 during Indian Day on the Hollywood Reservation. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Roy Stewart breaks a sweat in the log peel contest. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Tasha Osceola chucks a skillet during the skillet toss competition. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Mike Gentry tries to beat the heat and win the log peel contest. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Boryalys Cypress gets to work in the log peel. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Esther Gopher competes in the skillet throw. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Jessica Osceola dashes through the log run competition. (Photo Derrick Tiger) From left, Juanita Osceola, Joe Dan Osceola and Mingo Jones compete in the clothing contest. (Photo Derrick Tiger) The clothing contest proves to be a popular activity during Hollywood’s Indian Day celebration. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Edwin Garcia competes in the clothing contest at the Howard Tiger Recreation Center. (Photo Derrick Tiger) Thomasine Motlow, front, and Kyle Doney head toward the finish line in Hollywood’s Indian Day canoe race on the pond across U.S. 441 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. (Photo Rob Herrera) William Osceola, front, and Jason Don Billie team up to tackle the canoe race. (Photo Rob Herrera) Share on Facebook Share Share on TwitterTweet Share on Pinterest Share Share on LinkedIn Share Share on Digg Share