A bipartisan House measure is seeking to expand Miccosukee tribal housing opportunities. Florida Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R) are leading the charge by introducing the Tigertrail Historical Tree Island Repatriation Act of 2023.
The Miccosukee Tribe has lived in the Florida Everglades since the 1800s. They first sought refuge from colonizing forces, and with time, they formed a deep connection with the land and water.
The Miccosukee Tribe’s cultural traditions remain connected to the health of the Everglades ecosystem, and this is intrinsically intertwined with an expansive network of canals and levels built by the Army Corps of Engineers that would manage Central Florida water flow throughout the Everglades.
Because of this, should the Tigertrail Historical Tree Island Repatriation Act be passed into law, it would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to realign a portion of the levee located within the Tigertrail Camp to give Miccosukee Tribe members options to provide housing for members of the Tigertrail Camp family.
In a statement, both Reps. Wasserman Schultz and Salazar praise the effort, calling on their colleagues to support the bill.
“The Miccosukee Tribe are an integral part of the South Florida Community,” said Rep. Salazar, adding that the bill is an effort to “ensure the Miccosukee can use their resources as they need to while protecting our environment and preserving the health of the Everglades.”
Rep. Wasserman Schultz echoed in her remarks, noting that “our friends in the Miccosukee Tribe are good stewards and protectors of America’s Everglades, an American jewel that helps supply drinking water to millions of Floridians.”
