Author: Paul Lehman

Many view history as never changing. But history changes every time new information is added to it. Such is the case with Kevin Mulroy's new book, "The Seminole Freedmen — A History” (University of Oklahoma Press, $36.95). It provides a new perspective on the Oklahoma story. The book tells the story of the Seminole tribe with emphasis on the Africans and African-Americans who shared their history as slaves, freedmen, mix-bloods and "maroons.”

The term that receives the most attention is "maroon.” Mulroy says the "Seminole freedmen are neither Seminoles, Africans, nor black Indians ... they are maroons descendants who inhabit their own racial and cultural category.” Mulroy starts in 18th century Florida and continues to the present day. He says maroons "formed communities and created alliances with Britons, Spaniards and Native Americans to survive and to avoid re-enslavement on southern plantations.” He says their ethno genesis and ethno history are similar to other maroon societies in America.

Mulroy sheds light on Indian-black relations in Oklahoma beginning in the antebellum days. The thing that caused European Americans to view the Civilized Tribes as civilized was the degree the Indians could change their lifestyle to reflect the European Americans. Mulroy says, "As Native customs went into decline ... slaveholding elites composed of wealthy intermarried whites and their mixed-race offspring emerged among the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws and Chickasaws.”

"Those elites assumed positions of economic, social, political and cultural leadership and came to direct tribal policy regarding Indian-black relations. That highly acculturated plantocracy instigated the adoption of capitalist economies, democratic elections, constitutional governments, Christianity, school-based education, written laws and law enforcement agencies, institutional slavery and severe black codes.”

"Seminole Freedmen” is a must-read for Oklahomans.