Nearly two centuries ago, the members of the indigenous Americans tribe sought to protect Evergalids in Florida during Siminol wars When they were hidden from the government forces that seek to remove them to the Indian lands, which later became Oklahoma.
Now, as the Trump administration continues to reduce federal financing from conservative projects, the Miccosuke tribe ascends to achieve what it considers “moral commitment” to restore charity.
The tribe is looking to buy and protect lands of environmental importance, including some once I presented a shelterIn a leading partnership agreement with the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. The corridor is an ambitious project to connect 18 meters acres (7.3 million hectares) from the state and the wilderness owned by private ownership in Harmonized and safe habitats For dozens of species at risk and roaming, including black bears, main deer and leopards in Florida.
Kiss officials say they will work with the Foundation and other partners to “explore the acquisition and supervision of the land inside the corridor, which is important for the tribe and its community.
“We have a constitutional duty to preserve our traditional homelands, lands and water that have been protecting and nourishing our tribe for a long time,” said Talbert Cyberis, head of the Mikosuki tribe, based in a reserve of 130 square miles, West Miami.
“[But] We have often seen a kind of hesitation to adhere to projects due to the wrong nature of how the government decides to spend its money or allocate money. “
The agreement, which was announced at the Summit of the Authority in Orlando last week, came as a study conducted by the NAFWS Fish and Life Association (NAFWS) that 60 % of the recognized tribes are federal Lost grants or other federal funds Its total has reached more than $ 56 million since Donald Trump took office in January.
“These services are part of what we receive instead of every years we have abandoned, our lands, our resources, and sometimes, unfortunately, our culture and language,” Julie Thursson, CEO of NAFWS, Tell the Wildlife Association last month.
With government financing drying, and a future Current federal supervision agreements It is not certain because of Trump’s attack on the national garden service, Cypress said that the tribe leaders have been re -evaluated with other partners.
“For a good reason, my respondents had more than a confrontation approach. They have gone through many areas in which they dealt with memorization groups, federal agencies or state agencies, to a large extent that they did not include them in the conversations, or to return to their word. They had a completely different approach to this type of things,” he said.
“I have followed my administration more than a cooperative approach. We are dealing with various organizations not only to build relationships, but reforming relationships that may be sour in the past, or did not exist.”
The tribe, which already has a collaborative or direct supervision of about 3 meters acres in Evergels and National Pesquin, and Loxatchee National Life Refge, is working to define lands and determine their priorities within the historical importance corridor, and “get these talks ongoing.”
He said: “Financially, the tribe will invest some money, but we will also be a fundamental role in finding investors and interested partners with the same thing, which is to maintain the largest possible amount of our natural habitats while making way for growth and development.
“We have shown that we can do this in a sustainable way, and our voice can help form a future Florida As long as development goes because as soon as many lands are developed, we will not restore it.
“We need to do this in a way that we can benefit from not only at the present time, but for generations in the future as well.”
The wildlife corridor in Florida was established in 2021 by legislators who agreed to $ 400 million to acquire a multi -year budget of $ 2 billion to maintain land. About 10 meters has been preserved, with another 8 meters It is considered “fields of opportunities” In need of protection, environmental groups that warn large areas can be lost for development.
The legislative body, which is The weight of the discounts to finance the corridor While trying to balance government spending, commercial investment and partnerships encouraged. At the summit of last week, Disney Preservation Fund announced A $ 1 million grant To train memorization teams and expand the scope of public access to paths and natural areas.
