The Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma

The majority of the Seminole people were evicted from Florida in the 1830s and were resettled in the then Indian Territory. The movement of the Seminole and other tribes out of the southeastern United States under cruel and inhumane conditions has been immortalized as the "Trail of Tears". Virtually all tribes involved in the eviction retain some small presence in their original homelands. They also have never given up their traditional ties to the lands of their ancestors. So it is with the Seminole of Oklahoma. Although the vast majority of Seminole are now found in Oklahoma, their symbols still retain their links to the Florida that was their home for many years (ENAT, 213-215).

The flag of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is white and bears their tribal seal in the center (Dena Brady, Acting Exec. Sec., letter, dated Feb. 15, 1995). That seal bears the tribal name in black letters surrounding a typical scene from the life of the Seminole back in Florida's Everglades (sample seal provided by Annin & Co, Roseland, NJ). Pictured in a Seminole dugout canoe is a warrior paddling up to a village. Beyond the village are the lush green forests of the Everglades. All elements appear in natural colors ("Official Seals of the Five Civilized Tribes", (Oklahoma, City, The Oklahoma Chronicles, XVII:4, Dec. 1940, 357-359). It should be noted that the actual seal of the Seminole of Oklahoma that is the basis of this flag is being redesigned (D. Brady, letter). The seal is not really changing, but the artistry is being brought up to date. The new seal, with those slight enhancements had not yet been received by the Executive Directorate of the Seminole Nation at the time this report was prepared. It can be assumed that the modifications to the seal, whatever they may be will be reflected in Seminole flags when they are remade .

This flag may have been inspired by the flag created for the Seminole Nation by the Alabama Department of History in 1940 so that the Seminole people, former residents of Alabama, might participate in the opening of the Alabama Hall of Flags.

This was not the first flag of the Seminole nation. In 1861, the "True Democrat" (Little Rock, AR) reported that the Seminole had been presented a flag by Miss Alice Leeper. Miss Leeper was the daughter of the Confederate agent to the Indian Territory. This report was reprinted in the March 1991 edition of "The Looking Glass". The report described that flag as "A crescent and red star in a green union...", "bars of red and white", "for the Seminole, with the exception of diagonal bars" (comparing the flag of the Seminole against one presented to the Creek nation which had vertical bars".