Buffalo Tiger, the man who led Florida’s Miccosukee tribe to federal recognition in the early 1960s, has died.
Tiger spent much of his life advocating for tribal rights.
Buffalo Tiger’s son Lee Tiger said when his father was asked by elders to be the tribe’s spokesman in the mid-1950s, he considered it an honor.
“The medicine man is like the pope, when the pope asks any of his people to do something, it’s an honor. So, my father of course took it as an honor and did what was needed,” he said.
One of the most pivotal moments in Buffalo Tiger’s history with the Miccosukees came in 1959.
It was a year after the federal government recognized the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The government told the Miccosukees that they had missed their window to be recognized. By missing that window, the tribe lost out on securing land and receiving financial aid.
And then, Cuba called.
At the behest of Fidel Castro, Buffalo Tiger and other representatives from the tribe flew to the Communist island nation. There, while smoking cigars, Lee Tiger said his father asked Castro if he recognized the tribe.
“Castro said, ‘Yeah. We know you guys, we know about you.’ I think they knew about the issue that we couldn’t get our recognition. So [he said], ‘Look, if you can’t get it, then we’ll give you a piece of land,’” he said.
And when his father returned to Florida, Lee Tiger said, the government changed its tune.
“My father came back and when he got back, the phones were ringing off the hook and the feds wanted to make a deal,” he said.
In 1962, the Miccosukees received federal recognition.
Buffalo Tiger continued to advocate for the Miccosukees. Lee Tiger said his father was a straightforward man who knew how to communicate with others.
“He was a very noble, but humble and honest man that you don’t want to say, 'no' to because he’s telling the truth,” he said.
Buffalo Tiger passed away in Kendall on Jan. 6 of natural causes. He was 94-years-old.
