His activism led to political organization of the Miccosukee and their gaining federal recognition in 1962 as an independent Native American tribe.
In 1959 Buffalo Tiger led a delegation to Cuba and secured formal diplomatic recognition from the government of Fidel Castro of the Miccosukee.
Under his leadership, the tribe in 1971 was the first to take over responsibility to operate its social and educational programs, as was later encouraged by the Indian Self-Determination Act of 1975.
In the early 20th century, the Miccosukee were considered part of the Seminole, and the people maintained their relative isolation from the majority community by living within the Everglades.
[6] In the 1950s, the Seminole were faced with new challenges; in 1953 the federal government proposed to terminate them as a tribe, which meant a reduction in certain benefits and, more tragically, neglect from the United States to honor their sovereignty.
He, Homer Osceola of the tribal council, and Morton Silver traveled to Cuba in 1959 and met with premier Fidel Castro of the new revolutionary government.
Under Chief Buffalo Tiger's leadership, in May 1971 the Miccosukee signed a contract with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to take over operation of the "comprehensive social and educational programs formerly run by agency bureaucrats.
Under a separate lease arrangement with the state water conservation district achieved in 1983, they have access and fishing and hunting rights in 200,000 acres of wetlands.
[13] Buffalo Tiger helped bring modernity to his people, including control of their programs, economic development, and improvements to medicine and education.
[14] At the same time, Buffalo Tiger supported efforts to preserve the culture; the Miccosukee Indian Village Museum was founded in 1983.