Personal Perspectives: Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes Weigh In on the Controversy Surrounding ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center

The constant sound of trucks fills the air around Mae’anna Osceola-Hart’s home in Everglades National Park. “It’s all-day, all-night truck noise,” she says. At just 21, she is a photographer with deep ties to her roots, being part Miccosukee and part Seminole — two tribes at the center of a heated debate over a detention center referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

This detention center is located near where many Ocoee and Seminole homes and ceremonial sites can be found. Osceola-Hart looks back on her family history with pride. Her great-grandfather, Wild Bill Osceola, once fought against a proposed airport in the same area where the ICE facility is being built.

In 1968, local authorities started constructing the Big Cypress Jetport on land that was sacred to the Miccosukee. Described as “the world’s largest airport,” this project included six runways for large jets. Those who opposed it were dismissed as mere “butterfly chasers.” However, a group formed, including Osceola’s great-grandfather and conservationists, who managed to persuade Florida’s governor to halt construction, but one runway remains as a pilot training ground.

While Osceola-Hart takes pride in that victory, it doesn’t erase her disappointment over the loss of sacred lands. “We got kicked out of ceremonial grounds,” she reveals.

Finding a home has always been difficult for Florida’s tribes. After the Seminole Wars ended in 1858, the Seminoles retreated into the Everglades. The Miccosukees sought refuge in the same area after urban development forced them out of their settlements. Today, many live on the Big Cypress Reservation or in wooden homes along Tamiami Trail, a road that disrupts the natural water flow in the Everglades.

The road’s construction in 1928 shifted life dramatically, opening up the park to tourists. While this provided some economic opportunities, it also led to a decline in native species and habitat loss. Both tribes now fight to protect the wildlife and vegetation of the national park, but they lack authority over land use.

“It’s a long, fraught battle,” says William “Popeye” Osceola, secretary of the Miccosukee Tribe. He emphasizes the importance of staying engaged to fight for tribal rights.

Recent data shows that Native Americans in the U.S. experience higher rates of poverty and unemployment compared to the general population. This underscores the need for tribes to advocate for their land and culture in a world increasingly dominated by development.

Betty Osceola, another influential member of the Miccosukee Tribe, stresses the spiritual connection her people have to the land. The detention center, while on county land, has stirred up discontent. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has pushed for its construction under an emergency order, bypassing local approval despite the Mayor’s concerns about its impact on the Everglades.

Looking ahead, both Osceola-Hart and Osceola see echoes of history in today’s struggles. “This is history repeating itself,” Osceola-Hart notes. Their voices are not just about the past; they reflect a modern fight for rights, heritage, and the land they call home.

For more about the ongoing struggles of Native tribes and their environmental advocacy, check out the National Park Service or the Native American Rights Fund.

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