Summer Nights Lecture Series | Seminoles on the Frontier
Thursdays | 6 – 8 PM | Free Program | Ages 13+
Be immersed in history as we explore Ocala’s and Florida’s past. Each week different topics will be presented by professionals in the natural and historical resource fields.
Pedro Zepeda, Seminole Tribe of Florida
“Seminoles on the Frontier”
A brief introduction to Seminole self-identity and their role in Southeastern US frontier history.
About Pedro Zepeda:
Pedro Zepeda is a master folk artist and gifted teacher specializing in a variety of traditional Seminole arts. Growing up in a traditional Seminole community, he learned many of these artforms from experienced tribal members such as his grandmother, Tahama Osceola; his brother, Brian Zepeda; and Medicine Man Ingram Billie Jr. Although Pedro has learned and mastered a variety of Seminole craft traditions, he has focused much of his career on the art of dugout canoe carving. Using only an adze and sourcing only Cypress trees that have fallen naturally, Pedro creates dugout canoes in the traditional Seminole style that have been used for transportation in Florida for centuries. He has spent decades working as a cultural advocate and educator within his community as well as the general public. In 2005, he began working as a demonstrator and educator at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, later becoming the museum’s Traditional Arts Coordinator. Outside of his work at the museum, he also presents at conferences and other events across the country, educating others on various aspects of Seminole culture. Pedro’s work has been featured in spaces such as the Collier County Museum, History Fort Lauderdale, and at HistoryMiami Museum. He has demonstrated at the Florida Folk Festival, the Ocmuglee Mounds National Historical Park, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and was 2019 Artist-In-Residence at HistoryMiami.