Miami – The City Which Honors Native American Traditions

February 20, 2013

Where many other American cities simply built over the historical ruins or remnants of other cultures, in Miami the heritage of Native Americans is honored and the Miami Circle is real proof of that. There are very few other places in the world where you could find a 2,000-year-old archaeological site fringed by massive condos but that’s exactly what you get with the Miami Circle. This site is what is left of a ceremonial circle of a Tequesta (Tekesta) village, which has been estimated to be at least 2,000 years old. It is the only prehistoric structure of its kind anywhere in the United States and as of 2009 has been listed as National Historic Landmark, one of only 41 in the country.

The Miami Circle itself is 38-feet wide and is made up of large chunk of rough-hewn white limestone with benches dotted around the circle. The crazy thing is that the only reason this circle ever came to light was because a construction crew demolished an existing set of apartments on this site and found a Tequesta Village as they were preparing the ground for construction of a new set of condos. The State of Florida then purchased the site to preserve it and Miami Circle Park was officially opened after 13 years of work had been carried out there.

Miami Is The Cultural Heart of The South

A local shaman, Catherine Hummingbird Ramirez, has been holding a candlelight vigil at the sight every Tuesday since it opened, to honor the spirits of the ancestors and she’s always happy to talk to visitors and explain why this ceremonial stone circle is so important.

If you’re a fan of any type of history or antiquity then you owe it to yourself to visit Miami Circle. For people considering relocating to Miami we’re proud to have preserved this ceremonial circle to ensure that better understanding our past and honoring where we came from to improve our future, and the future of our children.