Cuban Fishing Ranchos at the February SWFAS Meeting

From: Southwest Florida Archaeological Society
What: Florida’s Cuban Fisherfolk
Presenter: Meg Stack
When: February 16, 2010
Where: Bonita Springs Community Hall
27381 Old U.S. 41
Bonita Springs, FL 34135-5536

Don’t miss the February meeting of the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society where Meg Stack will discuss the Cuban fishermen of Southwest Florida. The presentation will be held at the Bonita Springs Community Hall at 27381 Old U.S. 41 (by the banyan tree). It is free to the public. The meeting begins at 7:30; coffee and snacks are available at 7:00pm. Call 239-992-9660 for more information.

The waters of Southwest Florida have served as a valuable fishing territory for thousands of years. The abundance of fish in Southwest Florida’s estuaries and its proximity to Caribbean markets supported a prosperous commercial fishing industry in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Meg Stack has analyzed historic documents, material culture, and archaeological collections related to Cuban fishing ranchos on Florida’s west coast. Her talk will address the history of Cuban fishing settlements from Charlotte Harbor to Tampa Bay and their lasting impact on the south Florida landscape.

Stack is currently completing her master’s thesis examining the “Spanish Indian” identity of Cuban Rancho dwellers at the University of South Florida. She has contributed to public archaeology projects with the Florida Public Archaeology Network and the University of South Florida.

Michele Williams discusses native american medicinal plants

From: Southwest Florida Archaeological Society

What: Native American Medicinal Plants

Presenter: Michele Williams, Ph. D., RPA

When: January 19, 2011, 7:30pm

Where: Bonita Springs Community Hall
27381 Old U.S. 41
Bonita Springs, FL 34135-5536

At the Wednesday, January 19, meeting of the Southwest Florida Archaeological Society Michele Williams will discuss how Native Americans used medicinal plants. Many cultures throughout the past have utilized plants as medicine, and plants remain the most commonly used medicine in the world today. The meeting begins at 7:30 at the Bonita Springs Community Hall.

Dr. Williams serves as Director for the Southeastern Region of Florida Public Archaeology Network at Florida Atlantic University. She has participated in excavations throughout the southeastern United States for the past 20 years. Her specialty within archaeology is the use of plants by prehistoric Native Americans.