Perdido Bay Tribe

In 1989, Bobby Johns Bearheart was designated Master Folk Artist by the Florida Folk Life Division of Cultural Affairs. He was winner of a $5000 Individual Artist Fellowship in 1990 and served as Artist in Residence for all Escambia County middle and high schools in 1991. In 1993, he became the first Creek to be honored with the Florida Folk Life Heritage Award. He also served as a member of The
Florida Creek Indian Council, funded by the State of Florida. Over the years, Bearheart has been active as a teacher, mentor, guest speaker and Creek Indian historian and has served on numerous civic and cultural committees. In 1990, as a continuation of his previous work, Bearheart gathered his family and a handful of Creek Indian friends, and Perdido Bay Tribe of Southeastern Lower Muscogee Creek Indians, Inc. was born.