Seminole Negro Indian Scouts Historical Society
Oral History
To the best of my knowledge and of my effort, every lineage statement within 'Roots' is from either my African or American families' carefully preserved oral history, much of which I have been able conventionally to corroborate with documents.
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The Society was borne about of a project created for the 2019 Seminole Days organized by the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association. Many Descendants and researchers learned about the Scouts and their families by talking to Elders. In some cases these conversations were recorded or written down, and then used to complete a narrative constructed by the interviewer. In other cases, conversations were held and stories told simply as a way of passing on memories from one generation to the next.
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In 2019, the oldest Elder in Brackettville was 92 years old. At the event, there were 20 Elders present, each of whom had a story about growing up as a Seminole Negro and life with the Scouts. They are the last generation who had any direct contact with any of the Scouts. The impetus to gather and preserve their stories is great. Losing their stories is to lose a part of our history and understanding of our place in this country.
The oral history project is crowd-sourced, relying on younger Descendants to record their Elders and themselves. The purpose is to create a repository that Descendants can access to learn more about their history. And it is a way that Descendants can add to the research and writing of non-descendant researchers and allies.
Getting Started
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In the Resources section of this site is an oral history guide created for the 2019 oral history project. It contains recording tips and questions that are meant to elicit information about interviewees life from childhood through the present. The questions are also a good starting point to let the interviewee talk about whatever they like. Some of the best material comes from allowing someone to travel down memory lane.
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What Next
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Good question...SISCA can't archive this. Perhaps there can be a written agreement between donors and the Society that nothing will be shared without person? Otherwise, it's just kept in the Cloud with a link they can use to access their specific recording.
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“When we connect with our ancestors and put their wisdom into action, we are evolving our collective consciousness. We are transporting the ancient truths of our collective past and birthing them into our future. What we create out of those truths extends the wisdom of all those who have gone before us, and it provides a guide for all those who will follow.”
― Sherri Mitchell Weh'na Ha'mu Kwasset, Penobscot Tribe