The Poarch Creek Indians will welcome a Muscogee (Creek) Nation delegation from Oklahoma on Friday, to the Poarch’s Hickory Ground site in Wetumpka.
This site carries deep historical and cultural meaning for many Creek people across generations, and control of the site has been at the heart of a long, protracted legal disagreement between the two tribes. This meeting would seem to indicate that the two sides are at least entertaining the notion of setting aside their differences over the site.
A press release from PCI noted that it looked forward to the “peaceful, private gathering,” which will occur a day prior to an event commemorating the 212th anniversary of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Daviston. The battle, led by Andrew Jackson, effectively ended the Creek War and led to the U.S. federal government to assume control of more than 20 million acres of Creek land.
These events ultimately forced many Hickory Ground descendants to disperse after the war. Both the Poarch Creek Indians and Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s collective trauma and shared grief of those events endure to this day.
“We are honored to again host the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to Hickory Ground during this time to commemorate our shared heritage,” Stephanie Bryan, Poarch Creek Indians Tribal Chair & CEO, said. “While we are two distinct tribes with our own unique stories, this moment provides an opportunity to come together in remembrance of our common roots. Poarch Creek Indians continue our good-faith efforts to pursue cooperation with the Muscogee, as we both recognize our unique legacies and places in Alabama history.”
PCI noted that, in accordance with a May 2007 agreement between the Poarch Creek Indians and Muscogee Creek Nation, the Square Grounds remain accessible to Citizens of either Tribe who seek to honor their ancestral heritage. PCI said it was dedicated to preserving its strong Creek heritage, and the Tribe is proud to hold a sovereign claim to a portion of historical Hickory Ground land along the Coosa River in Wetumpka.
