MIAMI – Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board has unanimously approved preliminary designation of part of a 2,500-year-old site ancestral site belonging to the Tequesta indigenous people that was found during the construction of a luxury hotel in Brickell. The decision temporarily protects part of the site from further demolition and disruptive digging of the ground by the property development company. Group for at least 6 months while the city’s conservation office is preparing a detailed study regarding its status as a legally protected archaeological area.
If the site is designated as a historic monument in the future, In a similar vein, the company founded by Pérez Art Museum’s namesake, Jorge Pérez, would have to undergo a board approval process for any construction project, including how to handle public display and interpretation of the results. The council could also impose requirements to preserve parts of the site, anticipate further clashes or even a lawsuit with one of South Florida’s biggest developers, who can also appeal any decision of the council.
The nearly 100 archaeologists who have excavated the area over the past two years continue to unearth tools and ornaments made from animal bones and shells, cultural objects and artifacts indicating a thriving trade network. They also found fragments of human remains underground, which were buried elsewhere in consultation with Seminole tribal leaders. Bob Carr, the county archaeologist, shared new finds such as “shell eyelids”, shell discs representing pupils.
“It appears to be a type of Tequesta ornament that has never been fully documented before,” Carr said during a recent town hall meeting. “Eyes are very important in Tequesta and Native American cosmology.” With a 6-0 vote, all council members agreed that the site merits designation.
According to the report by city archaeologist Adrian Espinosa-Valdor, the thousands of excavated prehistoric tools, artifacts and ornaments are “stored on site” in boxes in a temperature-controlled environment housed inside the same building at Brickell 444. Where they will be housed in the future has not been decided.
While the decision is a step toward preserving Miami’s history, neighbors don’t want to be left in the dark about any future decision-making by Related.
“There should be more participatory workshops with facilitators and all stakeholders involved, instead of just a board meeting once every few months,” said Miami-based structural engineer and heritage advocate Nina Jean-Louis. Hyperallergic.
“What story does this site tell? she continued. “I think there’s the story that the developer sees, that it stands in the way of profit and construction, and the story that the community sees: that it’s part of our heritage.”
When it comes to protecting Indigenous sites considered sacred to some Native Americans, advocates say better preservation policies are needed. Robert Rosa, president of the American Indian Movement in Florida, asked the city to leave all other native objects in the ground untouched and not disturb them by digging further. “I commend the city for this preservation step, but we need to go further,” he said. Anthropologist Traci Arden also asked the city to include Indigenous artists in any future exhibits or interpretations of the finds.
Historic preservation boards and committees in the United States date back to the 19th century, when they were created to protect the homes of America’s “founding fathers,” such as George Washington and John Hancock, from demolition. Policies then incorporated European-style cemeteries, farms, infrastructure and buildings, mostly white-owned, reflecting who decides what is preserved and what is not.
But much of Miami’s indigenous history and many of its archaeological sites lie underground, unseen. Conservatives continue to defend the Tequesta site in hopes of holding developers accountable. In an interview with HyperallergicSara Ayers-Rigsby, a professor at Florida Atlantic University and Southeast/Southwest Regional Director of the Florida Public Archeology Network, laid out some of the most difficult dilemmas facing the Brickell Project in the coming months.
“What does what we do with this site say about our values? Is it enough to document everything and then build a skyscraper on top of it? she asked. “Are we respectful of the past? And how does this interact with Miami’s current development policy? »
