February/March Newsletter

Hello, everyone! We hope your year been a great one so far. Of course, it feels as though February has flown by, and now March is here. We want to give you a quick update.

We need your help! 
We are sure you are familiar with the situation that has taken place at the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery. We are happy to say, "The ordeal is over." Mr. Young has removed the brick and mostly returned the entrance to the condition it was in before he altered it. It is in somewhat worse condition and there is some concrete sticking up above the dirt that will require attention, but Mr. Young has alerted SISCA by email that he regards the restoration complete, and SISCA wants to begin renovation, so we are accepting it the way it is.

While we have always had plans to renovate the entrance, because of Mr. Young's actions, it is now in desperate need of some extra TLC. The poles of the entrance need to be power-washed in order to remove the old paint and rust. Once that is done, a new coat of paint will need to be added. From there, new gates need to be purchased and added because the current gates are rusted and badly bent. The estimated cost for this project is $2,500. We will be hiring locally for this project. Our goal is to have this completed before our annual Juneteenth celebration (Saturday, June 15, 2019). 

If you would like to help with our restoration efforts, you can send checks or money orders to PO Box 1797/Brackettville, Texas 78832 (please make checks payable to the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association) or to donate online,  please click the button below.

Donate

San Antonio Fundraiser Information

Along with our online fundraising, a BBQ plate sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 6 in San Antonio. Our treasurer, Corina Torralba Harrington, is organizing this event. It' scheduled to take place at O'Riley on WW White Road at 11:30 AM. The BBQ plates (sausage, chicken, rice, and beans and a drink) are $10. We'll post more information about this event soon.

Black History Month Celebration

We were honored and delighted to have the Fort Clark Historical Society visit the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts Museum on Saturday, February 23, as part of their Black History Month observance. SISCA president Augusta Pines welcomed them and led a tour of our museum. Following the tour, our special guests enjoyed refreshments. We would like to thank Mr. Russell Nowell for organizing this visit, and we look forward to seeing all of your lovely faces again soon.

Donations from Miss Charles's Home

We are not sure how many of you know this, but in 2018, Miss Charles Emily Wilson's home was purchased. SISCA did not know about this until the person who purchased her home contacted SISCA and informed us that she had found several items within the home that she believed we would like to take a look. Shortly thereafter, Augusta Pines met Ms. Altagarcia Valles at Miss Charles's former residence.

​During this initial visit, Ms. Pines was awestruck by all of the precious items that lay in the home of our dear matriarch. During Seminole Days, she revealed the first few items. They were four portraits and a table and several chairs. The portraits hang in the Carver School. And the table and chairs can be found there also. We are greatly indebted to Ms. Valles for her generosity and kindness. We look forward to updating you all on the other items that we find on subsequent visits.

If any of you can identify the person in the portrait above, please let us know.

Oral History Project

Oral history was one of the first ways that our stories were told. Sitting at the foot of our elders and listening while they spoke was how we once learned about ourselves and the world around us. We believe that it is important to continue this sacred tradition. To do so, all you need is a mobile phone, someone to interview, and 5 minutes -- nothing complicated or fancy.

Invite an elder (in your family or someone else's) to talk about anything: a childhood memory, a story they heard from an elder, something about their family. Our goal is to capture memories from the everyday lives of the Descendants. 

Each month, we'll share some tips on how to get people talking and suggest some interview topics. Below are some interview clips recorded on an iPhone and submitted by text message.

Mrs. Mary Lou (Green) Johnson was asked about a childhood memory (a lesson she learned from Miss Charles and Ms. Dorothy Wilson), and she was asked to share some information about a picture of Mrs. Ellen Huffpower, her 2nd cousin.

If you have any questions or if you want to submit some interview clips, please email us at [email protected]. We're excited about this project and hope to hear from you soon!

Quick tips:
* Ask for permission before filming
* If you use your mobile phone, create clips that are no longer than 1 minutes 30 seconds. (If someone is telling you a long story, just stop and start the video recording to create a series of clips.)
* Ask the person you are interviewing to share their name and the name of the scouts they are related to
* If you want to ask about a specific topic or incident, tell the elder ahead of time and let them think about their response before recording.
* Have fun!

News Article about the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery

In November of last year, we received an email from Ms. Sarah Reveley. She found the article below and wanted to share it with us. We are so grateful for her generosity.

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Next Monthly Meeting - March 2019

Our next monthly meeting will take place on Saturday, March 9 at 1PM at the Carver School. We look forward to seeing you there.

Membership

Is it time to renew your membership? Our website makes it easy. Just click the button below to become a new member or to renew your membership. Or you can send us your check by mail, if you prefer. Your membership is very important to us. There truly is strength in numbers. Become a member of the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association today. Thank you!

MEMBERSHIP

We would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped us get 2019 off to a great start. Your time and dedication mean so much to us.