Last Updated on October 26, 2024
In a recent decision, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court in Texas ordered its librarians to reclassify the nonfiction children’s book ‘Colonization and the Wampanoag Story’ as fiction. They took their action despite this factual, highly regarded and well-researched book, written by Linda Coombs, a Wampanoag historian, being classified as nonfiction by the Library of Congress and all major Texas library systems.
Fortunately, there are other communities in America far more enlightened and appreciative of our Native-American cultures, including Macon, GA.
I have researched Native American histories and culture, especially those of the eastern United States where I lived most of my life. The eastern tribes lost virtually all their lands as the Anglo-American culture spread like a wildfire across the land to the Mississippi River and beyond. Sadly, just a few small reservations remain in the east, far smaller than the larger Indian reservations of states like Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Against that backdrop, I found the story of Macon and its efforts to restore dignity and honor to the Indigenous people who once called it home a ray of sunshine for our nation and its many diverse peoples.
The History of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation
A host of Native American tribes once thrived across present-day Georgia. None loomed larger than the mighty Cherokee in the northern part of the state and the equally impressive Muscogee Nation who occupied much of the rest.
In the 18th century, the area now known as Macon, was home to at least 60 villages of the Muscogee Nation. They and their ancient forebearers, the Ocmulgee, had resided in the area for thousands of years. Known as the Creek Indians by the white settlers, the Muscogee were a proud and powerful Native confederacy. They struggled, often violently, to the encroachment of white civilization upon their lands. Many also adapted, adopting many of the ways of their Anglo neighbors.
Sadly, the land they occupied and cultivated was coveted by their white neighbors who were far more politically powerful; with the Indian Removal Act of 1832, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation was evicted and forced to relocate in 1836 to Oklahoma Indian country. They resettled, establishing a new tribal capital, Okmulgee, Oklahoma, whose name honors their ancient homeland.
National Park and Preserve Initiative
Today, Macon remains home to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, a historical indigenous site with over 17,000 years of history. On these grounds, the ancient ancestors of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation built seven sacred hill-mounds including the Great Temple Mound, a massive ceremonial 55-foot-tall clay barrow that archeologists estimate took ten million baskets of dirt, weighing 60 pounds each, to create.
Macon is actively engaged in efforts to get the 2,000-acre historical park designated as a National Park. This ambitious initiative could add up to 50,000 additional acres as a Preserve and become one of the first parks in the country to be co-managed by an Indigenous tribe.
For the past few years, Visit Macon, the city’s tourism office, has forged a partnership with the Muscogee Nation in pursuit of this goal to achieve National Park and Preserve status. Visit Macon has been funding the creation of a documentary to capture the arduous effort over the past two years- sending crews to Okmlugee, Oklahoma and Washington D.C. to encapsulate the entire process.
When Tracie Revis, a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, moved to Macon two years ago to assume the role as director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, Visit Macon reached out to work directly with her to help tell the Nation’s story.
Revis felt it was essential to assist Visit Macon in correcting inaccurate information that had been circulating for years in the absence of a Muscogee presence in the Macon area. Working diligently, she helped audit all of the information Visit Macon had and corrected discrepancies in the history that was being shared throughout marketing materials, websites, social media and beyond. Nothing was more important than to properly tell the history of her people and Visit Macon was dedicated to this task.
Macon Embraces it’s Muscogee Heritage
This close collaboration, however, was not just about the park. In 2022, Visit Macon’s President Gary Wheat traveled to Oklahoma to introduce himself and colleagues to the Creek Nation and invite them back to Macon, to come and educate local leaders on their history.
Wheat volunteered at the annual Muscogee Nation Festival in Okmulgee to fully understand the purpose and significance so that the similar festival held annually in Macon could achieve greater cultural significance and accuracy with respect to the Muscogee Nation. It was here where Wheat saw an opportunity to further reintroduce Macon to its Native-American heritage.
During his visit, Wheat noticed the Okmulgee street signs were listed in both English and Creek language. Just recently, Macon city leaders unveiled new street signs for downtown Macon that reflect both the English and Creek names of the roads. The new signs for Plum and Third Street are the first of more than 100 that will be installed in the downtown district in the coming months.
Macon Indigenous Celebration
Since that first visit, Macon’s Indigenous Celebration continues to undergo changes ensuring the 30-plus year-old festival respectfully and accurately celebrates and honors the traditions and true history of the Muscogee Nation. The Celebration’s name has been changed, and with an emphasis on education, traditions are now showcased that reflect the various southeastern tribes that have deep roots to the region.
Now every year, Visit Macon sends a group of its citizens to the Muscogee Nation Festival in Oklahoma.
In 2023, 60 Macon community leaders chartered a plane to Tulsa and Okmulgee to meet with the Chief of the Muscogee Nation and tour the communities that have deep connections to Macon.
Thanks to a 2023 Macon-Bibb County land acknowledgment for the Muscogee Nation on the grounds of City Hall, the Muscogee flag now flies over the building. This land acknowledgement is read at any official community events and large gatherings to commemorate the Muscogee Nation’s rightful place in the community.
Earlier this year, the Macon visitor’s center added a full display and retail area of Native-made products purchased directly from the Muscogee art market. In the summer of 2024, the Visitor Center introduced a new audio listening station this summer for tourists and visitors to learn Creek language and hear the history of the Muscogee Nation that once thrived in the area.
Macon Welcomes Muscogee Partnership
Citizens from the Muscogee Nation are now being included in many more of the big conversations and invited to the table partnering with city leadership and other key decision makers. They are being asked to serve on local Boards of Directors and perhaps most exciting of all, other businesses and organizations in Macon are now making their own advances to include the Nation in their operations as well.
Ryan Logan, Director of Marketing and Tourism for the Muscogee Nation, sits on the Visit Macon Board of Directors. The McEachern Art Center held an exhibit entirely for works by Indigenous artists, such as painter and printmaker Randy Kemp (Muscogee/Choctaw/Euchee). At legendary Capricorn Records, they’ve been holding music recording sessions with a series of Muscogee artists.
The National Park Service has started hiring Muscogee citizens to work at the park’s Visitor’s Center and priority given to citizens of the Nation for available positions. The forthcoming Bicentennial Park in Macon will feature the works of Muscogee artisans. Land and buildings have been donated for the Nation to create a new Muscogee Cultural Center downtown just outside of the park.
The Macon Bacon minor league baseball team holds Muscogee recognition nights – and the special uniforms for those evenings were designed by a citizen of the Nation. Bright City photography has exhibits throughout downtown corridor of works from citizens of the Nation. The Fire Starters Film Festival focuses on showcasing film and visual art made by Indigenous filmmakers, with a particular emphasis on the Muscogee Nation experience.
Time cannot undo the many injustices inflicted upon our Native Americans, but the awakening of a respectful acknowledgement of the many contributions of these unique Americans and their amazing culture enriches us all.
This renewed spirit of understanding and appreciation not only educates us to the pivotal role the Native Americans played in our nation’s history, more importantly, it is like a breath of fresh air to the ever-transforming American spirit.
