THE MIAMI TEQUESTA — 1513

Indigenous History • The Mural • Miami’s First People

Introduction — The Tequesta in the New World Mural 1513

The New World Mural 1513, created in 1987–1988 by The Miami Artisans —
John Conroy, William Mark Coulthard, Wade S. Foy, Jerome Villa Bergsen, Ana Bikic, and Phyllis Shaw —
was designed to honor the Tequesta people as central figures in Florida’s earliest recorded history. In the mural, the Tequesta chiefs stand with dignity beside Juan Ponce de León, portrayed not as conquered figures but as sovereign partners in the encounter that helped shape the region that would become Miami.

Who Were the Miami Tequesta?

Long before European contact, the region and river were already called Miami by the Tequesta, an Indigenous people who lived along the Miami River, the coast, and Biscayne Bay.

Archaeology and historical research show that the Tequesta:

• Lived in the region for thousands of years
  
  

• Built complex coastal villages connected by waterways
  
  

• Practiced woodworking, fishing, ceremonial rituals, and extensive canoe travel
  
  

• Maintained settlements around the Miami Circle, a prehistoric ceremonial site
  
  

• Navigated the Everglades and traded with neighboring cultures
  
  

The Tequesta are one of the foundational identities of South Florida’s deep human history.

1513 — The First Recorded Encounter

According to early Spanish records, Juan Ponce de León entered Biscayne Bay in 1513, documented its geography, and recorded contact with the Tequesta people.
This encounter is the earliest written description of Miami as an inhabited place.

In the mural, this moment becomes a symbolic center:
Ponce de León and the Tequesta chiefs meet as equal presences.
The intent was to restore balance to a history often told from only one side.

Why the Tequesta Matter

The Tequesta are essential to understanding:

• The earliest identity of Miami
  
  

• The Indigenous geography of Biscayne Bay
  
  

• The cultural origins of South Florida
  
  

• The context of Ponce de León’s recorded voyage
  
  

• The symbolism represented in the Freedom Tower mural
  
  

By depicting the Tequesta with dignity and authority, the mural corrects historical erasure and restores a fuller understanding of early Florida.

The Mural’s Role

The New World Mural 1513 restores visibility to the Tequesta by:

• Presenting them as sovereign figures
  
  

• Uniting Indigenous and European histories
  
  

• Illustrating the earliest recorded encounter in the region
  
  

• Honoring their presence as the first Miamians
  
  

• Connecting the ancient past to the modern city
  
  

This balance between cultures is a central part of the mural’s meaning.

Deep-Time Perspective

While archaeologists trace the Tequesta to several thousand years of documented presence, the land itself holds older layers of human history now lost to climate shifts, sea-level changes, storms, and migrations.
The Tequesta represent the visible inheritors of that long, complex story.

Legacy in the New World Mural 1513

The 1987–1988 artistic team —
John Conroy, William Mark Coulthard, Wade S. Foy, Jerome Villa Bergsen, Ana Bikic, and Phyllis Shaw —
created the New World Mural 1513 with a clear purpose: to elevate both narratives — the Tequesta and Juan Ponce de León — with equal dignity and historical clarity.

By the late 20th century, the history of Ponce de León had become murky, misrepresented, or mocked, while the history of the Tequesta had often been ignored or minimized.
To restore truth, the artists placed both figures on the same level, occupying the same central space in the composition.

In the mural:

• The Tequesta chiefs and Ponce de León stand side by side, as equals
  
  

• They are divided only by the poem of Edwin Markham, symbolizing a bridge between worlds
  
  

• Neither is elevated above the other
  
  

• Both stories are honored, preserved, and brought back into public memory
  
  

The intention was truth, transparency, and pride:
to restore the presence of the Native Americans who lived here long before us,
and to reclaim the dignity of Ponce de León’s 1513 voyage,
so that both narratives contribute to a more complete and honest history.

History is a mosaic.
Every fragment matters.
Nothing should be tainted, erased, or diminished.

Learn More

• Ponce de León — The 1513 Voyage
  
  

• The New World Mural — Creation & Meaning
  
  

• Freedom Tower — Architecture & Legacy
  
  

Visit, Read & Contact

Visit the Freedom Tower to see the New World Mural 1513 in person.

Read the new artist interview (VoyageMIA):
(link)

For questions, corrections, or historical inquiries:
📧 freedomtowermiami@gmail.com