The Muscogee (Creek) Nation

Muscogee (Creek) Nation - Page 2

<< Previous 1 2 Next >>

The Creek woman was short in stature but well formed, while the warrior, was generally larger than the Europeans, often above six feet in height, said to have been erect in his carriage, and graceful in every movement. They were described as proud, haughty, and arrogant; brave and valiant in war. As a people, they were more than usually devoted to decoration and ornament, were fond of music, and ball play was their most important game. Marriage outside the clan was the rule, adultery by the wife was punished by the relatives of the husband, and descent was in the female line.

In government it was a general rule that where one or more clans occupied a town they constituted a tribe under an elected chief, or miko, who was advised by the council of the town in all important matters, while the council appointed the "great warrior" or tustenuggi-hlako. They usually buried their dead in a square pit under the bed where the deceased lay in his house.

Creek Warrior by Frederic Remington, 1906.

Certain towns were consecrated to peace ceremonies and were known as "white towns," while others set apart for war ceremonials were designated as "red towns." They had several orders of chiefly rank. Their great religious ceremony was the annual puskita, of which ,the lighting of the new fire and the drinking of the black drink were important accompaniments.

The early statistics of Creek population are based on mere estimates. In the last quarter of the 18th century the Creek population may have been about 20,000, occupying from 40 to 60 towns. Estimates made after the removal to Indian Territory placed the population between 15,000 and 20,000.

After being forceably removed to Indian Territory, most of the Lower Muscogee located farms on the Arkansas and Verdigris Rivers. The Upper Muscogee re-established their farms and towns on the Canadian River and its northern branches.

The Civil War was disastrous for the Muscogee people, even though the majority of the tribe desire neutrality. The first three battles of the war in Indian Territory occurred when Confederate forces attacked a large of neutral band led by Opothle Yahola. Eventually, hundreds of Muscogee men fought on both the Union and Confederate sides. After the war ended, the reconstruction treaty of 1866 required the cession of approximately half of the Muscogee land -- some 3.2 million acres.

In 1867, the Muscogee people adopted a written constitution, which provided for a Principal Chief and a Second Chief, a judicial branch, and two legislative chambers composed of a House of Kings (similar to the Senate) and a House of Warriors (similar to the House of Representatives.) Representation in both houses of this Legislative assembly was determined by each tribal town. A new capitol was established the same year at Okmulgee. In 1878 the tribal government constructed a native stone Council House. Today, its serves as the Council House Museum in the center of the modern city of Okmulgee.

This "constitutional" period lasted for the remainder of the 19th century. However, in the late 1800's, the Dawes Commission began negotiating with the Muscogee Nation for the allotment of land and in 1898, Congress passed the Curtis Act which required for the dismantling of the National governments of the Five Civilized Tribes.

In 1904 the "Creeks by blood" living in the Creek Nation, numbered 9,905, while Creek freedmen aggregated 5,473. The number of acres in their reserve in 1885 was 3,215,395.

The historic Council House built in 1878, now serves as a museum in Okmulgee, Oklahoma.

In the early 20th century, the process of allotting lands to individual citizens was completed, but, dismantling of the Muscogee government was never fully executed, as the nation continued to maintain a Principal Chief

Long after the partial dismantling of the nation's government, the tribe drafted and adopted a new constitution in the 1970's. They also revitalized the National Council and began the challenging the earlier demands of the Federal Government in the Supreme Court, which affirmed the Nation's sovereign rights to maintain their own court system and levy taxes.

Today, the Muscogee tribe is a federally recognized Indian Nation, with their capitol continuing to be in Okmulgee, Oklahoma

There are also federally recognized Creek tribes in Alabama. Other bands in Alabama and Georgia are recognized by the state but their requests for federal recognition have been denied. Other Muscogee living in Florida and Texas have not been recognized by either state or federal governments.

More Information:

Muscogee (Creek) Nation
P.O. Box 580
Okmulgee, Oklahoma 74447
918-756-8700

Compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated July, 2010.

<< Previous 1 2 Next >>

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Native American Photo Prints - Vintage photographs of famous chiefs, heroes, and Indian life in the 19th century.