Title

The "wild Indians" of Andros Island - Black Seminole legacy in the Bahamas

Authors

Authors

R. Howard

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Black Stud.

Keywords

Black Seminoles; oral history; cultural retentions; African-Seminole; alliance; Bahamas; Ethnic Studies; Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary

Abstract

Andros Island, Bahamas, served as a refuge for freedom-seeking Black Seminoles who escaped from Florida. They began landing secretly on the island in 1821 after the British in Nassau reneged on their promise to help the Seminole Indians and Black Seminoles fight against White aggressors in Florida. While conducting research on Andros Island in 1937, anthropologist John Goggin met Felix MacNeil, a descendant of the Florida Black Seminole refugees. His encounters with MacNeil and others led Goggin to conclude that he had positively identified the legendary "Wild Indians" of Andros Island as descendants of the Florida Black Seminoles. The majority of residents in the present-day settlement of Red Bays on Andros Island ale descended from those original exiles from Florida. This article provides an ethnohistorical perspective of the Black Seminole legacy in Florida and the Bahamas that focuses on the oral history and lives of Felix MacNeil and other descendants.

Journal Title

Journal of Black Studies

Volume

37

Issue/Number

2

Publication Date

1-1-2006

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

275

Last Page

298

WOS Identifier

WOS:000241152900007

ISSN

0021-9347

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