Meet Mariann Billie, a 2023 Freedom Awards Honoree

Councilwoman Mariann Billie made history when she became the first female Council Representative for the Big Cypress Indian reservation. She is a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and a proud mother of two children. 

Councilwoman Billie grew up on the Big Cypress and Hollywood reservations and graduated from high school in Arizona. At the age of 25, she enrolled at Nova Southeastern University (NSU), where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

As a mother, Councilwoman Billie has dedicated her life to supporting young people through her work with various tribal programs such as education and human resources. She assisted tribal youth in establishing an Indigenous youth leadership group and has volunteered with United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) to help empower youth. She has served on several committees to include parent advisory boards, truancy committees and election boards. She also has served as a chaperone and mentor to various young people to help promote awareness and inspire youth to exercise their rights as citizens. 

Through volunteering and working in tribal government and currently as a Council Representative, she has helped open doors for succeeding generations. 

As a Council member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, she is focused on mental health wellness, communication, environmental sustainability and constitutional reform.  

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