Honoring the Historic Footprint of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Warriors at Fort Marion, 1875-1878

On November 16 and 17, special events will take place to remember and honor the Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors imprisoned at Fort Marion (Castillo de San Marcos) from 1875-1878. The events feature memorial ceremonies, remembrances, and educational sessions.

Dorothy FireCloud, NPS Native American Affairs Liaison, will close the events with a keynote address. On Thursday, November 17 at 7 PM in Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada Street. Lewis Auditorium will open at 6 PM on a first-come, first-served basis for security screening before the program which is FREE and open to the public.

In October 2020, FireCloud became the Native American Affairs Liaison and Assistant to the Director of the National Park Service (NPS). Her responsibilities include ensuring the NPS meets the requirements of the Department of the Interior’s Policy on Consultation with Tribal Nations and supporting the Director on issues impacting Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities.

From 2012 to 2020, FireCloud served as Superintendent at two Puebloan NPS sites, Montezuma Castle National Monument and Tuzigoot National Monument in the Verde Valley of Arizona.  She joined the National Park Service in 2006 as Superintendent of Devils Tower National Monument, a site of significant spiritual connection to her tribe. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the New Mexico School of Law and has been a member of the New Mexico State Bar since 1991.

Program Events – FREE and Open to the Public

Throughout the two days of events, educational sessions will be presented. Topics will include the history of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the long-lasting impacts and intergenerational trauma of imprisonments and assimilation efforts, Native American prisoner-of-war burials in St. Augustine, and the importance and impact of art in recording and preserving Tribal heritage. For more detailed information, please visit www.flagler.edu/castillo.

Castillo de San Marcos: Interpreting Tribal Heritage at Fort Marion

Fort Marion (now Castillo de San Marcos) was used as a prison for Native Americans during conflicts in the 19th Century (1837, 1870s, and 1880s). The National Park Service, in coordination with Flagler College, continues to learn and develop new ways to interpret these significant periods in the history of Castillo de San Marcos. Together, the National Park Service and Flagler College have worked closely with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma to explore the much-needed perspective of the descendants of those imprisoned.