by Houston R. Cypress, Coordination Circle,
Love The Everglades Movement.

On June 22, 2015, the Miccosukee Tribe submitted Initial Comments that begin to explain some of their major concerns regarding the so-called "River Of Grass Greenway" project -- a 76-mile, multi-use, asphalt bike path that is proposed to extend from East Naples to West Miami along the Tamiami Trail, as it cuts through protected lands, National Parks, State Parks, and other areas that are sacred and culturally-sensitive to the indigenous sovereignties known as the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples.

In their Initial Comments letter, the Miccosukee Tribe requests an extension of the Public Comment period because the amount of time originally given is insufficient to adequately translate and convey the message to the Community Elders -- many of whom do not read or write in the English language.

Some other concerns include the following:

• Negative Cultural Impacts;
• Risk of exposure of Miccosukee cultural, historical, and archaeological resources to loss, theft, and vandalism;
• Invasion of Privacy;
• Negative Wetland and Habitat Impacts;
• ROGG fails to adequately address how the bike path might influence the Spread of Exotic Species;
• Use of herbicides to maintain grass strips impacting Native Species;
• Water Quality Impacts;
• Miccosukee Tribal lands have stringent Water Quality Standards which Must Be Met;
• Water Quality Certification Responsibility;
• Miccosukee Tribe sees no reasonable alternative that do not impact Tribal lands or waters and therefore will deny Water Quality Certification for any portion of the project within Miccosukee jurisdiction;
• Health & Safety Concerns;
• ROGG places more demands on the limited fire resources of the National Park Service;
• ROGG will also divert fire rangers and and fire management resources from saving lives.

The Miccosukee Tribe also goes on to enumerate the many laws that must be followed.

• All Applicable Laws Must Be Followed, including:
• National Environmental Policy Act;
• Endangered Species Act;
• Federal Advisory Committee Act;
• Clean Water Act;
• Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA);
• Big Cypress Enabling Act;
• Big Cypress National Preserve 2014 Superintendent's Compendium;
• Miccosukee Reserved Area Act;

Quote from the letter:
"The ROGG Draft Plan does not comply with all applicable laws, does not meet the requirements of NEPA, and does not comply with Tribal policies and practices."

Outside of the scope of the letter, I would like to remind folks what a separate indigenous sovereignty has been saying for quite sometime.  I'm referring to Bobby C. Billie of the Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples.  One of the messages that he's been repeating is that burial sites would be disturbed if this project were to move forward.  He's been reluctant to specifically identify the locations of these burial sites.  I empathize, because I know very well how the sacred and holy can be open to violation, parody, or satire, once this information becomes public knowledge.  His concerns are definitely serious enough that they would have NAGPRA implications.  A lot of times, though, these areas are a taboo subject for public discourse, and that also complicates matters

I would personally like to take this time to remind the public of the difficult and contentious histories that indigenous communities across this continent have had with colonial powers, and governments like the USA.  Treaties signed and disregarded, broken promises, genocidal policies, forced removals of children, forced relocation of communities, wartime atrocities, assimilation policies, prohibitions on freedom of religion.  And yet, our indigenous communities have also found shining moments of cooperation, collaboration, and mutually-beneficial accords which contribute to the revitalization of indigenous communities and strengthened sovereignty.

There is a way forward where parties on all sides can express respect and appreciation for each other's customs and ways of life.  And what we must first do is pause, and listen, and reflect.  So let's take this opportunity to listen to and appreciate what this particular indigenous sovereignty is saying about how negatively this project will impact a way of life that has already been threatened by massive and prolonged environmental degradation.

And what is it about this particular way of life that is so special and unique that they are using all legal, moral, and spiritual avenues to express their concerns?

Well, in my opinion, it's about a garden, it's about a cooking fire, it's about the stories told at night by family and friends, it's about the stars twinkling overhead, it's about that Milky Way above, it's about knowing your place in the Universe.  It's about healing, and balance, and songs.

Read the Initial Comments by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida below.  (Document only visible on laptop or desktop computer.  Click the icon in the lower-right corner to read the document Full Screen.)

by Houston R. Cypress,
Coordination Circle, Love The Everglades Movement

The Everglades Caucus recently issued a letter to the US Department of the Interior, the US Department of the Army for the Army Corp of Engineers, and the US Environmental Protection Agency, bringing attention to an on-going and immediate environmental threat to the Everglades:  the L-28 Interceptor Canal -- a canal that brings "dirty water" with high levels of phosphorus onto Federal Reservation Lands.

The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida maintain traditional villages -- which they use for a number of cultural practices -- in the area that is directly and negatively impacted by this farm runoff.  In fact, their access to sacred sites become impeded by the proliferation of flora spurred by the fertilizer runoff.

The image at the top of this document illustrates the impact of high and unnatural levels of Phosphorus on the Everglades terrain.  The green areas are the dense overgrowth of cattails and other plants.

The Miccosukee concerns surrounding the L-28 Interceptor Canal are coinciding with a broader discussion on Everglades Restoration, especially as it relates to current events surrounding the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP).

CEPP is concerned with delivering "New Water" through a series of projects that would bring water from Lake Okeechobee south to Everglades National Park.  As these projects come online over the next decade, there is still the glaring refusal to address the 40% of the total waters coming into the system brought by the L-28 Interceptor Canal.

Today, Miccosukee homelands are being sacrificed for the benefit of Everglades National Park -- as if the Everglades eco-system is limited to the boundaries of the National Park.  As the waters coming into Water Conservation Area 3A make their slow journey south, the high Phosphorus levels are filtered out significantly -- and what this means is that Miccosukee homelands are functioning as a de facto Stormwater Treatment Area.

The Everglades Caucus are not only honoring their Trust Responsibility to the Indigenous Sovereingty, but they are also honoring their commitment to the American Public by speaking up to protect these vital natural resources.

Signatories for the Everglades Caucus include:

• Mario Diaz-Balart
• Alcee Hastings
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz
• Patrick Murphy
• Ted Deutch
• Joe Garcia
• Lois Frankel
• Frederica Wilson

Read the letter in its entirety:

by Houston R. Cypress,
Coordination Circle, Love The Everglades Movement

One of our objectives for the Movement is to advocate for respect of Miccosukee Sovereignty.  This is because the Miccosukee Tribe is one of the few communities who actually live in the Florida Everglades -- so they witness, everyday, the effects of environmental degradation.

By listening to and incorporating the Miccosukee message into our Everglades Advocacy, we begin to do the work of Environmental Justice and express our solidarity with this indigenous community.

The Miccosukee community has a Way of Life that is intimately connected with the vitality of the natural world -- indeed, their philosophy is expressed in a beautiful symbol that is maintained in the heart of every village -- the Circle of Life.

The Miccosukee Tribe has also been an important catalyst for much of the progress achieved so far regarding Everglades Restoration.  This is due in large part to the greater legal framework and promises made by the US Federal Government to the indigenous sovereignties, known as the Federal Trust Responsibility.  Although the historical record reminds us that there has been much discord between the United States and the sovereign indigenous communities of this continent, we can also find evidence of great friendship and prosperity.  So we look forward to honoring our friendships with the Miccosukee community and how we can build on that to achieve environmental/Everglades goals that benefit everyone -- including the people that live there.

Recently, the Miccosukee Chairman, Hon. Colley Billie, addressed the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee during the Public Witness Hearing on Native American Issues.

Chairman Colley Billie's statement was concerned with Everglades matters, and it's such a revealing statement about Miccosukee concerns for the Everglades, that it's worth sharing in its entirety.

By Houston R. Cypress,
Coordination Circle, Love The Everglades Movement

My name is Yahaletke, aka Houston Cypress and I'm from the Otter Clan of the Miccosukee Tribe, and I'm representing the Love The Everglades Movement.

I live on the Miccosukee Reservation on the border of Everglades National Park and Water Conservation Area 3A.  I maintain ancestral villages in the Central Everglades, on those disappearing hammocks that were mentioned earlier in this meeting -- hammocks where I conduct gardening, hunting, and spiritual practices.

My support of CEPP is buttressed with a critique of the inadequacies of CEPP, it doesn't do enough.

CEPP is a good step forward, but it is inadequate.  We need a holistic view and concerted action when it comes to Everglades matters -- because the Everglades matters.

A holistic view brings us to the Western Basin of the Everglades Agricultural Area and the ongoing and immediate problem of the L-28 Interceptor Canal, which is bringing waters that average 60 parts per billion of Phosphorus and spikes as high as 100 parts per billion of Phosphorus and this is happening every day!

By the time that the waters pass through the Water Conservation Area and arrive at Everglades National Park the waters nearly reach the Holy Grail and target of 10 parts per billion of Phosphorus.

This means that Miccosukee homelands and the Water Conservation Area become a de facto Stormwater Treatment Area.

With such a close margin, there's the potential for waters exceeding the Phosphorus target to enter Everglades National Park.  We must be wary of any requests for waivers to exceed the Phosphorus limit.  No waivers.  No exceedances.

CEPP is about "new water," but what about the 40% of waters being brought into the system by the L-28 Interceptor Canal and the high Phosphorus waters that it delivers?

This seems like the next big project to be undertaken to address the on-going problem of the L-28 Interceptor Canal.

And I also want to admonish the Board and the District for condoning the display of racist imagery with the display of the FSU mascot during the earlier PowerPoint presentation.