The Seminole Tribe of Florida considers both culture and environment as a unified whole that must be respected in order to make sustainable decisions for the future. Recognizing the fragmented and essentially non-tribal perspectives that dominate the current understanding of the Seminoles history and their deep connection to the environment the Seminole Tribe Council established the Heritage and Environment Resources Office (HERO) to provide a unified approach more closely fitting the Tribes worldview. The purpose of the department is to bring together the talented staff of the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki museum, Tribal and Historic and Preservation Office (THPO) and Environmental Resources Management Department (ERMD) under one umbrella in service to the Tribe through integrated programs of on reservation heritage permitting, off-reservation heritage consultation and public presentation that are fundamentally linked to community member engagement and informed by traditional Seminole practice.