Styled after the Andrew Jackson statue in Jackson Square in New Orleans, the Unconquered statue is intended to memorialize and represent the undefeated spirit of the Seminole tribe that the Florida State community has adopted. The bronze statue features Chief Osceola riding on his horse, Renegade, and raising a spear high above his head. The imagery is the same as the pre-kick-off ceremony that takes place at every home football game. It also features the word, unconquered, in large capitalized block letters in granite at the base of the statue. The statue is featured twice around the base, so that one can read the words from both the front and the back. The statue is a staggering 31-foot high, about the same size as a three-story building. The base is surrounded by large green bushes and a simple black fence, protecting it from human contact. Behind this is a small, rectangular granite plaque that features information about the statue. Unconquered sits at the north end of a long rectangular area of green grass and sits in front of the south entrance of Doak Campbell Stadium. This is meant to signify the tenacity and strength of the Seminole tribe which extends to all of the FSU students, faculty, and staff. The statue entire stance, with Osceola strongly holding the spear over his head with his mouth wide open yelling and Renegade rises up signifies triumph and victory. Every night before a home football game, the spear in Osceola’s hand is lit on fire, physically embracing the idea of an unconquerable spirit. The monument also serves a significant purpose just because of its location.

 

     The statue is in front of Doak Campbell Stadium, which draws several thousand people to its gates every Saturday. It also is located right in front of our visitor’s center and because of that it is one of the first images students and family members see when visiting our campus. FSU alumni, Stephen Reilly, spread-headed the creation of the statue and stated that it, “it symbolically portrays the unconquered spirit of the Seminole people of the nineteenth century and the timeless legacy of that spirit that continues to burn bright into the future." While the statue clearly captures the pride and determination of Osceola, it is done so through the lens of Florida State and not the Seminole tribe. The statue is model after a performance from our mascot, not an actual Native American, nor an actual battle. It is the only monument on campus tied to Native Americans yet features no information on the history or culture of the Seminole tribe.