History & Water Acknowledgement
Biscayne Bay is the ancestral waters of sovereign Native nations, including the Tequesta, the Calusa, and today, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. We pay our respects to the traditional custodians, the Elders past and present, by recognizing Indigenous sovereignty and the historical and contemporary relationship between Indigenous peoples and their traditional homelands and waters. As present-day denizens of Biscayne Bay, we are honored to uphold knowledge about the history of the original stewards of these waters that we cherish. We encourage our community to learn about ways to support our local Indigenous communities in their efforts to preserve Seminole and Miccosukee land, water rights, cultural practices, and the conservation of the environment, as well as the Indigenous history and sacred sites of South Florida.
May we flourish as Biscayne Bay flourishes, continuing the long legacy of water stewardship and living in harmony with the bay’s eternal tides.
Modern Tribal Lands
-
Seminole have lived in Florida for thousands of years. Our ancestors were the first people to come to Florida. Our ancestors were connected by family and culture to others across North America, from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi river, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. They are now called the Mississippian Culture, and their traditions still exist among the Seminole and other tribes today.
-
The Tribe has a proud history, which predates Columbus. The Miccosukee Indians were originally part of the Creek Nation, and then migrated to Florida before it became part of the United States.