[INeedAChange]

I'm confused--they say on this board that there are few native Floridians, but wasn't the large African American community mostly born there?

Also, just as a point of fact, if an illegal alien comes into Florida and has a kid there, that kid is a native Floridian.

[NY62]

you are correct just like anyone else that has a child there. The only true natives are the Indians we pushed into the swamps and woods.and that is everywhere in the USA.

[tao]

Originally Posted by NY62

The only true natives are the Indians we pushed into the swamps and woods.and that is everywhere in the USA.

That makes me one of the few true Florida natives. Not only was I born and raised in Miami but my grandmother was Native American.

[NY62]

you got it

[Cougar31]

Originally Posted by NY62

you are correct just like anyone else that has a child there. The only true natives are the Indians we pushed into the swamps and woods.and that is everywhere in the USA.

...then in deserts...then in reservations...then drugs and alcohol were introduced...then we all know the rest of the story.

[THX 1138]

Originally Posted by INeedAChange

I'm confused--they say on this board that there are few native Floridians, but wasn't the large African American community mostly born there?

Also, just as a point of fact, if an illegal alien comes into Florida and has a kid there, that kid is a native Floridian.

Native means your born on the soil. Just like Native Fish, born in the stream where they are caught. Not stocked from a fish hatchery.

[riveree]

There's such a broad definition for "what/who is native", and really, does it matter?

The term is thrown around here a lot on the Florida forum and usually by people who would fit no more than one of the definitions, as would I.....

.......I "live in a place", therefore I am "native" .

[sunrico90]

The first people to enter the Florida peninsula around 12,000 years ago were not explorers, adventurers, or settlers,but nomads following the big game animals upon which their survival depended. Sea level was lower and rainfall less plentiful than today. Mastodons, camels, mammoths, bison, and horses roamed vast grasslands in search of food and fresh water. Native Americans spread throughout the peninsula and into the Keys. Big game animals gradually became extinct, probably as a result of a wetter climate with forests replacing grasslands and overexploitation by human hunters. Food sources shifted to small game and shellfish. Populations increased and some groups moved inland to are as more suitable for growing corn, beans, squash, and other crops. Different styles of pottery decoration became unique to certain regions. Some groups began burying their dead along with elaborate pottery and other goods in ea rthen mounds. By A.D. 1000 the Mississippian culture, originating farther north and eventually including much of the Southeast, extended into Florida. Today the only evidence of these first Floridians is contained in those remaining archeological sites th at represent dozens of distinctive Indian cultures.

http://www.flheritage.com/facts/history/native/prenatam.gif (broken link)

[sunrico90]

Florida's cities and counties are named for influential residents, Indian words used to describe the area, and former governors. These pages briefly explain the meaning behind the names of some of its cities and all of its counties.

The Atlas of Florida is our source for Florida city and county names. If your community is not included here, it may be listed in the other sources cited below. Facts - Office of Cultural & Historical Programs

[Florida Impressions]

I'm a 5th generation native myself, and do have some native American in my family as well, so I've always considered myself a native. I don't think that necessarily makes me more deserving to be here then anyone else, but it is something I'm proud of.

Here's a shirt I made recently, been a big hit so far with other fellow natives ...