Commemorating Surfside’s first inhabitants, the Tequesta Indian tribe, and celebrating the environment with our newest curated turtle sculpture.
Ké, the middle syllable of the word Tekésta
(Native American spelling), refers to planet Earth as turtles also represented “Grandmother Earth” in their culture.
Visit Ké at the beach entrance at 95th Street,
Surfside, Florida!
Past
Honoring our history by
remembering the Tequesta tribe, Surfside’s first people, who
had called Surfside home
for as long as 2,000 years.
Present
In present times, the
Town of Surfside remains steadfast in honoring their legacy through our commitment to the environment.
Keeping Surfside pristine.
Future
Our commitment to the environment includes remaining plastic straw free and eliminating single-use plastics from all Town events in hopes of reducing our environmental impact for
future generations.
SURFSIDE's Tequesta History
Surfside’s first inhabitants were the Tequesta. Their principal site on the Miami Beach barrier island in our region included a village (known by archaeologists as a midden) and a burial mound located on the shore of Indian Creek between present day 91st to 95th street.
The Tequesta fished, hunted and gathered native plants for food and shelter. Recovered marine animal bones from the Surfside site include fish, dolphins and porpoises, and even whales. Alligators and sea turtles were also abundant, as well as mammals, including Key deer.
The age of some of the excavated artifacts indicates that the Tequesta had lived in Surfside for as long as 2,000 years.
.
In 1923 the site was damaged by a new development laying out streets and residential lots (Altos del Mar). It was first excavated by State Archeologist Vernon Lamme in 1931 while subsequent excavations were led by the Smithsonian Institution. Recovered artifacts include pot sherds, shell tools, bone points, stone tools, and ornaments.
The Tequesta were destroyed as a culture after European contact in the 16th century. By 1763, the remaining population, victims of European introduced diseases and slave raids, fled to Cuba. Their vacated lands were then settled by the newly arrived Seminoles and Miccosukee.
Numerous skeletons were found in the burial mound that included a mass grave of 19 skulls, but unfortunately, all of the human remains were stolen before they reached the museum. Their present whereabouts are still a mystery.
*Historical information provided by the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy, Inc.
was the realization of a partnership with the Miami International University of Art and Design.
The Town commissioned a talented group of students to create designs exclusively for this project. Two finalists were selected by the Tourist Board and Surfside residents ultimately voted for the winning design, created by Aylin Chaparro.
Bringing Ké to life
