The Taino tribe of Jatibonicu—Great People of the Sacred High Waters—sent a representative to the Miami Circle on Saturday to thank the people who helped to save what is believed to be ancient ruins at the edge of the Miami River.
I was sent here to thank the people and to reiterate the importance
of the site,
said Karlos Rodriguez, a member of the Taino
Inter-tribal Council who traveled from Deltona in Central Florida to
speak to supporters of the Circle, which is believed to have been
built by Tequesta Indians.
The Tequesta Indians are our ancestors,
Rodriguez said. We
would like it to be a sanctuary for people of all walks of life to
enjoy. We want to include everybody.
The Miami-Dade County Commission voted last week to go to court to block developer Michael Baumann from building on the site of the mysterious stone carving.
Rodriguez said he came on behalf of Chief Cacike Pedro Gunikeyu of New Jersey who was meeting with members of the tribe on Saturday. Rodriguez, an anthropology student at the University of Central Florida, said the tribe also has an office in Puerto Rico.
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