SW013 Sturdy yet Supple Chickees Symbolize Seminole Removal Defiance

The wars of Indian removal in Florida placed enormous stress on Seminole families, forcing them to often live life on the run. Even so, they still needed a place to rest and recover. But, constructing shelters risked detection by soldiers. They knew there was little point in dedicating exorbitant time and resources to building elaborate structures, only to have to abandon them when soldiers arrived (and who subsequently burned Seminole homes to the ground anyway). They needed a sturdy yet supple structure amenable to both the Florida climate and to available resources. They needed something that didn't require nails, either, as available lead went to making rifle rounds for combat against soldiers. They needed something that could be constructed quickly with little effort  from available materials. They needed a flexibly employed building called a chickee. It was multi-purpose, able to serve as home, workshop, or kitchen for its mobile Seminole owners. Although this unique structure has evolved over the decades, many Seminole still call it home, in one fashion or another. 

In this episode, we examine the Seminole chickee. We describe chickees in architectural terms. We document their prevalence and use on a major Seminole reservation. We explore their changing roles over the last two centuries, especially during the Seminole Wars period. And we discuss the economic, cultural, social, environmental, and political meanings of chickees in Seminole communities and across South Florida. 

Joining us to provide her cultivated insights about chickees is Carrie Dilley. Carrie is the Visitor Services and Development Manager for the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum as well as the architectural historian for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. She is author of Thatched Roofs and Open Sides: The Architecture of Chickees and Their Changing Role in Seminole Society, the first systematic study of chickees. Carrie furnishes us with an informative and detailed exploration of chickees "at the intersection of architectural history and cultural analysis." 

Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida. 

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