This account of the arts and crafts of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians shows how artistic expression reflects and inspires history. It traces Seminole and Miccosukee art from the 18th century to the present, emphasizing the influence of cultural changes on their artistic traditions.

"Excellent.... Well-documented with both historical and anthropological sources, this is the best work to appear on a significant cultural characteristic of the Seminoles in quite some time. An excellent addition to the growing literature on the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes". -- Tampa Tribune The artistic tradition that in the past sustained Florida Indians helps identify them today as possessing a resilient, modern culture. In this richly illustrated account of the arts and crafts of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians, Dorothy Downs shows how artistic expression reflects and inspires history. Emphasizing the influence of drastic cultural changes on their artistic traditions, Downs traces Seminole and Miccosukee art from the eighteenth century to the present and demonstrates both the persistence of some prehistoric southeastern Indian designs and the impact of contact with Europeans. In addition to clothing and finger-woven or bead-embroidered accessories, their arts and crafts -- most often practiced by women -- include pottery, basketry, and doll making. Their most powerful artistic expression is found in the colorful and intricate patchwork patterns that have become their 20th-century signature. Incorporating color and black-and-white photographs of these remarkable art pieces, Downs also details the "men's work" of silver and wood crafts and chickee building in a volume sure to interest scholars and the general public alike.