Photo: Seminole Negro Indian Scouts descendants and friends gather at the Maker of Peace statue at Seminole Canyon before beginning their hike to Watering Hole, all in Texas.
As the plane touched down on Sunday evening, meaning I was back in the state of Georgia, I couldn’t help but think about the absolute whirlwind that the past weekend in my beloved hometown of Brackettville had been. What had started as just an idea a few months ago had already happened and was now over; now it was just a fond memory. But this year’s Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association’s (SISCA) Seminole Days was truly amazing.
Every Seminole Days, for about the last twelve years, we begin our annual celebration by hiking Seminole Canyon, located in Comstock. Each year, our guide Tanya Petruney leads us to “The Watering Hole,” which is the beautifully serene area where the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts used to rest on their way to west Texas. This year started off a little bit different. Before we began our hike, we were honored to watch a flag ceremony. Allen Mack, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Buffalo Soldier Program, drummer David Martinez, and Seminole Canyon’s superintendent Craig Howell (and his adorable young son) raised the flag.
After the ceremony, we gathered around “The Maker of Peace” statue and took our annual group picture. And then our hike began. After climbing down the steep steps, we made our way through the canyon. One thing I love about the hike is witnessing and experiencing how everyone takes care of each other during the hike. Everyone makes sure that each attendee makes it over the boulder and then also makes sure they’re able to jump down on our return. Once we arrived at the watering hole, Micco Fay (SISCA board member) read the letter that John Bullis wrote detailing the battle at Eagle’s Nest Crossing. Because of this battle, three Seminole Negro Indian Scouts were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their bravery. After resting for a bit, we made our way back. When we got back to the stairs that led back to the observation deck, I felt every single step. As I write this, I am still incredibly sore, but it is always worth it.
After our visit to Seminole Canyon, the next event didn’t begin until that evening. At six o’clock, we gathered at the Carver School for our meet and greet and lecture series. Our guest speaker, Tom Ashmore, president of the West Texas Archaeological Society, made his fourth consecutive appearance, giving our packed house an update on the work he is doing at Camp Meyers Spring. Each year, his report expands as he deepens his research. Case in point, he told us about the developments surrounding “The Lady in Blue,” who was a nun who was able to teleport herself from Spain to the Jumano Indians who lived in what is now West Texas. The Jumano depicted their meetings with the Lady in Blue by painting their encounter with her on one of the caves at Camp Meyers Spring. Mr. Ashmore showed a beautifully produced 17-minute video about “The Lady in Blue.”
The next morning, we kicked off the Saturday portion of our celebration with our annual parade. Ms. Helen Payne Adamson, from San Antonio, was our parade marshal this year. Her beautiful family supported her, not only in the parade, but all throughout the day. We also had several other family cars participate in the parade as well.
The parade concluded at Carver School. Following the parade, we gathered in the Carver School grounds, where we held our annual program. After a welcome from SISCA president Augusta Pines and a prayer from Sterling Goodloe, we announced the parade winners. Parade judges Carmen Gutierrez and Becky Moore announced that Tiny Town from Castroville won first place, the Lipan Apache (Anita Anya and Richard Gonzalez) won second, and the Buffalo Soldiers from San Antonio won third.
A highlight of the program was when several Negros Mascogos sang the traditional songs. Led by Jordi Barrera, the group sang “Happy New Year” and “This May Be My Last Time.”
Dr. Ian Hancock and Gabriel Sanchez spoke about our Afro-Seminole Creole (ASC) lesson that would be taking place later that evening. And Amadu Massally, founder of FambulTik, spoke about what his evening presentation would entail. And our lovely parade marshal said a few encouraging words.
We sang “This Little Light of Mine.” Then, Brother YJ read a passage from “The Lonely Sentinel” and said a closing prayer.
After the program, we began our BBQ plate sale, which we sold out of quickly. We would like to thank Frank Valenzeula, owner of Game Tyme BBQ, for preparing the briskets for us, Lee Torralba for making the sausage, beans, and chicken, and Augusta Pines for making the rice. I made the potato salad.
Following the BBQ, we played our annual loteria game. Isabel Celestino and Monica Torralba and several other family members ran the game.
Following loteria, we had our annual meeting. Something that was discussed during the meeting was that we will be participating in Wreaths Across America this year. We will be sharing more details shortly.
Our next event was our ASC lesson, which we have been incorporating into both our Juneteenth and Seminole Days events, and it was taught by linguist Dr. Ian Hancock and Gabriel Sanchez. This year, we allotted two hours to the lesson because we wanted to have time to go over the basics. And we also wanted to unveil and test our ASC loteria. Jordi Barrera, Gabriel Sanchez, and his husband Adrian collaborated to create 64 hand-drawn depictions of our chosen ASC words. This is a great way to continue our language revitalization.
Following the ASC lesson, we had our annual Saturday lectures. First Irene Garcia, a longtime SISCA member, spoke about how she found out that she was related to Curly Jefferson, who was a Seminole Negro Indian Scouts. Then Leslie Dutcher-Trevino, president of the Webber Family Preservation Project, spoke about how her family learned about Silvia Hector Webber and their connection to her. And Dr. Maria Hammack joined her and spoke about her work and how she got connected with the Webber Family Preservation Project. And finally, Amadu Massally, author Gambozo’s Storytelling, spoke about his research and discoveries while writing his book. A special guest he brought with him, Natasha Robinson, brought the house down and received a standing ovation following her spoken word performances, which were spoken in English and Gullah Geechee. Her storytelling was powerful and heartfelt.
On Saturday, Rhonda Grayson and Jeffrey Kennedy from the Muscogee Creek Freedman Band, along with filmmakers Camara and Chantel Rose, interviewed several Black Seminoles for an upcoming documentary.
On Sunday morning, we gathered at the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery for our last and most important event — our cemetery ceremony. During our ceremony, we acknowledged our loved ones who have passed away since we last gathered. We called out their names as a way honoring their lives. Something that is also important is recognizing the new life that has come into the world in the last year, so we were so delighted that Baby Hallie, who is nine months old, was there.
Needless to say, I am looking forward to next year’s celebration. Each year, Seminole Days becomes more poignant, more important, because we see how much can happen in one year. Therefore, being able to come home and see our loved ones is sacred. It is a privilege we do not take for granted.
This article was previously published in The Kinney County Post on September 25, 2025.
