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Seminole isolation could not last forever as development encroached upon South Florida.
Soon, some Seminoles chose to participate in Florida's newest industry - tourism.
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Some Seminoles benefited from the unfamiliarity and curiosity many Americans harbored towards them by the 20th century. One of the most enduring misperceptions of Seminoles was their propensity to "wrestle" alligators. After years of such imagery, some Seminoles created a performing tradition that lasts to the present day: alligator wrestling.
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The sculpture in front of the crafts center shows a Native American man wrestling an alligator.
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Other Seminoles chose to open their villages up to curious visitors and tourists. And in some cases, such as a Silver Springs, families created fuax Indian villages completed with non-Seminole touches as teepees and totem poles.
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Another invented Seminole tradition for tourists was the Seminole doll. But like alligator wrestling and patchwork, it has transformed into a vibrant and authentic tradition that continues today.
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Located on the Dania Seminole Indian Reservation.
