Big Cypress Indian Reservation

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Big Cypress Indian Reservation
Location of Big Cypress Indian Reservation, Florida.
Location of Big Cypress Indian Reservation, Florida.
Country United States
State Florida
County Hendry County, Broward County
Government
 - Governing body Seminole Tribe of Florida Tribal Council
Area
 - Total 81.972 sq mi (212.306 km²)
Population (2000)
 - Total 142
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Website: Seminole Tribe of Florida: Big Cypress

The Big Cypress Indian Reservation is located in southeastern Hendry County and northwestern Broward County in southern Florida in the United States. The reservation lies south of Lake Okeechobee and just north of Alligator Alley. The reservation is governed by the Seminole Tribe of Florida's Tribal Council, and is the largest of the five Seminole reservations in the state. The land area is 212.306 km² (81.972 sq mi), and a resident population of 142 persons was reported in the 2000 census. The reservation lies adjacent to the north side of the largest section of the Miccosukee Indian Reservation in western Broward County.

The tribe owns two tourist attractions: Swamp Safari, and The Big Cypress Entertainment Complex. The reservation is also called "Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation" or "Big Cypress Reservation".

The American rock band Phish held their millennium concert at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation from December 30, 1999 to January 1, 2000. With 85,000 people in attendance, it was the earliest and largest sold out millennium concert. Phish performed 3 sets of music on the 30th, an afternoon set on the 31st, and an unprecedented "Midnight To Dawn" set which ran from 11:50pm until sunrise on January 1, 2000.

The Langerado Music Festival was held there March 6-9 2008. Headlined by REM, the festival was largely a success, but was marred by the death of a concertgoer leaving the show. Constance Leach, a 36 year Native American was killed when charter bus and pickup truck collided on Snake Road just north of Alligator Alley about 1:15 a.m. Traffic crawled along the dark, two-lane road for hours Sunday morning as officers investigated. A mangled black pickup truck sat upright on Snake Road's northeast embankment, inches from a canal parallel to the road. Glass and other debris from the crash were strewn about.

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