Who Are the Muscogee?
The Muscogee (Creek) are a Native American people originally from the southeastern United States—present-day Georgia, Alabama, and surrounding areas. Today, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is headquartered in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, with approximately 90,000 enrolled citizens, making it the fourth-largest tribe in the United States. The name "Creek" was given by English colonists because of the many creeks in their territory; the people call themselves Muscogee (Mvskoke). They formed a powerful confederacy of towns and were one of the Five Civilized Tribes. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in McGirt v. Oklahoma that the Muscogee reservation was never disestablished, a landmark decision for tribal sovereignty.
Creek Confederacy
The Creek Confederacy was a sophisticated political alliance of towns rather than a centralized state. Towns were categorized as "red" (war) or "white" (peace), with different ceremonial and diplomatic roles. The National Council made collective decisions. This confederacy incorporated diverse peoples including some non-Muskogean speakers. The system allowed local autonomy while enabling coordinated action. The Creek maintained balance-of-power diplomacy between Spanish, French, and British colonizers. Internal divisions between "Upper Creeks" and "Lower Creeks," and later between traditionalists (Red Sticks) and accommodationists, would prove significant during the Creek War (1813-1814), which ended in devastating defeat and land loss.
Green Corn Ceremony
The Busk (Green Corn Ceremony) is the central annual ceremony of Muscogee religious and social life. Held when the corn ripens, typically in July-August, it marks the new year. Ceremonies include fasting, drinking black drink (a purifying emetic), extinguishing and rekindling the sacred fire, ritual bathing, and feasting on new corn. The Busk provides spiritual renewal, forgiveness of old grievances (except murder), and community rededication. Ceremonial grounds (stomp grounds) remain active in Oklahoma, where traditional Muscogee continue these practices. The Busk represents continuity of Muscogee spiritual tradition despite removal, Christianity, and modernization.
Contemporary Muscogee
Modern Muscogee Nation received dramatic validation in the 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court decision, which ruled that the reservation, covering much of eastern Oklahoma including Tulsa, was never legally disestablished. This decision has major implications for criminal jurisdiction and tribal sovereignty. The nation operates diverse enterprises, provides extensive services to citizens, and maintains cultural programs. The Mvskoke language is endangered but actively taught. Ceremonial grounds continue traditional practices. The Muscogee have moved from removal trauma through termination-era threats to renewed sovereignty and cultural vitality, symbolized by the McGirt decision's recognition of their persistent nationhood.
References
- Green, M. D. (1982). The Politics of Indian Removal: Creek Government and Society in Crisis
- Martin, J. W. (1991). Sacred Revolt: The Muskogees' Struggle for a New World
- Ethridge, R. (2003). Creek Country: The Creek Indians and Their World