Two congresswomen from South Florida are championing a bill “that would improve housing options for the Miccosukee Tribe, the historic stewards of the Everglades, an environmental treasure and critical water resource.”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., introduced the “Tigertail Historical Tree Island Repatriation Act” with U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., cosponsoring it.
“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,” said Wasserman Schultz. “I’m proud to partner with the Tribe and my Florida colleague on this bill so they can continue to flourish in South Florida.”
“The Miccosukee Tribe are an integral part of the South Florida Community,” said Salazar. “This bill will ensure the Miccosukee can use their resources as they need to while protecting our environment and preserving the health of the Everglades.”
The bill “would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to realign a portion of the levee located within the Tigertail Camp to give Miccosukee Tribe members options to provide more housing for members of the Tigertail Camp family.”
Wasserman Schultz’s office offered some background on the tribe.
“Since the 1800s the Miccosukee Tribe has lived in the Florida Everglades, first seeking refuge from colonizing forces, and over time, forming a deep connection with the land and water there. Today, the Tribe’s cultural traditions remain connected to the health of the Everglades ecosystem, which is intrinsically intertwined with a vast network of canals and levels built by the Army Corps of Engineers to manage Central Florida water flow on throughout the Everglades,” the congresswoman’s office noted.
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. So far, there is no companion measure in the U.S. Senate.
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