Research Symposium

BIO

Gracie is a second year Geography student at Florida State University. She is minoring in urban planning, and has interests in furthering her skills in GIS. She is currently training to continue her work in UROP to be a leader next semester.

Dangers of the White Savior Complex: An analysis of how attempts to defend the Seminoles in the Everglades were harmful

Abstract

Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, Everglades drainage efforts caused the removal of Seminoles from their homelands. Different groups of people had varying opinions on how the Seminoles were being affected. This study focuses on those who had a "white savior" attitude towards the Seminoles and contributed to their demise while trying to do the opposite. For this project, the words and actions of May Mann Jennings, Minnie Moore-Willson, and Episcopalian missionaries are analyzed. To do this, data on what these groups of people said, believed, and fought for was collected and ordered causally to get a view of how efforts to help the Seminoles truly affected them. Consistently, it was revealed that the help imposed upon the Seminoles was largely unwanted and unwarranted. Had the Seminoles been consulted about whether they wanted help or what they thought was best, a better outcome that was more in line with their desires could have resulted. It is important to give attention to this area of history, as it is not largely talked about when discussing the Everglades National Park, nor are the effects of these key players who believed they were doing what was best for the Seminoles. This opens a new conversation about what "help" truly is when it is imposed on a group of individuals who live differently from the source of aid. More research can be done on how aid has affected the Florida Seminoles, and this idea can be studied in many other fields as well.

Keywords: Seminoles, Florida, Everglades