Muscogee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Muscogee

Muscogee Creek bandolier bag, c. 1820, Birmingham Museum of Art
Total population
2010: self-identified 88,332 alone and in combination
Regions with significant populations
United States: Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
Languages
Muscogee, Hitchiti-Mikasuki, and English
Religion
Protestantism, Four Mothers Society, and others
Related ethnic groups
Muskogean peoples: Alabama, Koasati, Miccosukee, Yamasee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole

The Muscogee people, also known as the Mvskoke or Muscogee Creek, are a group of Native American peoples. They originally lived in the Southeastern United States. Their homelands were in what is now southern Tennessee, much of Alabama, western Georgia, and parts of northern Florida.

In the 1830s, the U.S. government made most Muscogee people move to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). This forced journey is known as the Trail of Tears. A small group stayed in Alabama. Their descendants are now the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, a tribe recognized by the U.S. government.

Another group of Muscogee moved to Florida between 1767 and 1821. They wanted to avoid European settlers. They married people from local tribes and formed the Seminole people. The Seminole developed their own identity. Most Seminole were also forced to move to Oklahoma in the late 1830s. Their descendants are also a federally recognized tribe. Some Seminole and Miccosukee people moved into the Everglades in Florida. They resisted being moved. These two tribes are now federally recognized and still live in Florida.

The languages spoken by these groups are mostly related. They are called Muscogee (Mvskoke) and Hitchiti-Mikasuki. They are part of the Muscogean language family. These languages are similar enough that speakers can usually understand each other. The Yuchi people are part of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation today. However, their Yuchi language is unique. It is not related to any other language.

The ancestors of the Muscogee people were part of the Mississippian culture. This culture existed between 800 and 1600. They built large cities with earthwork mounds. These cities had networks of smaller towns and farms around them. Muscogee towns were well-organized. They had plazas, ballparks, and special dance grounds.

The Muscogee Creek are connected to famous mound sites. These include Ocmulgee, Etowah Indian Mounds, and Moundville. Before Europeans arrived, Muscogee societies shared farming, trade, and special crafts. They also shared hunting and religious beliefs. Early Spanish explorers first met Muscogee ancestors in the mid-1500s.

The Muscogee were the first Native Americans that the early U.S. government called "civilized." This was part of George Washington's plan to encourage Native Americans to adopt European-American ways of life. In the 1800s, the Muscogee were known as one of the "Five Civilized Tribes." This was because they had adopted many customs and technologies from their European-American neighbors.

Some Muscogee, especially those from the Upper Towns, resisted European-American settlement. They were influenced by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Differences between the Upper Towns and Lower Towns led to the Red Stick War (1813–1814). This war started as a civil war among Muscogee groups. The Northern Muscogee joined the British in the War of 1812 against the U.S. The Southern Muscogee stayed allies with the U.S.

General Andrew Jackson defeated the Northern Muscogee. He had help from the Southern Muscogee. After the war, the Muscogee nation had to sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson. This treaty gave a lot of Muscogee land to the U.S. This included land that belonged to the Southern Muscogee who had helped Jackson. This weakened the Muscogee Creek Confederacy. It also led to more Muscogee lands being taken by the U.S.

During the Indian Removal of the 1830s, most Muscogee were forced to move to Indian Territory. Today, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma is a federally recognized tribe. Three Muscogee tribal towns are also recognized: Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, Kialegee Tribal Town, and Thlopthlocco Tribal Town. In Alabama, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians is federally recognized. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas are also recognized. The Seminole people, who were partly formed by Muscogee refugees, have three federally recognized tribes today. These are the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

History of the Muscogee People

Early History and Culture

Native Americans lived in the Southern United States at least 12,000 years ago. These early people were hunter-gatherers. They hunted many animals, including very large ones that are now extinct. During the Woodland period (1000 BC to 1000 AD), people started making pottery. They also began small-scale farming.

The Mississippian culture grew when people started growing corn from Mesoamerica. This led to more food and more people. Larger populations led to cities and regional chiefdoms. Societies became more organized, with leaders who inherited their positions. This culture thrived from 800 to 1500. It was especially strong along the Mississippi River.

The early Muscogee people were descendants of the Mississippian culture. They lived along the Tennessee River in what is now Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. Muscogee oral history says they moved from west of the Mississippi River. They eventually settled on the east bank of the Ocmulgee River. Here, they fought and overcame other Native American groups.

In the mid-1500s, Spanish explorers first came inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Many Mississippian centers were already shrinking or abandoned. The region had many small native chiefdoms. It also had independent villages and tribal groups. The first Spanish explorers met these groups starting in 1513. This was when Juan Ponce de León landed in Florida. The 1526 expedition by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón in South Carolina also met these peoples.

Muscogee people were slowly changed by meeting and trading with Europeans. They traded deer hides for European goods. These goods included guns, gunpowder, axes, glass beads, cloth, and rum. The Spanish also pushed them to choose specific leaders for talks. The Spanish did not understand that the Muscogee made decisions by talking things over as a group.

Spanish Explorers Arrive (1540–1543)

After Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca returned to Spain in 1537, he said America was very rich. Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer who led the first expedition into North America. He wanted Cabeza de Vaca to join him, but he refused. From 1540 to 1543, de Soto explored Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. These areas were home to the Muscogee Native Americans.

De Soto brought a large, well-equipped army. Many people joined him, hoping to find riches. As the Muscogee learned about de Soto's harsh actions, they decided to defend their land. Chief Tuskaloosa led his people in the Battle of Mabila. The Native Americans were defeated. But the Spanish lost many supplies and soldiers. The expedition never fully recovered.

The Muscogee Confederacy Forms

Europeans brought new diseases like smallpox and measles. The Muscogee people had no protection against them. Many died from these illnesses. The Indian slave trade in the 1600s and 1700s also caused many losses. As survivors regrouped, the Muscogee Creek Confederacy formed. This was a loose group of Muskogee-speaking peoples.

The Muscogee lived in independent villages in river valleys. These were in present-day Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. They spoke several related Muskogean languages. Hitchiti was widely spoken in Georgia. As white settlers pushed them out, Hitchiti speakers scattered, and the language eventually disappeared.

Muskogee was spoken from the Chattahoochee to the Alabama River. Koasati (Coushatta) and Alibamu were spoken in the upper Alabama River area. The Muscogee Confederacy included many tribes. Some were the Yuchi, Koasati, Alabama, Coosa, Tuskegee, Coweta, Cusseta, Chehaw, Hitchiti, and Tuckabatchee.

The main social unit was the town, called idalwa. Abihka, Coosa, Tuckabutche, and Coweta were the four "mother towns." The Cusseta and Coweta bands are thought to be the first members of the Muscogee Nation. The Lower Towns were along the Chattahoochee, Flint, and Apalachicola rivers. They included Coweta, Cusseta, Hitchiti, and others.

The Upper Towns were on the Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Alabama rivers. These included Tuckabatchee, Abhika, Coosa, Hilibi, Eufaula, and Alabama.

The most important leader was the mico, or village chief. Micos led warriors and represented their villages. But they only had power if others agreed with their decisions. Micos worked with lesser chiefs, elders, and medicine men. A tustunnuggee was a main military adviser. The yahola, or medicine man, led rituals. This included the black drink, used for cleansing.

The most important social unit was the clan. Clans organized hunts, shared land, arranged marriages, and punished lawbreakers. The micos' power was balanced by the clan mothers. These were mostly older women. The Muscogee had a matrilineal system. Children belonged to their mother's clan. Property was passed down through the mother's side of the family. The Wind Clan is the first clan. Most micos have come from this clan.

European Expansion and Muscogee Neutrality

Britain, France, and Spain all set up colonies in the Southeast. Spain built missions to influence Native Americans. The British and French focused on trade. In the 1600s, Spanish friars built missions in Florida. In 1670, English colonists founded Charles Town (now Charleston) in Carolina. Traders from Carolina went to Muscogee settlements. They traded guns, gunpowder, axes, beads, cloth, and rum. In return, they received deer pelts and Native American slaves.

The Spanish and their Native American allies burned most towns along the Chattahoochee. This happened after the Muscogee welcomed Scottish explorer Henry Woodward in 1685. In 1690, English colonists built a trading post on the Ocmulgee River. Many towns moved there to escape the Spanish and get English goods. The name "Creek" likely came from "Ocheese Creek," the Hitchiti name for the Ocmulgee River. This name came to include all of the Muscogee Confederacy.

In 1704, James Moore led Carolina militia and Muscogee warriors. They raided Spanish missions in Florida during Queen Anne's War. They captured thousands of Spanish-allied Native Americans. These people were sold into slavery. Later, tensions between colonists and Native Americans led to the Yamasee War (1715–17).

The Ochese Creeks joined the Yamasee. They burned trading posts and raided settlers. But they ran out of gunpowder. The Carolina militia and their Cherokee allies put down the revolt. The Yamasee fled to Spanish Florida. The Ochese Creeks went west to the Chattahoochee River. French explorers founded Mobile, Alabama, in 1702. They built Fort Toulouse in 1717. They traded with the Alabama and Coushatta.

The British feared French influence. They reopened trade with the Lower Creeks. This angered the Yamasee, who were now Spanish allies. The French encouraged the Upper Creeks to raid the Lower Creeks. In 1718, Emperor Brim, a powerful Coweta chief, invited British, French, and Spanish leaders to his village. He declared that the Muscogee would be neutral in their colonial rivalry. This strategy helped the Muscogee keep power.

The colony of Georgia was created in 1732. Its first settlement, Savannah, was founded in 1733. The Yamacraw, a Yamasee group allied with Britain, allowed a fur-trading post there. Mary Musgrove was the daughter of an English trader and a Muscogee woman. She was a key interpreter for Georgia's founder, James Oglethorpe. She used her connections to help keep peace between the Muscogee and the new colony. The deerskin trade grew. By the 1750s, Savannah exported many deerskins.

In 1736, Spanish and British officials created a neutral zone in Florida. This protected Native American hunting grounds for trade. It also protected Spanish Florida from British expansion. Around 1750, a group of Ochese moved to this neutral zone. They had clashed with Muskogee-speaking towns on the Chattahoochee.

Led by Chief Secoffee (Cowkeeper), they formed a new group, the Seminole. This group included refugees from the Yamasee War and escaped African slaves. Their name comes from the Spanish word cimarrones. This word meant a wild animal or a runaway slave. In the Hitchiti language, it became simanoli, and then Seminole.

Intermarriage and Leadership

Many Muscogee Creek leaders had British names. Examples include Alexander McGillivray, Josiah Francis, and William McIntosh. This was because Muscogee women had children with British colonists. For example, Benjamin Hawkins, an Indian agent, married a Muscogee woman. In Muscogee society, children belonged to their mother's clan. Inheritance also passed through the mother's side.

Mixed-race Muscogee people often became community leaders. They usually spoke English and Mvskoke. They also knew European customs. This helped them lead their people. They often worked to resist settlers taking Muscogee lands.

American Revolutionary War and Land Loss

After the French and Indian War in 1763, British-American settlers moved inland. Native Americans raided settlers, fearing they would lose their land. The Muscogee sided with the British during the American Revolution. But they were divided and tried to stay neutral.

The Upper Creeks fought with the British and the Chickamauga against white settlers in Tennessee. This alliance was led by Alexander McGillivray. He was the son of a Scottish fur-trader. The Lower Creeks mostly stayed neutral or allied with the British. Muscogee warriors fought for Britain in Florida.

After the war in 1783, the Muscogee learned that Britain had given their lands to the new United States. Two Lower Creek chiefs gave 800 square miles of land to Georgia. Alexander McGillivray led Native American resistance to white settlement. He got weapons from the Spanish in Florida. McGillivray worked to unite the Muscogee. He tried to stop village leaders from selling land to the U.S. He also became a wealthy landowner.

In 1784, he signed the Treaty of Pensacola with Spain. This treaty recognized Muscogee control over 3 million acres of land. It also allowed a British trading company to operate. In 1786, a council decided to fight white settlers on Muscogee lands. War parties attacked settlers. President George Washington sent an envoy to McGillivray. In 1790, McGillivray and 29 other Muscogee chiefs signed the Treaty of New York. They gave up a large part of their lands to the U.S. In return, the U.S. recognized Muscogee control over their remaining lands. They also promised to remove white settlers. McGillivray died in 1793.

Land Disputes and New Leaders

In 1790, the Muscogee and Choctaw fought over land near the Noxubee River. They decided to settle it with a ball-play game. Nearly 10,000 people watched. After a day-long struggle, the Muscogee won. A fight broke out, and nearly 500 people died.

William Augustus Bowles was a British Loyalist who joined the Lower Creek towns. He married a Muscogee woman and gained influence. In 1781, a 17-year-old Bowles led Muscogee forces at the Battle of Pensacola. He later traveled to London and was received by King George III. With British support, he returned to train the Muscogee to attack Spanish ships.

In 1799, Bowles formed the State of Muskogee. He had the support of the Chattahoochee Creeks and the Seminoles. His capital was at Miccosuki, near Tallahassee, Florida. He wanted his state to include parts of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. He also wanted it to include the Cherokee, Creeks, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. Bowles declared that treaties made without Native American consent were not valid.

He attacked Spanish ships and declared war on Spain in 1800. He briefly captured a Spanish fort. After losing British support, Bowles was betrayed by some Lower Creek supporters. They handed him over to the Spanish. He died in prison in Havana, Cuba, two years later.

Life Before Removal (Late 1700s–Early 1800s)

George Washington and Henry Knox wanted Native Americans to adopt European-American culture. Washington believed Native Americans were equal as individuals. But he thought their society was not as good. He created a plan to encourage them to become "civilized." This plan continued under President Thomas Jefferson. They hoped that if Native Americans owned private property, farmed, educated their children, and became Christian, white Americans would accept them. The Muscogee were the first to be "civilized" under this plan. Other tribes like the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole followed.

In 1796, Washington appointed Benjamin Hawkins to work with tribes south of the Ohio River. Hawkins became the main agent for the Muscogee. He moved to Georgia and started teaching farming to the tribe. He built a farm, mills, and a trading post.

Hawkins met with chiefs on his porch to discuss issues. He helped create the longest period of peace between settlers and the tribe (19 years). In 1805, the Lower Creeks gave up their lands east of the Ocmulgee to Georgia. They kept the sacred burial mounds of the Ocmulgee Old Fields. They also allowed a road to be built through their land. Some Muscogee chiefs bought slaves and started cotton plantations and businesses. In 1806, Fort Benjamin Hawkins was built to protect settlements and show U.S. power.

Hawkins was upset by the Creek War. He saw his work for peace destroyed. In 1812, some Muscogee joined a movement led by Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh. They rejected European-American culture. Hawkins watched as a civil war among the Muscogee turned into a war with the United States.

A Comet, Earthquakes, and Tecumseh (1811)

A comet appeared in March 1811. The Shawnee leader Tecumseh visited the Muscogee. He told them the comet was a sign of his coming. He promised to give them another sign from the Great Spirit. Soon after Tecumseh left, an earthquake happened.

On December 16, 1811, the New Madrid earthquake shook Muscogee lands and the Midwest. Native Americans believed this powerful earthquake meant something important. It convinced many tribes, including the Muscogee, to support Tecumseh's resistance.

The Muscogee who joined Tecumseh's group were called the Red Sticks. One story says they were named for a Muscogee tradition. They carried bundles of sticks to count days until an event. Sticks painted red meant war.

The Red Stick Rebellion

The Creek War (1813–1814), also called the Red Stick War, started as a civil war within the Muscogee Nation. It then became part of the War of 1812. Red Stick leaders like William Weatherford (Red Eagle), Peter McQueen, and Menawa gained support from the Upper Creek towns. They were inspired by Tecumseh and encouraged by British traders. They opposed white settlers taking Muscogee lands. They also resisted the "civilizing programs" led by Benjamin Hawkins.

The Red Sticks clashed with other Muscogee chiefs, especially William McIntosh. McIntosh was Hawkins's strongest ally and wanted peaceful relations with white settlers. His group was called the White Sticks. The Red Sticks tried to keep their plans secret from the older chiefs. They felt stronger when Tecumseh and the British captured Fort Detroit in 1812.

In February 1813, a small group of Red Sticks killed two settler families in Tennessee. Hawkins demanded that the Muscogee hand them over. Instead, the older chiefs decided to execute the war party themselves. This decision started the civil war among the Muscogee.

The first fight between Red Sticks and Americans happened on July 21, 1813. American soldiers stopped a group of Red Sticks returning from Florida. The Red Sticks had bought weapons from the Spanish governor. The soldiers looted what they found. The Red Sticks regrouped and attacked, forcing the Americans to retreat. This fight, the Battle of Burnt Corn, brought American forces into the Creek Civil War. It made the Red Sticks believe they could defeat the whites.

On August 30, 1813, Red Sticks led by Red Eagle William Weatherford attacked Fort Mims. White settlers and their Native American allies had gathered there. The Red Sticks surprised the fort and killed many people. They spared only the black slaves, whom they took. After nearly 250–500 people were killed, settlers across the frontier panicked. The cry "Remember Fort Mims!" became popular.

The Fort Mims Massacre was followed by the smaller Kimbell-James Massacre. The Upper Creek leaders thought fighting the U.S. was like fighting another Creek tribe. They saw taking Fort Mims as a big victory.

With U.S. troops fighting the British in Canada, the Tennessee, Georgia, and Mississippi militias invaded the Upper Creek towns. They were joined by Native American allies. These included the Lower Creek under William McIntosh and the Cherokee under Major Ridge. The Red Sticks were outnumbered and had few weapons. They were too far from British help. They fought hard. On March 27, 1814, General Andrew Jackson's militia crushed the Red Sticks. This happened at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River. About 3,000 Upper Muscogee died in the war.

Muscogee People Scatter (1814)

In August 1814, the Red Sticks surrendered to Jackson. On August 9, 1814, the Muscogee nation had to sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson. This treaty ended the war. It forced the tribe to give up about 20 million acres of land. This was more than half of their original territory. Even those who fought with Jackson had to give up land. Jackson blamed them for allowing the Red Sticks to revolt. The state of Alabama was mostly created from the Red Sticks' land. It became a U.S. state in 1819.

Many Muscogee refused to surrender. They escaped to Florida. They joined with other tribes and became the Seminole. Muscogee people were later involved on both sides of the Seminole Wars in Florida.

Seminole Wars and Fort Destruction

Red Stick refugees who came to Florida after the Creek War greatly increased the Seminole population. This strengthened the tribe's Muscogee culture. In 1814, British forces landed in Florida and began arming the Seminoles. The British built a strong fort on the Apalachicola River. In 1815, after the War of 1812, they gave the fort and its weapons to the Seminoles and maroons (escaped slaves). A few hundred maroons had some military training. The Seminole just wanted to return to their villages. So the maroons became the owners of the fort.

Southern planters called it the 'Negro Fort'. Enslaved black people knew about it by word of mouth. It was a place nearby where black people were free and had guns. White planters feared it would inspire slaves to escape or rebel. They complained to the U.S. government. The maroons had not been trained to aim the fort's cannons. After telling the Spanish governor, who had few resources, U.S. General Andrew Jackson quickly destroyed the fort in 1816. This event is known as the "deadliest cannon shot in American history."

The Seminole continued to welcome runaway slaves and raid American settlers. This led the U.S. to declare war in 1817. The next year, General Andrew Jackson invaded Florida. His army included over 1,000 Lower Creek warriors. They destroyed Seminole towns and captured Pensacola. Jackson's victory forced Spain to give Florida to the U.S. in 1819. In 1823, Seminole chiefs met with Florida's new U.S. governor. They did not want to reunite with the Upper and Lower Creek. This was partly because those tribes wanted to enslave the Black Seminoles. Instead, the Seminoles agreed to move to a reservation in central Florida.

Treaties of Indian Springs

Mico William McIntosh led the Lower Creek warriors. He fought with the U.S. in the Creek War and the First Seminole War. McIntosh was the son of a British officer. He had family ties to wealthy Georgia planters. After the wars, he became a rich cotton planter. He was born into the important Wind Clan of the Creek. Because the Creek had a matrilineal system, he became a chief through his mother's family. He was also related to Alexander McGillivray and William Weatherford.

In the early 1820s, McIntosh helped create a police force called 'Law Menders'. He also helped establish written laws and a National Creek Council. Later, he believed that moving west was unavoidable. In 1821, McIntosh and other chiefs signed away Lower Creek lands east of the Flint River. This was at the first Treaty of Indian Springs. As a reward, McIntosh received land at the treaty site. He built a hotel there.

The Creek National Council made a law that anyone who gave up more land would be put to death. Georgian settlers continued to move onto Native American lands. Gold was discovered in northern Georgia. In 1825, McIntosh and his cousin, Georgia Governor George Troup, signed the second Treaty of Indian Springs. This treaty gave the last Lower Creek lands to Georgia. It also gave a large payment directly to McIntosh.

In April, the old Red Stick leader Menawa led about 200 Law Menders. They executed McIntosh according to their law. They burned his plantation. A group from the Creek National Council, led by Opothleyahola, went to Washington D.C. They protested the 1825 treaty. They convinced President John Quincy Adams that the treaty was not valid. They then negotiated the Treaty of Washington (1826). The tribe gave their lands to Georgia for $200,000. But they were not required to move west. Governor Troup ignored the new treaty. He ordered the Muscogee to leave their remaining lands in Georgia without payment. He used state militia when Adams threatened federal action.

Forced Removal (1834)

After the treaties, the Muscogee were left with a small strip of land in Alabama. Andrew Jackson became president in 1829. His government's view of Native Americans became much harsher. Jackson stopped treating Native American groups as separate nations. He aggressively pursued plans to move all tribes east of the Mississippi River to Oklahoma.

Jackson asked Congress to pass an Indian Removal Bill. The bill passed by a close vote. Jackson signed it into law on June 30, 1830.

After the Indian Removal Act, the Creek National Council signed the Treaty of Cusseta in 1832. They gave up their remaining lands east of the Mississippi to the U.S. They agreed to move to the Indian Territory. Most Muscogee were forced to move during the Trail of Tears in 1834. More removals happened after the Creek War of 1836. However, some Muscogee stayed behind.

American Civil War (1861)

When the American Civil War began, Opothleyahola refused to join the Confederacy. Many other tribes, including some Lower Creeks, did join. Runaway slaves, free black people, Chickasaw, and Seminole gathered at Opothleyahola's plantation. They hoped to stay neutral in the war. On August 15, 1861, Opothleyahola asked President Abraham Lincoln for help for Union supporters. Lincoln responded positively, saying the U.S. government would help them. He told Opothleyahola to move his people to Kansas for safety and aid. These people became known as Loyalists. Many were part of the traditional Snake band later on.

Many Muscogee Creek people supported the Confederacy. So, the U.S. government required a new treaty with the nation in 1866. This treaty defined peace after the war. It required the Creek to free their slaves. It also required them to accept these freed people as full members and citizens of the Creek Nation. They would have equal rights to land and payments. These freed people were called Creek Freedmen. The U.S. government also required setting aside part of the Creek reservation land for the freedmen. Many in the tribe resisted these changes. The loss of lands caused problems for the nation in the late 1800s.

The Loyalists among the Creek were often traditionalists. They formed the core of a group called the Snakes. This group also included many Creek Freedmen. Later in the century, they resisted U.S. efforts to end tribal government. They also resisted breaking up communal tribal lands. These efforts were part of the U.S. government's plan to make tribes adopt American ways. This included owning land individually. It also aimed to remove barriers to Indian Territory becoming a state. Members of the Creek Nation were registered individually on the Dawes Rolls. This ruined the claims of some people to Creek membership later on. The Dawes Rolls have been used by many tribes to decide who is a member. European-American settlers moved into the area. They pushed for statehood and access to tribal lands.

Muscogee People Today

Some Muscogee in Alabama live near the federally recognized Poarch Creek Reservation in Atmore. Muscogee also live in Florida in towns that are not officially documented. The Alabama reservation has a casino and a hotel. The Creek tribe holds an annual powwow on Thanksgiving. Many Muscogee descendants live throughout the southeastern United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling on July 9, 2020. This ruling recognized a large part of eastern Oklahoma as part of the state's Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation. This decision could give Native Americans more power to control things like alcohol and casino gambling.

Culture and Traditions

Muscogee culture has changed a lot over hundreds of years. It has combined many European-American influences. But interactions with Spain, France, and England also shaped it. The Muscogee were known for quickly adopting new ways. They developed a written language. They changed to farming methods used by small farmers. They also accepted European-Americans and African-Americans into their society. Muscogee people still keep their culture alive. They do this through annual festivals, stickball games, and language classes. The Stomp Dance and Green Corn Ceremony are important gatherings and rituals.

Muscogee Clans

Families include people directly related to each other. Clans are made up of all people who come from the same ancestral clan group. Like many Native American nations, the Muscogee Creek are matrilineal. Each person belongs to their mother's clan. Inheritance and property pass through the mother's side of the family. Chiefs traditionally came from certain clans.

Biological fathers are important in the family. But they must come from a different clan than the mother. Within the clan, the mother's brother is very important. He acts as a main teacher, protector, and role model for children, especially boys. Clan members do not claim to be "blood related." But they see each other as family because they are in the same clan. They use the same family titles for both family and clan members. For example, clan members of similar age call each other "brother" and "sister."

Because of this system, Muscogee Creek children with European fathers belonged to their mother's clans. They were part of their tribal communities. Daughters of high-ranking chiefs often married European traders. This was helpful because traders could provide goods for their families. Muscogee Creek people believed young men who learned European ways could help them deal with new challenges. They could do this while still keeping important Muscogee Creek traditions.

Here are some Muscogee clans:

Traditional Clothing

Long ago, Muscogee people wore clothes made from plants or animal hides. This depended on the weather. In summer, they wore light fabrics woven from tree bark, grasses, or reeds. In cold winters, they used animal skins and fur to stay warm.

In the 1600s, the Muscogee started using some European clothing styles and materials. Cloth was lighter and more colorful than deer hide. It quickly became a popular trade item. Muscogee women used trade cloth to create new clothing styles for everyone. They added European items like bells, silk ribbons, glass beads, and mirror pieces to their clothes.

Muscogee Language

The Muscogee language is part of the Muskogean family. People on the frontier knew this language well in the early 1800s. It is related to the Choctaw language, and some words are the same. Here is an example of Muscogee text and its English translation:

Important Treaties and Land Cessions

Muscogee Creek land cessions 1733–1832

Land given up by the Treaty of Fort Jackson in 1814

Land was the most valuable thing Native Americans held together. The southern English colonies, the U.S. government, and settlers took Muscogee land. They did this through treaties, laws, and wars. Some treaties, like the Treaty of San Lorenzo, affected the Muscogee indirectly. Here are some of the treaties:

Indian Appropriations Act of 1871

In 1871, Congress added a rule to the Indian Appropriations Act. This rule stopped the United States from recognizing new Native American tribes or nations. It also stopped new treaties.

Muscogee Tribes Today

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana are Muscogee people. They are descendants of the Koasati. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas are also from this group.

Muscogee Creek bike messenger, originally from Okmulgee, Oklahoma

Federally Recognized Tribes in Oklahoma

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is a federally recognized Indian Nation. Their main office is in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Their current Principal Chief is David W. Hill.

Three Muscogee tribal towns are also federally recognized tribes. The Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town is in Wetumka, Oklahoma. Its chief is Tarpie Yargee. Kialegee Tribal Town is also in Wetumka. Jeremiah Hoia is its current mekko or chief. The Thlopthlocco Tribal Town is in Okemah, Oklahoma. George Scott is the mekko.

Micah Wesley, Muscogee Creek-Kiowa artist and DJ

Federally Recognized Tribes in Alabama

Eddie L. Tullis led the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. They asked the U.S. government to recognize their tribe. On August 11, 1984, the U.S. government officially recognized the Poarch Band of Creek Indians as an "Indian Tribe." This tribe is the only federally recognized tribe in Alabama. On November 21, 1984, the U.S. government set aside 231.54 acres of land for the tribe. On April 12, 1985, 229.54 acres were declared a reservation.

Muscogee People Living Elsewhere Today

Many Muscogee moved from their tribal nation in Oklahoma to nearby cities. These include Tulsa and Oklahoma City. They also moved to other states like California, Michigan, Missouri, and Tennessee. This happened in the second half of the 1900s.

Notable Historical Muscogee People

• William Augustus Bowles (1763–1805), also known as Estajoca. He was an English adventurer who helped Muscogee Creek people try to create their own state.
• Samuel Benton Callahan (1833–1911). He represented the Creek and Seminole nations in the Second Confederate Congress.
• Alexander McGillivray, Hoboi-Hili-Miko (1750–1793). He was the main chief of the Upper Creek towns during the American Revolution.
• William McIntosh (c. 1775–1825). He was a Muscogee chief who led some pro-American Muscogee forces against the Red Sticks.
• Menawa (c. 1765–1836). He was a main leader of the Red Sticks during the Creek Wars.
• Mary Musgrove (c. 1700–1765). She helped connect colonial Georgia and the Muscogee Creek community.
• Opothleyahola (c. 1798–1863). He was a speaker, Muscogee chief, and warrior leader. He was an American ally during the Seminole Wars and the Civil War.
• William Weatherford, also known as Red Eagle (c. 1781 – 1824). He was a leader of the Red Sticks during the Creek Wars.

In Popular Culture

• The TV series Reservation Dogs is filmed entirely on Muscogee Nation land in Oklahoma.

Images for kids

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  Etowah Mound C, part of a Mississippian culture site, used by Muscogee ancestors from c. 1000–1550 CE, in Cartersville, Georgia

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  Hernando de Soto and his men burn Mabila, after a surprise attack by Chief Tuskaloosa and his people in 1540; painting by Herb Roe, 2008

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  A raiding party against Spanish missions in Florida passes the Ocmulgee trading post

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  Yamacraw leader Tomochichi and nephew in 1733

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  Yamacraw Creek Native Americans meet with the trustee of the colony of Georgia in England, July 1734. Notice the Native American boy (in a blue coat) and woman (in a red dress) in European clothing.

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  William Augustus Bowles (1763–1805) was also known as Estajoca, his Muscogee name.

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  Painting (1805) of Benjamin Hawkins on his plantation, instructing Muscogee Creek in European technology

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  The Great Comet of 1811, as drawn by William Henry Smyth

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  The New Madrid earthquake was interpreted by the Muscogee to support the Shawnee's resistance.

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  Menawa was one of the principal leaders of the Red Sticks. After the war, he continued to oppose white encroachment on Muscogee lands, visiting Washington, D.C. in 1826 to protest the treaty of Indian Springs. Painted by Charles Bird King, 1837.

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  Depiction of Red Eagle's surrender to Andrew Jackson after the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Jackson was so impressed with Weatherford's boldness that he let him go.

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  Charles Bird King's portrait of William McIntosh

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  Members of the Creek Nation in Oklahoma around 1877. They included men of mixed Creek, European and African ancestry.

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  The protohistoric King site, occupied during the mid-1500s

See also

In Spanish: Creek para niños