Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki’s mile-long, raised boardwalk promises a riveting stroll through the Everglades, with a multitude of chances to soak up the stunning scenery and learn about the Seminole culture. Along the path, interpretive markers explain the uses of native plants for medicine, such as wax myrtle, which can be used as a natural mosquito repellant. The boardwalk is open daily from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m., though occasionally it may be closed due to bad weather. Check out some of its highlights.
The Cypress Dome
In and around the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve, cypress domes sometimes form in shallow depressions where water stands for several months each year. The center of the depression is the deepest, and that’s also where the cypress trees are the tallest and oldest, giving the swamps a dome shape and thus their name. You can see a glorious, 60-acre example of this natural phenomenon on Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki’s boardwalk, with plenty of opportunities to rest and investigate other features along the path.
Clan Pavilion
The Clan Pavilion displays eight panels representing the current Seminole clans: Panther, Wind, Bird, Otter, Bear, Snake, Big Town, and Deer. The panels include information about each clan and drawings of clan animals by Seminole artist Samuel Tommie.
Seminole children inherit the clan of their mothers, making a time-honored, extensive family unit. It’s taboo to marry within a clan, and when the last female in a clan passes on, the clan is considered extinct- which has been the fate of several historical clans, including Alligator. The Panther clan is the biggest in the Seminole Tribe of Florida today.
Ceremonial Grounds
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki’s recreated ceremonial grounds are similar to those once used for religious and political events. They encompass several chickees and are centered around an open court for playing stickball, a traditional game for numerous tribes of the Southeast.
Stickball was more than recreation; it often held a colossal role in keeping the peace between tribes who played it, and was employed to settle disputes and grievances as well as to harden young warriors for combat.
Bathrooms are situated close to the Ceremonial Grounds.
Seminole Village
This recreated village is a modern version of the Seminole tourist camps that were in vogue in the early to mid-20th century. Usually, Seminole artists are at the village to answer questions and demonstrate traditional arts and crafts. You can buy these wares as well, and some are fabulous finds, like the signature, award-winning baskets crafted from sweetgrass, each utterly unique.
Hunting Camp
A Hunting Camp depicts the temporary camps that set up by Seminoles during hunting season. It often showcases pelts, plumes, and hides that were used and traded by the Seminoles.
Celebrate Seminole and indigenous art, music and dance at one of Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki’s events, including its signature festival, the American Indian Arts Celebration, held annually in November.
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki’s educational team strives to connect both Seminole Tribal members and non-tribal members with the museum’s vast, one-of-a-kind resources. Onsite tours and programs as well as a wealth of other of educational resources inspire an awareness of the rich culture and history of the Seminole people- including field trips, museum store goodie bags (with kid-friendly items like Seminole clan temporary tattoos), web resources, and craft activities, where your little ones can create their own beadwork.
When You Go...
What: Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum
Where: On the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, 34725 West Boundary Rd., Clewiston (Note that although the address is ‘Clewiston,’ Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum is located 45 minutes south of the city.)
Phone: 877-902-1113
Web: ahtahthiki.com
