It’s time to make Miami’s historic national landmark visible

Florida owns a significant historic destination that could easily educate Miamians about our past and lure more visitors who dig into history wherever they vacation. Sadly, the state’s inattention has made it into a place to walk dogs.

That site is the Miami Circle National Historic Landmark, where the Tequesta people more than 2,000 years ago left to posterity their footprint on the region – the earliest human piece of our past in South Florida. That footprint still exists just east of Brickell Avenue at the mouth of the Miami River, in walking distance of thousands of hotel guests every day and near enough for millions of Miami-Dade residents to visit. But they won’t.

That’s because the footprint is invisible. It’s a great stone circle, 38 feet in diameter, that was found in archaeological studies prior to a large riverfront development. The state bought the 2.5-acre site for $26.7 million to save the valuable historical artifacts – and then for preservation buried them again, preventing anyone from seeing our Native American history.  

Imagine if the state were to bury Cuban-American history or Black history in Miami-Dade. Think of the outcry. Sadly, however, there are few proponents of making our Native American heritage more prominent.

Our front page last week featured an effort by the Miami River Commission to make the state’s site a more pleasant park. The commission wants to replace the historic signage because the sun has damaged the present marker. It also wants to polish the rough concrete benches in the park to make them more comfortable. That’s commendable.

Recently the state replaced about 1,450 plants at the site as well as sod ruined by both salt spray and the visits of dogs walked by residents of nearby condos. Some of the park was even fenced to keep out the dog-walkers and scooters. A nice bit of park maintenance.

But how many visitors will come because of nicer plants and benches and fencing? And how much respect does that relatively minor attention show to Native Americans who were the first Miamians?

In many nations, history is both revered and properly exhibited. It becomes a part of local culture and a magnet for a large market of visitors who may seek to experience more than just fun and sun in Miami.

Yet look at the web site of Visit Florida, the state’s visitor agency, to see what visitors can learn about the Native American culture here. There are two listings, the HistoryMiami Museum and the Miami Circle National Historic Landmark, about which potential visitors are told:

“Nestled at the outlet of the Miami River in downtown Miami, the archaeological ‘Brickell Point Site’ is thought to be the only cut-in-rock prehistorical structural footprint ever found in eastern North America. Discovered in 1998, it reveals a unique ceremonial site built by the Tequesta people over 2,000 years ago. It’s open 24 hours a day with interpretive signage and an audio tour describing the Circle’s discovery, excavation, artifacts, and the Tequesta people.”

And what will the visitors find? A dog park with rough concrete benches and no visual portion of what is a totally visual find. The circle is buried, the artifacts were carted away and – worst of all – there is no replica circle or artifacts, nothing to bring the site to life.

Around the world, such historic sites have walk-in replicas, complete with visuals and interpretive exhibits. In Miami, we have plants, grass and canines – and maybe a new historic marker. Not even shade.

What a missed opportunity to educate Miamians on a past that they think began with – at best – Flagler’s railway, or maybe with Miami Vice.

And for visitors, particularly those from Europe who are accustomed to seek out history wherever they go, we are missing a visitor magnet. Yes, we have something open 24 hours a day, as the state proudly advertises, but I’d call it bait-and-switch if I were a visitor looking to see a “prehistoric structural footprint” and didn’t find even a full-size replica, much less the footprint itself. Just grass and dogs.

It doesn’t have to be that way. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature made a show of giving $25 million this year to renovate another historic Miami site, the Freedom Tower built nearly a century ago that became the welcoming beacon for Cubans fleeing the Castro regime. We also detailed that valuable renovation on our front page last week.

If that historic site now owned by Miami Dade College is worthy of state historic funding, the Miami Circle just 10 blocks south is also worthy as the only historic site of our Native American peoples. Where are its funds? Or even its proponents?

Six years ago, the state announced plans to create a three-dimensional replica of the circle above ground. It has never happened. 

Three years ago, the Department of State said it was seeking $1.3 million simply to improve the park. Maybe that was spent on new plants and sod – because that’s all that has happened.

Miami and Florida do precious little to recognize the indigenous people who were our predecessors. They have a prime spot at the Miami Circle landmark. If they can find $25 million for the Freedom Tower, they ought to be able to do more than add plantings and fence out the dog-walkers.

For both the vital recognition of cultural heritage and to broaden tourism, which remains Miami’s largest single economic generator, our state legislators need to build Miami Circle full funding into their plans. As we’ve long written, the Miami Circle belongs in full view and top of mind. Put it there.