Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

LITTLE SALT SPRINGS, FL - The American Indian Movement of Florida (Florida AIM) will hold a demonstration June 17th, 2000 at 4:30pm on US Highway 41 on the northwest side of the Myakka River Bridge to protest the planned desecration of Indigenous cemeteries at Little Salt Springs as well as the potential danger an Indigenous cemetery at Warm Mineral Springs may face.

Florida AIM appreciates that University of Miami Public Relations spokesman Pete Garcia told the Port Charlotte, FL Sun-Herald that the anthropologists from the University of Miami had not intention of removing the human remains or desecrating the cemetery. However, we also recognize that University of Miami Marine Archaeologist John Gifford told the Miami Herald and the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel two weeks ago that they were excited about the prospect of "getting to the bodies" and showing that Indigenous peoples were living in Florida 12,000 years ago. That would make them the oldest people looted from an Indigenous cemetery.

Irregardless of the University of Miami's true intentions, Florida AIM holds a zero tolerance for the desecration and robbing of Indigenous cemeteries. No other peoples in America endure the looting of their ancestors final resting places. The cemeteries of Indigenous peoples are not a classroom for the dominant society and their legalized ghouls and grave robbers with degree's.

As we move into the 21st century we, as human beings, remain saddled with racist, imperialist, colonialist baggage from our collective past. The Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere are due basic respect as human beings in this world with a living, breathing, vibrant cultures/spiritualities. As long as the looting, theft and desecration of Indigenous cemeteries is tolerated, let alone encouraged, by the dominant society-either by legalized degreed grave robbers or pot hunters, we as human beings will not be able to move to a place of mutual respect. Which, after 507 years of interaction should not be too much for Indigenous peoples to ask for.

So, on June 17th at 4:30 pm Florida AIM will hold a demonstration on the West side of the Myakka River bridge on US Highway 41 to announce to the University of Miami, peoples of Little Salt Springs and Florida that they must respect the ones who have come before us to respect us. We will ask the peoples of Little Salt Springs if they would want their grandmothers or great grandmothers dug up for scientific experiments. And if not, why then is it okay to dig up Indigenous cemeteries?