Osceola

I came across an old bookmark that I had probably gotten in an elementary school book fair. Or through those book orders the teachers used to hand out: a folded sheet, peeled from a pad of them, printed on cheap paper, with an order form on the edge of one side. You would check off which books you wanted, hand it in to your teacher with your money. They encouraged you with a free bookmark if you ordered a certain number of books. This was in Oklahoma, the West. Did they do such things in the Northeast?

Anyway, it was long ago enough that I don't remember where or when I got it. The front was red with various motifs in green, blue, yellow, black and brown, arranged so that a hidden face looked out, with star eyes, a nose-mouth of a female form, crowned with a leaf and flower. On the back, I found the below text. Interesting to find so much education to be attempted through the back of a bookmark. I wonder if it is still done. Do people still use paper bookmarks? Or just scraps at hand? Do people still try to educate through what's written on the back of a bookmark? I wonder about the person who came up with the idea for this.

Ugly truth can be found in simple, forgotten, discarded places.

In his short life the Seminole leader Osceola probably did more than any other southeastern Native American to try to protect his land and people from the influx of white settlers. In the 18th century, the Seminoles had migrated to Florida which was then owned by Spain. Since Spanish rule was generally easygoing, the Indians lived at peace. They also offered shelter to runaway slaves and many Blacks intermarried into the tribe. This peaceful situation ended after the First Seminole War (1817-1818) when Florida was sold to the Americans. Troops invaded the area, burning and looting villages, killing people, and capturing slaves for return to their masters. Protecting themselves, the Seminoles retreated farther into the swamps.

In 1823 certain Seminole chiefs signed a treaty ceding Indian lands. It also made anyone with any amount of Africa blood a slave - and therefore a runaway. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 provided that the Seminoles and other southeastern tribes must move to Indian Territory. Those who went suffered intense hardship on the "Trail of Tears."

Osceola, called "Snake of the Everglades," began moving from tribe to tribe preaching resistance. He fought against Indian leaders who advocated cooperation with the whites as well as with the whites.[sic] Finally, through deceit, he was captured by troops under General Thomas Jesup. He met his death soon after with great pride and dignity.