Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 16:07:22 -0500 (EST) From: Samuel Heilman To: Rodney Coates Subject: Re: Should We Be Silent??? Do you mean that when we don't like a jury's verdict we get violent? So let's do that for the O.J. trial too. Samuel Heilman Web page at http://www.soc.qc.edu/Staff/heilman phone 718 997 2832 212 642 2148 On Thu, 14 Nov 1996, Rodney Coates wrote: > Should we not join together in support of our Brothers and Sisters in > Florida? > > Rodney c.. > > > >Original Sender: jolson@virtu.sar.usf.edu (Jessica Olson) > >Mailing List: NATIVE-L (native-l@gnosys.svle.ma.us) > > > >Alert: > > > >Osceola County, Fl. has expanded their Southport Landfill over an > >Indigenous burial site in Kissimmee, Florida Osceola County claims this > >was an accident, despite the fact that the burial site has been known for > >at least 11 years - the last time Janus Research conducted a survey, and > >was "preserved" by a chain link fence. > > > >Even so, Osceola County has hired Janus Research to excavate the mound. > >On October 26, 1996, Sheridan Murphy of Florida AIM and Florida Indian > >Alliance, Bobby Billie, Spiritual Leader of the Independant Traditional > >Seminole Nation, and Bobby Billie's assistant Shannon Larson met with Ken > >Hardin and Robert Austin of Janus Research. they agreed to Bobby C. > >Billie's request for repatriation and argued that excavation was the only > >option since the mounds had been greatly pot hunted. Ms. Larson and Mr. > >Billie visited the site later that afternoon and reported the pot hunting > >was not extensive. Further, they learned that the State Archaeologist > >James Miller had contacted both the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes of > >Florida; excluded the Oklahoma Seminoles Nation; and was refered to Bobbie > >Billie by Seminole representative David Jumper. Neither Tribe contacted > >approved or authorized the excavation. When asked why he allowed it to > >continue anyway, Mr. Miller informed Ms. Larson that he only contacts the > >Tribes as a courtesy, and that he does not have to talk to them. He > >further implied that he had no control over the excavation. Florida State > >Statue 872.05 defers authority to either the County Medical Examiner (if > >the remains are less then 75 years old) or the State Archeologist. > > > >At least 12 Indigenous peoples remains have been dug up and are being held > >at Janus Research and the RA Grey Bldg in Tallahassee. More are certain > >to have their graves robbed unless something is done. Florida AIM and the > >Florida Indian Alliance are planning direct action for the week of Nov > >11-15th if the digging is not ceased and a target date for repatriation is > >not set and agreeable to Mr. Billie. We have informed Osceola County, > >Janus research, and Jim Miller's office. > > > >The FIA asks all people of conscience to contact Osceola County Manager > >Robert Magnaghi's office (407-847-1208) and demand that the excavations > >hault. Janus Research Vice-President Bob Austin can also be reached at > >(813-821-7600) We also ask that humane beings contact Florida Governor > >Lawton Chiles at (9040 488-4441 as ask that State Archeologist Jim Miller > >be removed from his post he has held for nearly two decades. Mr. Miller > >has held Indian peoples skulls for the cameras (Windover 1986) and > >despite passage of Florida's Unmarked Burial Law, Miller has only utilized > >the law to justify degreed grave robbing and has yet to prosecute a pot > >hunter. Florida AIM cought an individual pot huntung on tape with four > >eye witnesses, and still this individual was not prosecuted. > > > >If you need more information please contact the Florida Indian Alliance > >State Office at 33 4th Street N Suite 202 St. Petersburg, Fl. 33701. > >(813) 823-3534 Fax:(813) 822-3501. > > > umoja > > > Only when lions have historians will hunters cease being heroes. African Proverb > > Without struggle there is no progress. Frederick Douglass > > The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. Steven Biko > > > yours in the struggle > > Rodney D. Coates > Director of Black World Studies > Associate Professor of Sociology > Miami University > Oxford, Ohio 45056 > > 513 529-1235 > email: coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu > >