Bronze Seminole Statue 'Sovereign' Now Stands Guard At Pebble Park

May 26, 2023

RIVERVIEW, FL — Pebble Park's newest "resident" now has a permanent home in the park at 9955 Riverview Drive, Riverview.

Sovereign, a life-size bronze statue complete with glass panel patchwork, has been installed in a place of honor at the park as a tribute to local Native American history, specifically the Seminoles' national independence, which the tribe gained over 60 years ago.

The Sovereign sculpture reflects a Seminole woman in traditional, though modernized, Native American dress. She stands over 6 feet tall atop a 6-foot-high concrete pedestal. Her posture exudes strength and serenity. Sovereign's face is tilted toward the sky, eyes closed. Her hands are under her long hair, as if she is about to toss her loose locks off her shoulders.

A patchwork pattern wraps around Sovereign's full-length skirt and adorns the hem of her cape. The patchwork design is repeated in the form of three colorful glass panels, set within a plaque installed in front of the statue.

The first panel has various shades of blue glass, creating a sense of moving water and representing the Alafia River, which flows several hundred yards from the sculpture.

The second glass panel has shades of green and blue. It symbolizes the Council Oak Treaty, a historic agreement between the Seminoles and the U.S. government, which established the tribe's sovereignty.

The bottom glass tile, featuring yellow and red, is intended to reflect the Seminole's matriarchal society. The glass panels will naturally illuminate when the sun shines on them, brightening the tiles' vibrant hues.

The text engraved above the glass panels describes how the Seminoles' government and constitution were established in 1957. The inscription is in English and the Seminole language.

The design and creation of Sovereign spanned many months and involved several contributing artists. The piece itself was sculpted and cast by The Milligan Studio, a public art practice owned by husband-and-wife artists Alan Milligan and Dr. Nicole Mary Milligan.

The Milligan Studio worked closely with members of the Seminole tribe to create a piece that celebrates Seminole culture and history.

"The sculpture's named Sovereign as a way to honor the Seminole tribe," said Milligan. "If you look at it, it's a matriarchal society. So, there's a young woman and she's throwing her hair back and she's looking forward to the future. She's looking forward to the challenges that she might come across in a modern world."

Jessica Osceola, a member of the Seminole tribe, contributed Sovereign's symbolic patchwork patterns. Seminole patchwork is a textile design often made by piecing together colorful strips of fabric in a zigzag format.

Using the lost wax casting method, nearly 1,000 pounds of clay, 1,000 pounds of plaster and 1,000 pounds of silica were needed to create the nearly 700-pound sculpture. At least 500 pounds of bronze was used to cast Sovereign.

The work was commissioned by the Hillsborough County Commission through the Public Art Program.

Sovereign is not alone in Pebble Park. A statue of Benjamin Moody stands in the center of the roundabout entrance to the park. Moody was a pioneer settler of what eventually became Riverview and a three-time Hillsborough County commissioner in the mid-1800s.

The 27-acre park also features a half-mile network of paved and natural-surface trails, large pavilions with picnic tables, and a butterfly garden in the shape of a butterfly, built by a local Girl Scouts troop.

Approximately 500 native trees and plants thrive in the park. Restrooms and lighted parking are among the other amenities.

The addition of a boardwalk and observation overlook along the river is planned for the site.

Click here to see a video about the park.