A Challenge Part III: Seminoles and Southern Plains

Again, Handbook of North American Indians vol. 14, pg 451...

The Seminoles maintained cordial if sometimes strained relations with the other removed Southeast tribes and cooperated with them in matters of mutual concern. Relations with the neighboring Creek proved problematic throughout the nineteenth century, but they resolved their differences through diplomacy, often including meditation and invention by United States officials. The Seminoles also maintained cordial relations with relocated Midwestern tribes, settled to the west of them after the Civil War. The Seminoles traded with all these groups, particularly with the Plains tribes. Prior to the Civil War, the Seminoles undertook annual summer trading expeditions westward to the Great Salt Plains (north-central Oklahoma), where they traded with the Southern Plains tribes.

This may help support the family story:

In the summer of 1877... enroute to Spokane, Washington and traveled through the Billings area. He acquired this belt by trading for it with an indian who had participated in the battle [Little Big Horn].

A Challenge - Solved?

In looking through volume 14 of the Handbook of North American Indians, I ran across two photographs. The first shows Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs wearing a similiar shoulder sash across his right shoulder (our left).




The second image I found is of a Creek finger-woven sash executed in very much the same style as the one we have. This sash was collected pre-1857.


The Seminoles were removed from Florida by the Federal government between 1838-1843 and relocated to Indian Territory. During the time of relocation, the Western Seminole separated into three settlements: the Apalachicolas and other "Friendly Seminoles" established themselves on the Little and Canadian rivers near the junction of the Creek nation; the main group of Seminole settled on the Deep Fork River in the Creek Nation; and a group who refused to merge with the Creek or live on Creek lands moved to the Cherokee Nation near Ft. Gibson.

The continued disagreement and hostility between the Seminoles and Creek ultimately lead to the creation of a separate Seminole territory located within the Creek nation and which also allowed a separate council, which would subsequently be subordinate to the Creek National Council.

cf. 2004 Sattler, Richard A. “Seminole in the West.” Handbook of North American
Indians 14: 450-464. Smithsonian Institute: Washington.

Now the next question -- what about the family's story? How does that fit in?

A Challenge...

What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?

Well, this may not be the riddle of the Sphinx... but just as intriguing.

As the story goes, George Martin was a Quartermaster Sergeant in the US First Cavalry. The summer of 1877, the First Cavalry was en route to Spokane, Washington and while traveling through Billings, Martin acquired the belt from an Indian who had participated in the Battle of Little Big Horn.

This sash is finger-woven using red wool dyed with 100% lac.

White glass beads edge long fringe and decorate the central panel.
The total length is approximately 118".

Question: Who made this sash?
The family suggested it was Seminole.