Miami luxury towers clash with Indigenous Tequesta heritage site

On November 7, 2023, Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB) unanimously voted to designate part of an ancient Tequesta Indigenous site as a historic landmark. However, the decision does not halt construction by Jorge Pérez's Related Group, which had already received approval in 2013 to build luxury towers on the site before its archaeological designation. The Tequesta have inhabited Florida for 2,000 years; their leader Betty Osceola demanded respect for ancestors and preservation of artifacts. Related Group attorney Iris Escarra stated that because the building permit predates the designation, the community has no say. Around 100 archaeologists have excavated the site over two years, uncovering animal bones, shells, tools, and cultural objects dating back 2,000 years, currently displayed inside the 13-story Brickell 444 building that Related plans to demolish. The HEPB has asked Pérez to propose a concrete plan for future display of the finds and to involve the Indigenous community in decision-making, but activists remain skeptical.