Honoring Historic Footprints

On Thursday, 16, 2023, the National Park Service at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and other groups and organizations invite the public to attend a memorial service in honor of the Native American Warriors who were imprisoned at Fort Marion in the 1800s. All of them were wrenched from their homelands and families, and several died and were buried at what is now the Castillo de San Marcos.

History and Discovery

Called Fort Marion during the 1800s, the fort served as a military prison and incarcerated Native American leaders and warriors thousands of miles from their homes. Those imprisoned included the Seminole in 1837, warriors of the five Plains tribes from 1875 through 1878, and the Apache from 1886 through 1887. 

University of Central Florida researchers worked under the leadership of Amy Larner Giroux, associate director of UCF's Center for Humanities and Digital Research, to learn more about the men who were pulled from their families, forced to train as soldiers, and died here. UCF worked in collaboration with the National Park Service, the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, the Kiowa Tribe, the Comanche Nation, and the Cado Nation, and have identified ten warriors whose bodies may have been buried at the Castillo in two graves, each marked as "Six Unknown Indians."

Before the Memorial Service, the organizers host free educational sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.

Event

Shortly before 3:45 p.m., the fort will switch to a free entry so the general public can attend this event. In addition to those from the Castillo de San Marcos, members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the Kiowa Tribe, the Comanche Nations, and the Caddo Nation will attend, as will representatives from the Florida National Guard, Flagler College, and the University of Central Florida.

• Participating tribal members will gather
• TAPS will be played
• The Castillo's militia will fire a cannon salute
• The Kiowa will share their victory dance

Admission: Free

When: Thursday, November 16, at 3:45 p.m. The Castillo will stop charging an entrance fee shortly before the event begins.

Where: The Castillo de San Marcos, 1 South Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32084