Florida Family Getaways - 2008 - (Page 19) Chickee Huts, Seminole Reservation Indian Key The museum is located near Alligator Alley (take Exit 49 off I-75, then head 17 miles north on County Road 833 to West Boundary Road). It is about halfway across the state, making it easily accessible from either coast. A popular destination for school groups, the gallery exhibits are always a big hit, even for my theme parkspoiled youngsters. moonlit night, Chief Chakaika led a band of more than 100 warriors across the open water of Florida Bay to attack a settlement at Indian Key. In the early 1800s, when pirates still ruled the Caribbean and the Florida Straits, this tiny island was ground central for the lucrative “wrecking” trade. So many merchant traders wrecked on the nearby coral reefs that an entire industry developed just to salvage goods from sunken ships. By the time the Second Seminole War started, Key West had become one of the richest cities in the United States, and Indian Key, just up the coast, played a crucial role in keeping the southernmost point supplied. Chakaika knew Indian Key had a storehouse fi lled with badly needed food and ammunition. His raid, the only one ever carried out at night, was a masterful act of navigation, prompting naval officials to wonder whence it was launched. Today, there aren’t many ruins left at Indian Key Historic State Park, but like everyplace else in the island chain, the spot is well worth a visit, if only to see fi sh, snorkel and canoe or kayak on the turquoise waters that have earned this region a reputation world-wide. After the raid at Indian Key, the Seminoles retreated to the safety of the swamps, where sporadic fighting continued into the late 1850s. The Seminoles never formally surrendered, doing their best to maintain a tribal identity through harsh economic times. Today, travelers can get a fi rsthand look at what life was like in a Seminole village by visiting the AH-TAH-THI-KI (“A Place to Learn”) Museum on the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation in Hendry County. “Are those real people?” my daughter asks as she points to a display featuring a Seminole family in a canoe. The scene looks so real, I am tempted to toss a fi shing lure in among the lily pads, hoping to hook a bass for dinner. “No,” I answer. “It’s just pretend. But if you like, we can go meet some real Seminoles.” My daughter, fascinated by the brightly colored clothing, agrees to visit the village. A trail from the museum winds through the swamp to a living Indian village, complete with a chickee, the traditional Seminole dwelling. The open-air, thatched-roof huts are as practical today as they were more than 150 years ago, when Chakaika ruled these swamps. “Welcome, little one,” a woman says, extending her hand to my child. Nia smiles and accepts the invitation. The amusement park can wait for another day. For more information: Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, 7200 County Road, 603 S. Battlefield Drive, Bushnell, 352-793-4781 Fort Cooper State Park, 3100 S. Old Floral City Road, Inverness, 352-726-0315 Fort Foster State Historic Site, Hillsborough River State Park, 15402 U.S. 301 North, Thonotosassa, 813-987-6771 Indian Key Historic State Park, P.O. Box 1052, Islamorada, (305) 664-2540 Go to www.floridastateparks.org for more information on all of the above parks. Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, County Road 833 and West Boundary Road (Hendry County), call 863-902-1113 or go to www.seminoletribe.com/museum. Family Getaways 19 http://www.floridastateparks.org http://www.seminoletribe.com/museum
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