MIAMI (WSVN) - Native American protesters gathered near Miami’s Brickell section in the hopes of persuading developers to call off their plans to build a luxury condominium on the site of an ancient settlement.
Evidence of the Tequesta settlement was recently discovered, where pottery, stone tools and even human remains were unearthed.
Protesters who took part in the May 13 demonstration argued that the new construction would desecrate a sacred and historic piece of land.
“They’re just calling us artifacts, and when you call us artifacts, that makes it OK to dig us up and put us under a microscope and cut us into pieces to study our DNA,” said Betty Osceola, a Native American activist. “It’s not OK. We’re human beings just like everyone else, and we have the right to have our sacred sites protected.”
Plans for the condominium remain tentative as the city considers making it a historical landmark.
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