Dade County had a large ancient Floridian population long before the city of Miami came around. Spanish Governor Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who founded St. Augustine, established friendly ties with the Tequesta Indians.

Other Second Seminole War Forts: Fort Kemble near Fort Dallas, and Fort Henry in the Everglades.

The Arch Creek Midden has barely survived the booming growth of Miami, and is now preserved in a park at North Miami and Biscayne Bay. The remaining midden is built up of oyster and conch shells, and was built by the Tequesta Indians from about 500 B.C. to 1500 A.D. A small museum on the grounds interprets the site. Open daily with no admission charge.

Cutler Burial Mound:

This mound is on the Charles Deering Estate, near the town of Perrine. This was the former site of a Tequesta Indian village. Although no modern investigation of the sand mound has been done, the estate owner, Henry E. Perrine, investigated several burials in the mound in 1876. Hours: The estate is open on Saturday and Sunday, and some holidays. There is an admission charge, and you can visit the mound by guided tour only.

The Miami Circle:

I hate to mention this one because of the media circus that was generated about it, but it is such a significant site that it cannot be ignored. And maybe now after a couple years things have calmed down and the sideshow is gone.

In late 1998 and early 1999 in downtown Miami at the mouth of the Miami River, demolition of an old apartment building uncovered a very unique find. It was a Tekesta (or Tequesta) building with the foundation cut out of the bedrock. In the past, postholes of ancient dwellings have been found, but this is the first time the outline of the building and base has been found and carved into the rock. Also found was some unusual carvings, and what had the appearance of a ceremonial burial of a 5-foot shark. Also found were other animal and turtle bones, beads, and the remains of fire pits. The age of the site was estimated between 2000 to 800 years old.

The site was slated to have a multi-million dollar hotel built on the site, and an immediate public outcry to preserve the site brought people in from around the world after heavy media coverage. It soon exploded into a media circus.  Speculation of what the site actually was started to run wild with the constant line of protesters and 24-hour drum beating. One protester showed up from Alaska saying that he had a vision of the circle having a cosmic connections with the Innuit people from up there.

There has been wild speculation if this was a site built by the Mayans or Taino people of the Caribbean. Although it is speculated that there could have been contact between these people and the Tekesta, there is no real proof from this site that it is anyone else but Tekesta. Sometimes the local people are just not given credit for building something spectacular by themselves. The exact purpose of the structure is still unknown, but is most likely a council house or ceremonial house.

One of the local protest groups involved was the Taino Tribe based in New Jersey, who claim the Calusa were also Taino. There is no indication whatsoever to substantiate this, and evidence points to the contrary. The Calusa’s language was Tunica, which itself comes from Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

 Eventually the county and city worked out a deal with the developer to turn the circle into a local park.

Update:  8/11/2007:  Apparently a lot of the circle is in danger of being washed away into the bay/river.

Cape Florida (Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area):

Cape Florida has always been an important navigation point for passing ships, first recorded by John Cabot in 1497.

The present Cape Florida lighthouse was completed in 1846. The original lighthouse was built in 1825, but destroyed in a raid by the Seminoles. (Probably Spanish Indians under Chakaika.) On July 23, 1836, the Indians attacked the lighthouse. The keeper climbed up in the tower and threw a keg of gunpowder down the stairway hoping to commit suicide, but destroyed the stairway and trapped himself and his slave on top of the burning tower instead. Indians shot at him and killed his slave. The keeper climbed on top of the body of his slave to escape the heat of the fire. The Navy ship "Motto" passed the next day, and rescued him after much trouble trying to get to the top of the 90-foot tower.

The lighthouse was the only thing in the park that survived Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and has now been reopened.

Fort Dallas building at Limmus Park:

Fort Dallas was established in early 1838, and served as the headquarters of the Navy and Marine Corps operating in the Everglades during the Second Seminole War. From here Army Dragoons and Naval forces chased the Seminoles in the Everglades and Florida Keys. Colonel Harney conducted an exhibition from Fort Dallas in December 1840 as a manhunt into the Everglades, and to specifically hunt down and kill Chakaika, leader of the Spanish Indians. (There is a park in the county named after Chakaika near his hammock hideout, but has nothing else to do with him.) The Spanish Indians were a mixture of Spanish, Seminoles, and possibly Calusa ancestors. Any Seminole villages found near Fort Dallas were destroyed after the Indians had fled, and their crops and food supplies were burned. The fort was active and inactive several times until the close of the Third Seminole War in 1858.

The Dupont Plaza Hotel occupies the former fort site, and part of the fort was moved a few blocks away to Limmus Park. The old stone barracks built in 1844 were once the haven of drug dealers and homeless people, but the city has now cleaned everything up and I am told that it is nicely restored. But not before a fight with the Civil Liberties Union over destruction of homeless squatter's property.

Miccosukee Indian Reservation:

The Miccosukee were thought of as Seminoles for a long time, but are actually a separate tribe. They received federal recognition in the 1960's. Miccosukees are descended from Upper Creeks, but speak a different language than the main group of Muskogee Creeks. They were known as the fiercest warriors during the Seminole wars. Many of the famous leaders during the war were actually Miccosukee (Mikasuki) or Hitchiti-speaking Red Sticks. The Miccosukee refer to themselves as the "i.laponki".

In the early 20th century the state made a reservation for the Seminoles in the northeast part of the Everglades. Concerned white citizens who wanted to make a place where Native American Indians in Florida could safely live without fear of being driven off their home purchased this land. The land for this reservation was purchased or donated to the state for use by the Seminoles. When the Miccosukees were declared a separate tribe, the state eventually gave this land to the Miccosukee Tribe. One problem was that nobody had asked the Indians if they even wanted this land in the first place, and many lived in areas elsewhere that they had always lived. The land is also very poor with no good areas to farm or raise cattle, and is under water much of the year. The Miccosukee asked instead for reservation land along the Tamiami Trail in the Everglades National Park, where the tribal headquarters are today.

There are a few Miccosukees who still do not recognize any authority over them and remain independent. They believe all the land in Florida was taken from them by war, and that they have never agreed to a peace treaty.

The Miccosukee Museum demonstrates traditional arts and crafts, along with an audiovisual display. There is also a reconstructed village with chickees and alligator wrestling.  They have recently redesigned the museum at the cultural center.  Inside are items, artifacts, and clothing from different periods of history.  The museum is well worth the visit, and the price of admission alone.  Every year between Christmas and New Years Day is the annual Miccosukee arts & crafts festival.

The Miccosukee restaurant is across the street from the entrance to the Shark Valley visitors center or the Everglades National Park. You can even take an airboat ride to a traditional Miccosukee village.

As well as having a reputation as being the fiercest warriors during the 19th century, The Miccosukee Tribe had some members join the Armed Forces in World War II. On September 18, 1943, Howard Tiger enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Later Moses Jumper Sr., joined the Navy, and Jack Osceola joined the Army. Future tribal leader Buffalo Tiger enlisted in the McAllister Volunteers in 1940, a home defense unit sponsored by a Miami VFW post. Betty Mae Tiger was the first to purchase a War Bond. Both Howard Tiger and Moses Jumper saw action in the Pacific, and Tiger was wounded in combat. These veterans are remembered with pride today.

Historic Museum of Southern Florida:

This modern museum in downtown Miami looks at south Florida history starting 10,000 years ago. There are several good exhibits covering the Calusa and Seminole. The museum also sponsors special events and wilderness trips.

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© 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007 Chris Kimball
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