Jumper, Moses, Jr. 1950-

PERSONAL:

Born January 4, 1950, in Fort Lauderdale, FL; son of Moses, Sr. (an alligator wrestler) and Betty Mae (a tribal leader and writer) Jumper; married February 16, 1974; wife's name La Quita (a homemaker); children: Wildcat NaHa, John, Happy. Ethnicity: "Native American." Education: Attended Haskell Indian Junior College (now Haskell Indian Nations University) and University of Tampa; earned A.A. Religion: Baptist.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Clewiston, FL. Office— Seminole Tribe of Florida, 6300 Stirling Rd., Hollywood, FL 33024.

CAREER:

Seminole Tribe of Florida, Hollywood, director of recreation department for more than thirty years; cattle rancher and breeder of Seminole ponies; director of youth rodeos; coach and youth advisor; also worked as sports educator.

WRITINGS:

Echoes in the Wind: Seminole Indian Poetry of Moses Jumper, Jr., illustrated by Susan Hartline, Seminole Tribe of Florida (Hollywood, FL), 1990.

(With Ben Sonder) Osceola, Patriot and Warrior, illustrated by Patrick Soper, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1993.

ADAPTATIONS:

Some of Jumper's poems have been adapted as songs.

SIDELIGHTS:

Moses Jumper, Jr., told CA: "The poems and subjects that I write about revolve around my life on the Florida reservations. I try to capture the interest and love I have for our people and land. My mother has written a couple of books about our legends and stories about our people. She has been an inspiration to me and my work. I never intended to write poetry, and my interest in writing anything at all was never there, but certain people such as my mother showed me that the gift was there. I began to read about Native writers and that began my love for poems."