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PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - It is with great pleasure that the Palm Beach County Support Group of the South Florida region of the American Indian Movement of Florida (AIMFL) announces the First Annual South Florida Regional AIM and support group conference. AIMSFSG cordially sends invitations to attend to all its members, support group members, friends, organizations in solidarity, and all persons of good heart in the community with a sincere desire to learn the truth that the U.S. Government and the schools never revealed.

The conference will take place April 21, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and on into the evening as availability of music, and the desire for ongoing conversation, etc., determines.

The timing and date of the conference was set to coincide with an event "Mayan Fascination". The following day, April 22 (Earth day), being conducted by the Guatemalan - Mayan Center of Lake Worth, which will be held at the Duncan Theater on the campus of Palm Beach Community College at the intersection of Lake Worth Road and Congress Avenue, It is hoped that solidarity can be fostered and enhanced, and that folks coming for the conference will want to stay over for the following day's events. The regular entrance fee for Mayan Fascination will be waived for all AIM Chapter and Support Group members.

The AIM conference will take place at the Friends' Quaker Meeting House at 823 North "A" Street, Lake Worth. Directions: Take I-95 from either the north or south to the 10th Avenue North exit in Lake Worth; exit there and go east one block to the first traffic light (North "A" Street); turn right (south) a couple hundred feet more or less to 823 on the west side of the road. Enter the building driveway to the parking lot at the rear of the building. There will be a registration table inside the door with registration fees on a sliding scale. But as this is primarily an educational event to educate the community on important issues, no one will be turned away because of inability to pay. As is customary, the event will be entirely free of charge to AIM Chapter Members and AIM Support Group Members.

Confirmed speakers thus far include Sheridan Murphy, executive director of AIM Florida, who will be speaking on the history of AIM and the historical and ongoing violence and human rights violations perpetrated against Indian People on Pine Ridge and in the region.; David Narcomey, north Florida AIM director, speaking on mascot issues and issues of the use of derogatory images and names.; Lucio Perez, director of the Guatemalan-Mayan Center in Lake Worth, speaking on the history of Indigenous persecution, murders etc. in Guatemala, as well as problems the People experience here in South Florida.; Representatives from the Indigenous Immokalee farm workers, speaking on the violence, discrimination and unfair labor practices experienced by the workers at the hands of the corporate growers and the agricultural industry.

Still in the works and in the process of being set up are additional speakers as their schedules permit: Bobby C. Billie, Spiritual Leader of the Independent Traditional Seminole Nation, tentatively speaking on protection of Sacred Sites and the Earth.; Miguel Chiquin-Yat, representative of Mayans in Exile, tentatively speaking on the conditions in Guatemala that still force Indigenous People to flee; and additional speakers still being contacted. A light pasta and vegetarian spaghetti sauce lunch with salad and fruit juice will be made available at the conference site, so that folks will not have to travel from the conference site to get food, and to facilitate ongoing conversation among attenders during the lunch break. A small donation will be requested to cover costs, but as with the registration fee, no one will be turned away because of inability to pay. tables will be available on the lower ground floor level for those chapter members, support groups and others wishing to display items for sale and for display of literature relevant to AIM issues.

The designated conference hotel is Howard Johnson's on the beach, located at the intersection of Lake Worth Road and A1A, across the street from the Lake Worth Beach. A special conference rate for AIM attenders has been set at $58.65 per room per night, which includes up to four people in a room, two king-size beds per room, and a complimentary continental breakfast and onsite gym. This special price is available to conference attenders for either/both Friday and Saturday nights. For those who have not yet been to the beaches of South Florida, we encourage you to come early and stay late, both to participate in the Mayan fascination the following day, and to enjoy the beautiful ocean here in Lake Worth.

Contact the corporate coordinator, Melner Strock, directly, phone: 561-582-2581 to reserve rooms. Just let him know that you are with the AIM conference. directions: take same exit off I-95 to North "A" Street, continue south on "A" to Lake Worth Road; turn left (east) on Lake Worth Road/Lucerne Ave. Around the traffic circle through the town of Lake Worth, over the Intracoastal Bridge to the intersection of Lake Worth Road and A1A on the beach; turn left (north) to get to the hotel on the northwest corner of the intersection.

For those who wish to camp, arrangements have been made with the John Prince Park Campground, located adjacent to the Community College on Lake Worth Road and Congress Avenue at 2700 6th avenue south. Overnight camping rate is $18.70 per night with one camping unit per site. Water and electric are available at each site, and bathroom/shower facilities are conveniently adjacent. Contact the campground directly by calling toll-free (877) 992-9926. they are requesting two weeks advance registration as well as information on number of adults, camping vehicle, etc. directions: I-95 to same 10th Avenue north exit; west approximately 1-1/2 miles to Congress Avenue; south past Lake Worth Road, just past the Community College to 6th Avenue South/Melaleuca Lane; left (east) to the park entrance.

We look forward to this event being a successful one that will become an ongoing yearly tradition, and ask all chapter members, support group members and friends to publicize and promote it widely. Tom Scott, the South Florida regional coordinator, will be designing a flyer which will be available shortly to help promote the event.