Tribal, Seminole Nation of Oklahoma

SEMINOLE NATION OF OKLAHOMA TRIBE -  The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.  It is the largest of the three federally recognized Seminole governments, which include the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.  Its members are descendants of the 3,000 Seminoles who were forcibly removed from Florida to Indian Territory (Oklahoma), along with 800 Black Seminoles, after the Second Seminole War.  The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is headquartered in Wewoka within Seminole County, Oklahoma.  Of 18,800 enrolled tribal members, 13,533 live within the state of Oklahoma.  The tribe began to revive its government in 1936 under the Indian Reorganization Act. While its reservation was originally larger, today the tribal jurisdictional area covers Seminole County, Oklahoma, within which it has a variety of properties.

The few hundred Seminoles remaining in Florida fought against US forces in the Third Seminole war, and peace was made without their defeat. Today, descendants of those people have formed two federally recognized Seminole tribes.  Together, the three tribes and unorganized Traditionals in Florida were awarded a land claims settlement valued in total at $16 million in 1976, for nearly 24 million acres of lands seized by the United States government in Florida in 1823.

Today the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is located in Seminole County, Oklahoma.  The entire county of Seminole is a portion of the original Seminole Nation jurisdiction, and covers approximately 633 square miles.  The county is a checkerboard of tribal trust property, Indian allotments, restricted Indian lands, and dependent Indian communities.  Native Americans make up 22% of the population of Seminole County.

The Seminole County service population is 5,315 Tribal citizens, according to the Seminole Nation Tribal Enrollment Office.  The total enrollment of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is approximately 17,000 members.   According to 2000 U.S. Census data for Seminole County, the self-identified Native American (one race only) population is 4,328, and the Native American (one race or combination with other race) population is 5,485.