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Saint Petersburg, FL - The American Indian Movement of Florida (Florida AIM) has asked the Festival of States event in Saint Petersburg to remove the Chasco Krewe from the lineup of events at the Festival of States events.

Florida AIM, after five (5) fruitless years of dialogue with the Chasco Fiesta organizers has begun to take direct efforts to force change at the 79-year old festival. This has included filing complaints with the Florida Attorney General's Office of Civil Rights, scheduling disruptive and confrontational protests of Chasco events and now targeting events Chasco Krewe members may attempt to attend to promote the racist and stereotypical festival.

The festival is based on a racist novella/play written by postmaster Gerben Devries in 1922. In this play traditional Indigenous peoples and culture is depicted as "barbaric", "heathens", and "savages" and falsely alleged to be based upon human sacrifice. The play involves the spiritual leader of the mythical band of Calusa's renouncing his "barbaric ways" to adopt the more "enlightened" ways of the Spanish invaders. The Calusa also adopt two of the invaders and have them lead them because of their "superior" ways. During the festival large numbers of non-Indians dress as "Indians" and act in a stereotypical manner based on their misperceptions of how "Indians" live and what "Indian" cultures are. Such behavior is inherently intolerable and unacceptable. In no way would the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce conduct a festival in which non-African Americans dressed and acted in a manner similar to the "Sambo" stereotype of the 1940's. Nor would they sponsor a festival depicting the infamous Holocaust of Europe circa 1940's in which Jewish peoples welcomed the NAZI's and a Jewish Rabbi renounced his faith in favor of National Socialism. And further the Jewish people elected NAZI's to lead them.

Florida AIM will now target any event in which the Chasco Fiesta attempts to promote itself and is investigating additional avenues to challenge, expose and confront the Chasco Fiesta.