Latest news with #BettyOsceola
Newsweek
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Alligator Alcatraz Is a 'Huge Step Backward,' Native Tribal Leader Warns
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A tribal leader told Newsweek that he and members in the Big Cypress National Preserve of Florida, which is adjacent to the state's Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention center, are seeking legal remedies against officials because environmental efforts are taking "a huge step backward." Why It Matters On July 14, the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida filed a motion to join environmental groups in a lawsuit against state and federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Miami-Dade County and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The suit said the Miccosukee people, who compose 15 active tribal villages and reside within the Big Cypress National Preserve, have lived in and cared for the land "since time immemorial." "The facility's proximity to the Tribe's villages, sacred and ceremonial sites, traditional hunting grounds, and other lands protected by the Tribe raises significant concerns about environmental degradation and potential impacts to same caused by the construction and operation of a detention facility at the TNT Site," the lawsuit said. "TNT" refers to the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, which was constructed in the 1970s and opposed by tribal members, conservationists and others. The opposition eventually halted the grandiose project after one long runway was built. Newsweek has contacted Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for comment. What To Know Miccosukee Tribe Chairman Talbert Cypress spoke with Newsweek on Thursday on behalf of the tribe's 650 members, saying they had joined environmental groups in their legal action because of major environmental concerns that were conveyed prior to the facility's quick construction and use for illegal migrants. "If they had listened to our concerns, they would realize that this is actually not a very good idea to put this place in," Cypress said. "There's no infrastructure there, and everything has to be brought in. Basically, they're bringing in generators and cellphone towers." "And not to diminish what's going on there, but the cost of everything is going to be $450 million a year just to operate the place," he continued. "The governor [Ron DeSantis] as well as the Trump administration have put record amounts of money toward everybody's restoration and to put this project here flies in the face of that. It's a huge step backward for restoration." Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, standing in the Everglades a few yards from the front entrance of "Alligator Alcatraz" at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee,... Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, standing in the Everglades a few yards from the front entrance of "Alligator Alcatraz" at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 10. MoreCypress said that like most others, he and tribal members found out about Alligator Alcatraz through the news. By the time they voiced displeasure with state and federal lawmakers, the facility—which DeSantis said can house 3,000 to 4,000 migrants—had basically already opened. Last month, DeSantis told reporters that the facility would have "zero impact" on the environment. Following the First and Second Seminole Wars, the Miccosukee people were relocated to about 2.5 million acres of land at the southernmost point of their traditional range that was reserved as Indian Territory in or about 1845. The "truce was broken," as the lawsuit said, and the U.S. attempted to remove the members from the reserved lands, ultimately forcing the Miccosukee people deeper into the Everglades, which they still inhabit to this day. "We feel that there has not been any environmental impact study done, no consultation with the tribes that are present in that area," Cypress said. "The Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes, we both have residents that live in the area and traditional camps within the national preserve not too far from the detention facility." He continued: "We are concerned about the daily lives of our members. We have a lot of members who live there. The increased traffic in that area is a big concern, safety-wise. We're going to have a lot of transported materials that are going to be going through that area now daily. Waste has to go out; supplies have to come in. We're very concerned about that." The permanence of the structure and nefarious long-term effects on the surrounding wetlands provide additional worries, Cypress added. In late June, nonprofit organizations Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity wrote in their complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief and a temporary restraining order that the facility "lies within the broader Everglades ecosystem restoration footprint, and any development at that site that disrupts hydrologic connectivity or degrades environmental conditions threatens to undermine the very objectives that these federal and state investments were intended to achieve." What People Are Saying Elise Bennett, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Newsweek on Thursday: "This is an incredibly ecologically sensitive system, and the impacts extend far beyond the site. Artificial lights are blazing into the once dark sky, evicting endangered Florida bonneted bats from dark, open night sky they need to hunt insects. "It's also cutting into essential territory for the endangered Florida panther and increasing the risk of more of these big cats being struck by cars on roads. Contaminants on the site—fuels, wastewater and human refuse—threaten to pollute the sensitive waters surrounding the site on all sides. This place was meant to be a preserve for clean water and wildlife, and the federal and state government have turned it into a dystopian hellscape." Eve Samples, the executive director of Friends of the Everglades, told Newsweek on Friday: "This mass detention center was ramrodded into the middle of our country's oldest national preserve with no public input, no environmental analysis—and no regard for the billions of dollars invested in Everglades restoration. Our government has gone rogue by ignoring cherished laws that protect our nation's water, wildlife and national parks." President Donald Trump told reporters when touring Alligator Alcatraz on July 1: "It's known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate because I looked outside and that's not a place I want to go hiking. But very soon, this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet." Democratic Florida Representative Anna Eskamani wrote on Facebook on July 12: "The environmental impact of this facility cannot be overstated—there is new asphalt, thousands of gallons of water used everyday and gas tanks powering generators. No alligators seen but plenty of mosquitoes. No one should be working here let alone detained." What Happens Next After an expedited motion was filed on July 11, lawyers for state Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie told the court the groups did not have a right to tell judges how to proceed, E&E News reported. On Wednesday, Judge Jose E. Martinez recused himself from the case, which was reassigned to Judge Kathleen M. Williams. The change could cause delays in the case, meaning any potential relief may not come soon.
The Guardian
29-01-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Outcry from Native American tribes after Florida company tries to give artifacts away
Native American tribes in Florida have accused a development company of freezing them out of a discussion on the future of a trove of historical artifacts from a downtown Miami construction site, and hawking them around the US without their consent or knowledge. Representatives of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the American Indian Movement of Florida told the Guardian that they were angered by the Related Group's approach to a number of out-of-state universities to see if they were interested in curating and housing the relics believed to be from an ancient Tequesta Indian village. More than a million mostly fragmentary items that experts say date anywhere from 2,000 to 7,000 years ago are currently stored at Related's office in the Brickell neighborhood where the company is building two residential tower blocks, and where they were uncovered in archaeological digs since 2021. The site is a stone's throw from the Miami Circle national historic landmark, known as the city's Stonehenge, which was discovered in 1998 along with similarly aged artifacts including pieces of pottery, tools, and animal bones and teeth. Some scattered human ancestral remains were recovered where Related was clearing land, and reburied off-site in consultation with local tribal leaders, but otherwise, the representatives say, they have not been listened to. The tribes say Related has broken an agreement made with the city of Miami in 2023 to present an action plan to preserve, catalog and display significant parts of the collection locally in exchange for being allowed to press ahead with the development. They also feel betrayed by the company's exploration of a possible new home for the artifacts by offering them to educational institutions far from their origin, including the University of California, Berkeley. That occurred, the tribes say, at the same time Related broke two deadlines to present a plan to deliver on a promise made to the city by the company's founder Jorge Pérez two years ago of 'doing the right thing for this community'. 'They won't listen to the tribes, to the descendants of the ancestors, that we don't want the artifacts displayed or shopped around to universities, but put back into the ground,' said Betty Osceola, an environmental activist and Miccosukee tribe member. 'They haven't had any meaningful discussion with the tribe. They're looking more at it from an archeological standpoint, and not from the tribes', or as an indigenous person. In their mindset it's OK to put these items on display, in our viewpoint we want them reburied somewhere, and there hasn't been any type of discussion as to where that location would be.' Osceola said another disappointment was how Related had 'downplayed' the discoveries, at least until the 2023 agreement. 'From the beginning we understood the importance of that area and how it's connected to Miami Circle, which is protected, that it's all interconnected with the sites on the north side of the Miami River as well. But there was some downplay of the significance, [they said] no, it wasn't connected,' she said. 'Now they realize the connection, they're acknowledging the significance, but it's frustrating they didn't listen to us, not taking credence in what we had to say.' Robert Rosa, chair of the American Indian Movement of Florida, said the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes were still waiting to see a promised full inventory of items in Related's possession. 'They said both tribes would be able to go through every artifact so they can determine what is a a patrimonial item and a burial item, but that hasn't happened,' he said. 'They're trying to be sly about it and send it away for 'research'. Well, the tribes don't want research. They want everything reinterred. You have all these archeologists here, all they want to do is dig and make a name for themselves and preach and tell the Native story without being Native.' Related did not respond to the Guardian's request for comment. At a meeting of the city of Miami's historic and environmental preservation board earlier this month, the company's land-use lawyer, Iris Escarrá, said the approach to external institutions was exploratory and preliminary. 'We were just asking for proposals to see what opportunities are available. This is nothing more than that,' she told members, according to the Miami Herald. Related, the newspaper said, promised to deliver a detailed plan, including proposals for exhibition spaces along Brickell's waterfront, at the next board meeting on 4 March. The company said it planned to link its site with the Miami Circle landmark via an educational pathway it intends to call the Tequesta Trail. Meanwhile, the University of Miami (UM) and Florida International University say they are still waiting for a response to their joint proposal for a conservation and research center in the city. 'The action plan is the guarantee the public has of access to some of the information from the capital of the Tequesta, the largest indigenous pre-contact settlement in South Florida,' said Traci Ardren, professor of anthropology at UM. 'What they showed at this last meeting was very disorganized. They're not speaking with museum curators, they're not speaking with scholars, they're not speaking with the archeological community, and most importantly they're not speaking with the local indigenous population. 'It's extremely disappointing they would consider farming out the curation of the artifacts to an institution outside of South Florida. Reaching out to other universities and institutions is inappropriate for lots of reasons, but fundamentally it's about their unwillingness to fund this educational component. It costs money to do this work.'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Outcry from Native American tribes after Florida company tries to give artifacts away
Native American tribes in Florida have accused a development company of freezing them out of a discussion on the future of a trove of historical artifacts from a downtown Miami construction site, and hawking them around the US without their consent or knowledge. Representatives of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the American Indian Movement of Florida told the Guardian that they were angered by the Related Group's approach to a number of out-of-state universities to see if they were interested in curating and housing the relics believed to be from an ancient Tequesta Indian village. More than a million mostly fragmentary items that experts say date anywhere from 2,000 to 7,000 years ago are currently stored at Related's office in the Brickell neighborhood where the company is building two residential tower blocks, and where they were uncovered in archaeological digs since 2021. The site is a stone's throw from the Miami Circle national historic landmark, known as the city's Stonehenge, which was discovered in 1998 along with similarly aged artifacts including pieces of pottery, tools, and animal bones and teeth. Some scattered human ancestral remains were recovered where Related was clearing land, and reburied off-site in consultation with local tribal leaders, but otherwise, the representatives say, they have not been listened to. The tribes say Related has broken an agreement made with the city of Miami in 2023 to present an action plan to preserve, catalog and display significant parts of the collection locally in exchange for being allowed to press ahead with the development. They also feel betrayed by the company's exploration of a possible new home for the artifacts by offering them to educational institutions far from their origin, including the University of California, Berkeley. That occurred, the tribes say, at the same time Related broke two deadlines to present a plan to deliver on a promise made to the city by the company's founder Jorge Pérez two years ago of 'doing the right thing for this community'. 'They won't listen to the tribes, to the descendants of the ancestors, that we don't want the artifacts displayed or shopped around to universities, but put back into the ground,' said Betty Osceola, an environmental activist and Miccosukee tribe member. 'They haven't had any meaningful discussion with the tribe. They're looking more at it from an archeological standpoint, and not from the tribes', or as an indigenous person. In their mindset it's OK to put these items on display, in our viewpoint we want them reburied somewhere, and there hasn't been any type of discussion as to where that location would be.' Osceola said another disappointment was how Related had 'downplayed' the discoveries, at least until the 2023 agreement. 'From the beginning we understood the importance of that area and how it's connected to Miami Circle, which is protected, that it's all interconnected with the sites on the north side of the Miami River as well. But there was some downplay of the significance, [they said] no, it wasn't connected,' she said. 'Now they realize the connection, they're acknowledging the significance, but it's frustrating they didn't listen to us, not taking credence in what we had to say.' Robert Rosa, chair of the American Indian Movement of Florida, said the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes were still waiting to see a promised full inventory of items in Related's possession. 'They said both tribes would be able to go through every artifact so they can determine what is a a patrimonial item and a burial item, but that hasn't happened,' he said. 'They're trying to be sly about it and send it away for 'research'. Well, the tribes don't want research. They want everything reinterred. You have all these archeologists here, all they want to do is dig and make a name for themselves and preach and tell the Native story without being Native.' Related did not respond to the Guardian's request for comment. At a meeting of the city of Miami's historic and environmental preservation board earlier this month, the company's land-use lawyer, Iris Escarrá, said the approach to external institutions was exploratory and preliminary. 'We were just asking for proposals to see what opportunities are available. This is nothing more than that,' she told members, according to the Miami Herald. Related, the newspaper said, promised to deliver a detailed plan, including proposals for exhibition spaces along Brickell's waterfront, at the next board meeting on 4 March. The company said it planned to link its site with the Miami Circle landmark via an educational pathway it intends to call the Tequesta Trail. Meanwhile, the University of Miami (UM) and Florida International University say they are still waiting for a response to their joint proposal for a conservation and research center in the city. 'The action plan is the guarantee the public has of access to some of the information from the capital of the Tequesta, the largest indigenous pre-contact settlement in South Florida,' said Traci Ardren, professor of anthropology at UM. 'What they showed at this last meeting was very disorganized. They're not speaking with museum curators, they're not speaking with scholars, they're not speaking with the archeological community, and most importantly they're not speaking with the local indigenous population. 'It's extremely disappointing they would consider farming out the curation of the artifacts to an institution outside of South Florida. Reaching out to other universities and institutions is inappropriate for lots of reasons, but fundamentally it's about their unwillingness to fund this educational component. It costs money to do this work.'
