Seminole Health and Population Change in South Florida, 1855-1917

A Collaborative Project in Historical Content Analysis

Abstract

This study, carried out by a team of anthropologists, historians, and a public health professional, taps the methods of historical content analysis to reconstruct Seminole health in South Florida between 1855 and 1917. For the Seminoles, the period was marked by increasing contact with white settlers and attendant changes in lifestyle and nutrition. Very little is known, however, regarding the trajectory of Seminole health during this time. Our work addresses that gap in both historical and archaeological records. We have evaluated 555 visitor observations extracted from 19 primary documents, coding them using a culturally informed observational matrix, and have used the resultant analysis to trace the trajectory of Seminole health determinants and outcomes over time. Our findings suggest that Seminoles experienced a moderate decline in health during the period between the Seminole Wars and World War I, despite seeing substantial population growth, and that both trends were linked to their increased consumption of manufactured foodstuffs and trade goods during that time. This collaborative project offers a non-destructive, culturally sensitive alternative to traditional archaeological analysis of human remains and botanical materials. We provide a model here that researchers may follow in exploring Indigenous health histories that respects tribal values and sovereignty while generating knowledge useful to tribes on practical and public health levels.

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