Betty Osceola

Betty Osceola (born August 8, 1967) is a Native American Everglades educator, conservationist, anti-fracking and clean water advocate. She is a member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida Panther Clan. Osceola was born and raised in the Everglades and is an airboat captain and operator of Buffalo Tiger Airboat Rides on Tamiami Trail near Miami, Florida.
Early life.
In January 2019, Osceola revealed details about her childhood in an interview for the American Experience "The Swamp" series produced by PBS, stating that while she was growing up in the Everglades she lived in a chickee hut with four walls with her family and that her mother would move around Florida for employment sometimes working picking citrus around Lake Okeechobee and at tourist attractions making baskets and sewing quilts. She also shared that her people had once lived off the land planting corn and pumpkin in the islands but these days the waters are so polluted that they are not able to do that anymore. 
Walk for Mother Earth 2015-2017.
Osceola along with her uncle Bobby C. Billie (1946-2018) founded the Walk for Mother Earth, a grassroots organization attracting people of other First Nations, Glades people, scientists, environmentalists, and concerned citizens. Billie, a spiritual and clan leader (whose official title was Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples) and Osceola lead an annual multi-day prayer walk along a proposed bikepath to be built on Florida State Route 41 between Naples and Miami which was designated as the River of Grass Greenway (ROGG) project. Osceola and Billie opposed this construction and set out to educate the public and government officials about the negative repercussions this project would bring to the Everglades ecosystem. Eventually, they spoke at public hearings at the Collier County Board of Commissioners' meeting followed by the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners which concluded in both counties rescinding the project. After Billie's passing, Osceola continues the prayer walks in South Florida.
Lake Okeechobee Prayer Walk January 26-February 1, 2019.
Osceola with Holley Rauen, from Pachamama Alliance, organized and lead a group of six participants during a seven-day long and 118-mile prayer walkto bring attention to the water quality issues. During the entire walk she carried a red bandanna attached to her walking stick to bring attention to the missing and murdered Indigenous women. Rauen lead the online prayer group.
Walk for Mother Earth Prayer Walk December 7-8, 2019.
Osceola and Miccosukee Rev. Houston R. Cypress, organized and lead a group of over 60 participants during a two-day long and 31-mile prayer walk in the historic Loop Road in Ochopee, Florida.
#DefendTheSacred Hashtag.
On December 22, 2020, Osceola posted a video on the social media platform TikTok in which she's holding a sign that reads "I am the Everglades, #DefendTheSacred". This short video went viral with 1.7 million views as of February 28, 2021.
#DefendTheSacred Walk for Mother Prayer Walk January 2-3, 2021.
Osceola and Miccosukee Rev. Houston R. Cypress organized and lead a group of 41 participants during a two-day long and 36-mile prayer walk on State Road 41, from East to West, in Big Cypress National Preserve in opposition to the EPA State Assumption of Dredge and Fill Permitting under Section 404 of the Clean Water. The group started on East entrance of Loop Road and ended on the second day in Carnestown, Florida.
#DefendTheSacred Lake Okeechobee Prayer Walk February 6-12, 2021.
Osceola and Miccosukee Rev. Houston R. Cypress organized a second walk around the perimeter of Lake Okeechobee, with a group of 26 participants for a seven-day long and 118-mile prayer. In addition to praying for the healing of Mother Earth the walk was in opposition to the EPA State Assumption of Dredge and Fill Permitting under Section 404 of the Clean Water.
Dakota Access Pipeline.
Osceola made two trips from the Everglades to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation to deliver supplies to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.
Awards.
In January 2018, Osceola received the John V. Kabler Grassroots Organizing Award during the Everglades Coalition annual summit. 