In honor of those who fought against colonialism in the 1st 2nd and 3rd Seminole war and the undefeated Seminole Nation. The Seminole Wars were the longest and most costly military campaign against indigenous peoples. in 1814 Shawnee War Chief Tecumseh a great leader who attempted to unite the tribes against colonialism is able to get many Creeks to uprise. This became known as the Red Stick wars. The u.s was able to supress that uprising and as punishment the u.s took 21 million acres from the Creek. Remaining Red Sticks traveled southeast to join up with the Seminole. Escaped slaves had been fleeing captivity and were given sanctuary by the Seminole in return for a yearly tribute and would fight alongside Seminole. Eventually they became intermixed and had offspring mixed Seminoles such as the war hero John Horse.
The Seminole attacked slave catchers and fought off every attempt made by the u.s to recapture Africans fleeing slavery. Slaves take over an abandoned British soldier fort under the sovereignty of Seminole chiefs. The fort becomes a militant sanctuary for runaway slaves. The first Seminole War officially begins in 1816. Some Creek traitors attack the fort with over 100 u.s troops. The Seminole fly a red power flag over the fort. A simple red flag indicating they will fight not surrender and are willing to fight to the death. A gunboat on the Appalachia River hit the fort with cannon fire and set off an explosion ending the lives of almost all 300 inside. After hearing of this the Seminole retaliate from the south attacking and burning all the way up into Georgia. Nearly 400 slaves flee captivity to join in the uprising.
Battle Of Ocochobee:
On what colonists refer to as Christmas day 1837. The Seminole 400 strong attack a u.s troop movement along with Tennessee rifleman. The u.s have about 50 Delaware with them but the Delaware flee when the Seminole give their opening salvo. The Seminole then kill almost every officer and then start in on the rest of the troops that are in disarray. After a 2-and-a-half-hour fight and getting his ass handed to him by Seminole warriors. Taylor and remaining troops fled back to Fort Gardener. Taylor declares victory even though only 4 Seminole were killed, and no prisoners taken. Taylor lied and said he defeated the Seminole and was promoted to General and later became a President. As a tactic this is a powerful lesson. Attack the colonists on their colonial holiday. Politically we should look at Christmas as a day of action against the colonist because we shouldn’t be celebrating the oppressor’s religion. This should make as available and ready for action if we have sincere anticolonial politic. In Vietnam the Viet Cong attacked the u.s on Christmas. Did they learn it from the Seminole masters of guerilla warfare or is it just logical?
In 1838 the Indian Removal Act went into practice and troops began the process of removal. Some natives left to Oklahoma under mixed African and Seminole leader John Horse who had been fighting under Chief Osceola and later became his translator. Chief Osceola who may have struck a treaty with his knife refusing to sign it. Chief Osceola had this to say:
“When I make up my mind i act. If i speak, what i say, I will do. If the hail rattles, let the flowers be crushed. The oak of the forest will lift up its head to the sky and the storm towering and unscathed”
Chief Osceola
” You have guns, and so have we-you have powder and lead and so have we-your men will fight and so will ours, till the last drop of Seminole blood has moistened this hunting ground”
Chief Osceola
The u.s promised them land then denied them recognition. After being betrayed by colonist who canceled the deal with them they fled to Mexico. In a determined effort to get back at the u.s John Horse joins the Mexican Army and becomes a General. Slave catchers are still trying to catch escaped slaves and together the Seminole and the Mexican Army repel the attacks from the Republic of Texas. This allows to John Horse and the Seminole with him to gain a land deal from Mexico. The Seminole under John Horse escaped the clutches of the u.s empire. The empire doesn’t always win. The u.s fought the Seminole, tried to remove some, came in and bribed some more and tried to pay them to leave, then attacked them again and still could not remove the Seminole.
John Horse and Coacoochee fought back together and were a good team. When John Horse went to Oklahoma it was Coacoochee also known as (Wildcat) who stayed behind to fight the u.s and would vow to never leave Seminole territory and would make his stand there to defend his peoples way of life and the ancestral homeland. Chief Coacoochee had this to say.
“I speak for myself for i am free. Each of the others also speak for themselves. We are a choir of voices that will drown out your lies”.
Chief Coacoochee (Wildcat)
Politically some of the things we can take away from this and use in our political line are the fact that when African and other oppressed peoples on our continent join with us the #RightfulStewards under indigenous rule instead of being merely settlers of color that we’ve made the most legendary of resistance. We encourage some of our African comrades to flee the modern-day plantation and come revolt with us. We are reminded again that land is power, and we are reminded that our ancestors did fight for us. Victorious stands the undefeated Seminole tribe. When the colonist is lazy and glutenous we stay hungry and ready for war. Who’s land? Our land! Red Power!
Written By The Invisible Warrior
Illahee Spirit Runners 