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

    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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