News Release

2023-11-15-historic footprint

Date: November 4, 2023
Contact: Steve Roberts, [phone]

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, join the National Park Service and partners for special FREE events November 15 and 16, 2023. These events are made possible with close partnership with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the Kiowa Tribe, the Comanche Nation, and the Caddo Nation - all attending from Oklahoma - as well as partners from the Florida National Guard, Flagler College and the University of Central Florida.

Fort Marion, as the old fort in St. Augustine was known through much of the 1800s, served as a military prison where Native Americans were incarcerated during three different time periods. These included the Seminole in 1837, warriors of five Plains tribes in 1875-1878, and Apache in 1886-1887. This year’s commemorations and memorial events will feature representatives from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the Kiowa Tribe, the Comanche Nation and the Caddo Nation – all traveling from Oklahoma - sharing the history of their ancestors and honoring those who were imprisoned.

On Wednesday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to noon, and November 16 from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., FREE, open to the public educational sessions will be held at Flagler College’s Ringhaver Student Center, located at 50 Sevilla Street in St. Augustine, Florida. Sessions will include presentations by ledger artists, the sharing of history by descendants of the imprisoned warriors, sessions on the legacy and impact of the 1870s imprisonments today.

Following the sessions on Thursday, a memorial ceremony will be held at Castillo de San Marcos beginning at 3:45 p.m. General public admission will be FREE to attend this event inside the fort. The events will include a gathering of tribe members, the playing of TAPS, the firing of a cannon salute, and a Kiowa Victory Dance.

Follow this link to learn more about our Historic Footprints.