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November is National Native American Heritage Month, and we wish to offer honor to the Muscogee (Creek) people with a reflection on the land that we occupy: the Muscogee peoples' ancestral homeland — now modern-day Alabama and parts of Georgia.
The land is stolen, but the Muscogee peoples' relationship to the land is ongoing, not just in the past. We are sharing a little history and information on The Muscogee Nation - the fourth largest federally recognized tribe in the United States.
Please visit www.muscogeenation.com to learn more about the infrastructure, programs, news and more.
We encourage you to attend the third annual First Voices Festival, A Celebration of Indigenous Cultures. 7stages.org/shows/first-voices-festival - the festival runs through November 29. Activities include the world premiere of What Are You? by Nicolette Emanuelle, an outdoor PowWow with Native American performers and vendors, an Art of Activism dialogue with Muscogee (Creek) elder William Harjo, and a special screening of the documentary Bad River at Plaza Theatre.
From the National Park Service at the Ocmulgee Mounds in Macon, Georgia:
“When the early English explorers and traders first encountered the native people that are now called the Muscogee, they were living in the valley of the Ocmulgee River. In those times, the river was known as the Ochese Creek to the English, and the natives living in the area were called “Ochese Creek Indians.” Through time the name was shortened to be simply “Creek Indians.” However, this was the European name for these people, while they called themselves “Muscogee.” The basic tribal unit of the Muscogee centered on the idalwa or town, which was comprised of a central settlement and surrounding villages. A confederacy of towns was formed prior to European contact. The Muscogee incorporated into their alliance such small tribes as the Alabama, Hitchiti, Yuchi, some Shawnee, and others. By the middle of the 18th Century, the Muscogee Nation consisted of about 60 towns.”
Before Georgia's land lotteries of 1805-1833, land surveyors measured the districts to be distributed and drew plat maps. These are the land lottery plat maps from the original surveys, plus resurveys or renewed surveys of districts from the University System of Georgia.
The Atlanta Press Collective has published this super helpful and informative article on the old prison farm land (an abandoned, city-owned prison complex). From approximately 1920 to 1990, the farm was worked by prisoners to produce food for the region's prison system.
As we examine our mission and role in the arts community, we strive to shed light on colonialism and inequities, and amplify Native voices, stories, and leadership. This post is a mere fraction of the work we can all do to help Indigenous people come to a stronger, more empowered place.