Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
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Florida - In Micanopy, Florida, two potential National Register sites identified in a Phase I archaeological study may become a 15.7 acre, 18 home development. These Florida Master Site File sites, 8AL45 and 8AL46, are an established cultural, historical and archaeological resource containing portions of a potential mound/village complex of the Alachua People's tradition referenced by William Bartram in the 1770's. The area may contain one of only two known complexes in all of North Florida. Some of the Phase I artifacts reportedly date back to 800 A.D. Micanopy, once known as Cuscawilla, was the capitol for Creek Chief Cowkeeper (Maskóki mikkó) and Seminole Chief Micanopy (Mikkó anópit).

How can we protect and preserve the village area and get better protection for the burial mound? Can you or someone you know help us protect and preserve these sites and assure indigenous people's rights? Do you know of Federal or Florida regulations governing the ownership of verified burial mounds? Are you aware of federal or State buffer zone requirements for mound protection? Are there legal arguments that can be used to protect these historic sites? A preliminary subdivision plat has already been developed for the village area. The mound, while recognized as protected, will have a fence and signs only six feet from the edge.

On September 14, 1999, the night of Hurricane Floyd's approach, the Micanopy Commission and the developer submitted a Large Scale Amendment to our Comprehensive Plan. The Town approved the amendment for review by State, and Regional agencies. This amendment directly conflicts with Micanopy's Comprehensive Plan Historic Preservation goal 3, which states

"The archaeological resources of Micanopy shall be preserved." There are other similar amendment conflicts with our Comprehensive Plan. Prior to the amendment, the Town in 1994 had rezoned the area to Town Residential2

Before the development entombs the evidence of the ancients existence we need your help to preserve and protect Florida's, Micanopy's and Native American's cultural, historical and archaeological resources and heritage. Since May 18, 1999, private citizens have quietly fought to protect Florida's heritage and Native American cultural and religious rights.

The Micanopy Town Commission has not requested nor consulted a Native American representative. The Town Plan Board has agreed with the developer, Tuscawilla Hills, Inc., that the mound should be owned by the subdivision lot owner. Before further study recommended by Florida Division of Historic Resources is done, the remaining potential Village area around the mound will be developed. Plan Board members Mr. Pierce,

Mr. Massey, Commission Elder and Mayor Samarrai have questioned the significance of the artifacts reported and Mayor Samarrai has questioned today's value of the ancient village they represent.

The developers (V. Protheroe, Wiley David Wood, David Wood, and Fredrick Wood), our Plan Board and our Mayor refuse to even acknowledge the facts testified to and reported by the developer's archaeologist, Dr. Robert Austin. Dr. Austin told me:

"YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT ABOUT THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE PART OF THE PLAN BOARD. HOWEVER, USING THESE LOTS AS "REPRESENTATIVE" REPRESENTS A COMPROMISE OF SORTS SINCE IF DEVELOPMENT IS ALLOWED TO OCCUR ON THE OTHER LOTS PRIOR TO TESTING, THEN EVEN IF THE LOTS ARE FOUND TO CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT DATA, THE REST OF THE SITE WILL HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED."

In all of these heartless discussions about the potential archaeological significance of the area, there has been no serious local consideration of Micanopy's heritage and especially no consideration of Native American cultural rights. In an unrecorded Micanopy staff meeting I attended this summer, I recall Micanopy Mayor Samarrai saying, "I will not have a Pow-Wow in my chambers." At a September 27, 1999 Plan Board meeting Dr. Robert Pierce joked that signs around the mound should say "trespassers will be haunted" and Mr. Massey suggested they say "caution, hazardous."

The developer, Tuscawilla Hills, Inc., is an administratively dissolved Florida corporation. One member of the corporation, David Wood, whom I believe to be Jodi David Wood, Jr., has stated he plans to live in the subdivision. When I asked which lot he would choose, he commented about liking the proposed lot across the street from the mound.

While a painting of the late Chief Micanopy looks out over the Town chambers, we have listened as local merchants are challenged on details of outdoor lights, signs, and parking spaces in our historic district. And, yet our Plan Board and Commission support a process allowing our pre-historic heritage to be destroyed. When the Historic Preservation Board tried to list the potential village area as a local historic site, the Board was legally challenged by Tuscawilla Hills, Inc. and admonished by Mayor Samarrai.

To most Micanopy citizens and merchants I have spoken with, these sites represent our sense of place and identity in the community. Many great Native Americans, I have spoken with, such as Long Wing Gailey, Billie Rainwater, Paul Eagle Heart, Jerry Eaglebear, Jerry Lang and others, stress these places, the places of Native American ancestors and our ancients, are their churches. These places are the types of places where Native Americans ceremonially honor the ancients and the way of life gone before them.

Protection and proper respect for Florida's, Micanopy's and Native American's heritage should not be equated with an 18 home development on the parcel around the mound. What would be the lasting impact on the heritage bound to the earth below if 18 new homes, septic tanks, drain fields, fertilizers, other household chemicals and associated roadbeds, water lines, power lines and cable-tv lines are allowed?

What can we do to prevent this? Dr. Austin of "Search Inc.", has told me that archaeology should not be used as a tool to prevent development.

On the contrary, I say that we should not use tools such as archaeology and the perverse idea of "preservation through development" as shields for a development that would forever seal the fate of Florida's and Micanopy's heritage and indigenous people's cultural lineage.