Editing Seminole Wars (section)

===Modern times===
A small number of Seminoles continued to live in relative isolation in the Lake Okeechobee and Everglades region into the 20th Century. Flood control and drainage projects beginning in the late 1800s opened up more land for development and significantly altered the natural environment, inundating some areas while leaving some former swamps dry and arable. These projects, along with the completion of the [[Tamiami Trail]] which bisected the Everglades in 1928, simultaneously ended old ways of life and introduced new opportunities. A steady stream of white developers and tourists came to the area, and the Seminoles began to work in local farms and ranches and open souvenir stands.

In the 1940s, Seminoles living across the state began moving to reservations and establishing official tribal governments to form ties with the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]]. In 1957, most Seminoles established formal relations with the US government as the [[Seminole Tribe of Florida]], which is headquartered in [[Hollywood, Florida]], and control the [[Big Cypress Indian Reservation]], [[Brighton Reservation]], Fort Pierce Reservation, [[Hollywood Reservation]], Immokalee Reservation, and [[Tampa Reservation]].<ref>''Atlas of the North American Indian'', 3rd ed. New York: Checkmark Books, 2009. Print.</ref> This branch of Florida Seminoles began operating [[bingo hall]]s on reservation land in 1979, and after overcoming several legal challenges by the state, opened gambling [[casino]]s in the early 2000s and purchased the [[Hard Rock Casino]] brand in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |title=A History of Tribal Gambling |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2007/11/15/a-history-of-tribal-gaming/#:~:text=1979:%20Seminoles'%20first%20bingo%20hall%20opens |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=15 November 2007 |language=en |archive-date=18 January 2025 |access-date=30 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250118235904/https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2007/11/15/a-history-of-tribal-gaming/#:~:text=1979:%20Seminoles'%20first%20bingo%20hall%20opens |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gooch |first1=Teresa McKenzie |title=Bingo: The Battle Cry of the Florida Seminole |journal=The Sunland Tribune |date=1992 |volume=18 |issue=1 |url=https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1237&context=sunlandtribune#:~:text=In%20the%20twentieth%20century,%20the%20Florida |access-date=30 September 2024 |archive-date=13 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913170321/https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1237&context=sunlandtribune#:~:text=In%20the%20twentieth%20century,%20the%20Florida |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Miccosukee]] branch of the Seminoles held to a more traditional lifestyle in the Everglades region, simultaneously seeking privacy and serving as a tourist attraction, wrestling alligators, selling crafts, and giving [[Ecotourism|eco-tours]] of their land. They received federal recognition as a separate nation in 1962 and received their own reservation lands, collectively known as the [[Miccosukee Indian Reservation]], including a {{convert|333|acre|km2|adj=on}} reservation on the northern border of Everglades National Park, about {{convert|45|mi|km}} west of Miami.<ref name="miccosukee">{{cite web |url=http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/resources/hii46735.000/hii46735_0.HTM |title=Concerning the Miccosukee Tribe's Ongoing Negotiations with the National Park Service Regarding the Special Use Permit Area |publisher=Resources Committee, US House of Representatives |date=25 September 1997 |access-date=2 March 2011 |archive-date=10 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310133408/http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/resources/hii46735.000/hii46735_0.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>