DOCSLIB.ORG

Hickory Ground Desecration Detailed Fact Sheet and Chronology

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hickory Ground Desecration Detailed Fact Sheet and Chronology Hickory Ground Desecration Detailed Fact Sheet and Chronology Hickory Ground has been occupied since around 8,000 B.C, according to archeologists. It is a place of great historic, spiritual, and governmental importance for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. It was the last capital of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation prior to removal. It was a center of tribal culture and the final resting place of many Mekkos (chiefs) and other ancestors. Hickory Ground was also critical to the very formation of the United States. When international nations questioned the sovereignty of the newly born United States, President George Washington lent legitimacy to the nascent country by signing treaties with Indian Nations, whose sovereignty had previously been affirmed through treaties with France, Spain, and England. Thus, in 1790, nearly two centuries before Poarch was recognized as a tribe, President George Washington executed a treaty with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The head of the Muscogee treaty delegation was from Hickory Ground. Removal and re-establishment 1830s The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is forcibly removed from its historic homelands in the Southeast and forced to walk the Trail of Tears to modern-day Oklahoma. Various individual Creek Indians remain behind in Alabama, renouncing their tribal citizenship. The survivors of the Trail of Tears build new homes in Indian Territory. They establish a new Hickory Ground near Henryetta, Oklahoma, to carry on its role as the political and spiritual center of the traditional Hickory Ground community. 1840s-1940s After the forcible removal of the southeastern tribes in the 1830s, there were no remaining tribes in Alabama. The few individuals who chose to renounce their tribal citizenship did not maintain any group organizational structure. 1950s-1970s Some of these people began to identify themselves first as the “Perdido Friendly Creek Indian Band of Alabama and Northwest Florida Indians” and later as “Creek Nation East of the Mississippi.” This group admitted that it was “newly formed” as of 1951, that it had not retained a general tribal organization, and that it had no treaty dealings with the federal government. The 1980s: Hickory Ground Sold 1980 Poarch, then calling itself the “Creek Nation East of the Mississippi” applies for, and obtains, a federal historical preservation grant to acquire Hickory Ground and save it from development, “without excavation.” A protective covenant accompanies the grant award, preventing development on the site for 20 years. 1984 The Bureau of Indian Affairs grants federal recognition to Poarch. The Bureau included Hickory Ground in Poarch’s initial reservation lands, despite the fact that Poarch had no tribal connection to the site and that Poarch’s other reservation lands are clustered 135 miles away in Atmore, where Poarch claims to have historically resided. 1986-88 Archaeologists examine Hickory Ground and warn Poarch that “[d]ue to the historical significance of Hickory Ground, avoidance of any possible future construction activities is recommended.” 1990s: The Federal Government Delegates Historic Preservation Authority to Poarch 1999 The year prior to expiration of the protective covenant at Hickory Ground, Poarch issues a policy stating that “Under no circumstances are the burials on the Poarch Creek Indians Reservations, or lands under their control, to be excavated, nor are they to be subjected to any examination or testing.” Poarch successfully requests that the federal government delegate historic preservation responsibilities to the tribe. 2000s: Casino Development at Hickory Ground 2000s Without notifying the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs issues permits allowing Poarch to excavate at Hickory Ground. The permits require advance consultation with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Without consulting with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Poarch excavates human remains and funerary objects from over 57 Muscogee ancestors at Hickory Ground. The remains and artifacts were not properly stored or maintained. The ultimate whereabouts of many artifacts are still unknown. 2012 Poarch secretly and unilaterally rebury remains at a site different from where they were disinterred. Poarch then announce a massive $246 million casino and luxury resort hotel expansion project, sited directly on top of where the remains of the disinterred ancestors were originally buried. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation files a federal lawsuit to stop the construction of the casino, alleging that Poarch and the federal government violated the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and other laws. Dec 2013 Poarch hold a grand opening for the completed Wind Creek Casino Wetumpka, which lies directly over the once peaceful final resting place of the very people whose ancestry Poarch claim. 2014 Mekko George Thompson testifies on Hickory Ground to the US House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. He asks that the subcommittee direct the Interior Inspector General to open an investigation into what happened at Hickory Ground. April 2015 The Muscogee (Creek) Nation presents testimony to the House Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Affairs. The testimony addresses failure to safeguard against groups such as Poarch desecrating other tribes’ sacred places. The Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes joins this opposition. 2017 – 2018 Muscogee (Creek) representatives attempt to reach a resolution with Poarch, but are unsuccessful. 2019 Today, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, consisting of more than 87,000 enrolled citizens, continues to fight for justice for Hickory Ground. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • EXHIBIT a to KING DECLARATION: Second Amended Complaint
    Case 2:12-cv-01079-MHT-CSC Document 159-2 Filed 06/05/19 Page 1 of 80 EXHIBIT A TO KING DECLARATION: Second Amended Complaint Case 2:12-cv-01079-MHT-CSC Document 159-2 Filed 06/05/19 Page 2 of 80 The Honorable Myron H. Thompson UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA NORTHERN DIVISION MUSCOGEE (CREEK) NATION, a federally recognized Indian tribe, HICKORY GROUND TRIBAL TOWN, and MEKKO GEORGE THOMPSON, individually and as traditional 2:12-cv-1079-MHT-CSC representative of the lineal descendants of those buried at Hickory Ground Tribal Town in Wetumpka, Alabama. SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT AND Plaintiffs, SUPPLEMENTAL v. COMPLAINT POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS, a federally recognized tribe; STEPHANIE A. BRYAN, individually and in her official capacity as Chair of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (“Poarch”) Tribal Council; ROBERT R. MCGHEE, individually and in his official capacity as Vice Chair of Poarch Tribal Council; EDDIE L. TULLIS, individually and in his official capacity as Treasurer of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council; CHARLOTTE MECKEL, in her official capacity as Secretary of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council; DEWITT CARTER, in his official capacity as At Large member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council; SANDY HOLLINGER, individually and in her official capacity as At Large member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council; KEITH MARTIN, individually and in his official capacity as At Large member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council; ARTHUR MOTHERSHED, individually and in his official capacity as At Large member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council; GARVIS SELLS, individually and in his official capacity as At Large member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council; BUFORD ROLIN, an individual; DAVID GEHMAN, an individual; LARRY HAIKEY, in his official capacity as Acting Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Historic Preservation Officer; PCI GAMING AUTHORITY d/b/a WIND CREEK HOSPITALITY; WESTLY L.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study of Casino Gaming by the Poarch Band Creek Indians In
    ABSTRACT POLITICAL SCIENCE ALSTON, THERESE A. B.A. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, 1981 M.A. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, 1986 TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY: A CASE STUDY OF CASINO GAMING BY THE POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS IN ALABAMA Committee Chair: William Boone, Ph.D. Dissertation dated May 2018 This case study examined casino gaming by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI) in Alabama within the context of tribal sovereignty. It critiqued tribal developments over a five-year period beginning in 2009 with the opening of their first multi-million dollar casino and hotel. No previous studies on gaming or tribal sovereignty for this tribe existed. There were only a few studies on this dual topic for other Indian tribes but none of which utilized a political science theoretical approach. The study found that tribal sovereignty existed since American Indian tribes existed and sovereignty was strongest during the early treaty-making period. Thereafter, tribal authority and self-determination of Indian tribes became limited as it was redefined by federal policies, Congressional actions and Supreme Court decisions. i When treaty-making ended, the political history for Indian tribes became a narrative of termination, relocation and assimilation. The Poarch Band of Creeks Indians were a small group that remained poor and obscure after the Indian removal period. Casino gaming has given them an economic and political resurgence. The early legal interpretation of tribes’ political status was that of “domestic dependent nations” which continues to influence federal Indian policy today and thus the parameters of tribal sovereignty as well. While the level of federal dependency for some gaming tribes has been reduced, tribes are not fully self-sufficient.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenge Bowl 2020
    Notice: study guide will be updated after the December general election. Sponsored by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Challenge Bowl 2020 High School Study Guide Sponsored by the Challenge Bowl 2020 Muscogee (Creek) Nation Table of Contents A Struggle To Survive ................................................................................................................................ 3-4 1. Muscogee History ......................................................................................................... 5-30 2. Muscogee Forced Removal ........................................................................................... 31-50 3. Muscogee Customs & Traditions .................................................................................. 51-62 4. Branches of Government .............................................................................................. 63-76 5. Muscogee Royalty ........................................................................................................ 77-79 6. Muscogee (Creek) Nation Seal ...................................................................................... 80-81 7. Belvin Hill Scholarship .................................................................................................. 82-83 8. Wilbur Chebon Gouge Honors Team ............................................................................. 84-85 9. Chronicles of Oklahoma ............................................................................................... 86-97 10. Legends & Stories ......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Administrative History
    NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Administrative History Keith S. Hébert and Kathryn H. Braund Auburn University July 2019 Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Administrative History July 2019 Keith S. Hébert and Kathryn H. Braund Auburn University Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Daviston, Alabama Administrative History Approved by: Superintendent, Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Date Recommended by: Chief, Cultural Resources, Partnerships and Science Division, Southeast Region Date Recommended by: Deputy Regional Director, Southeast Region Date Approved by: Regional Director, Southeast Region Date ii CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................................................xiii Introduction .............................................................................................................................xv Horseshoe Bend National Military Park .....................................................................................xvi Chapter One: Horseshoe Bend in the Nineteenth Century .................................................... 1 The Creek War of 1813–1814 .................................................................................................. 1 Creek Indian Land Cessions: 1814–1832 ................................................................................... 6 Horseshoe Bend Battlefield: 1832–1900 ..................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Removal of the Creek Indians from the Southeast, 1825-1838
    THE REMOVAL OF THE CREEK INDIANS FROM THE SOUTHEAST, 1825-1838 Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this dissertation is my own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee. This dissertation does not include proprietary or classified information. ____________________________ Christopher D. Haveman Certificate of Approval: ____________________________ ____________________________ Kenneth W. Noe Kathryn E. Holland Braund, Chair Professor Professor History History ____________________________ ____________________________ David C. Carter John Saye Professor Professor History Education ____________________________ George T. Flowers Dean Graduate School THE REMOVAL OF THE CREEK INDIANS FROM THE SOUTHEAST, 1825-1838 Christopher D. Haveman A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Auburn, Alabama August 10, 2009 THE REMOVAL OF THE CREEK INDIANS FROM THE SOUTHEAST, 1825-1838 Christopher D. Haveman Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this dissertation at its discretion, upon request of individuals or institutions and at their expense. The author reserves all publication rights. ________________________________ Signature of Author ________________________________ Date of Graduation iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT THE REMOVAL OF THE CREEK INDIANS FROM THE SOUTHEAST, 1825-1838 Christopher D. Haveman Doctor of Philosophy, August 10, 2009 (M.A. Auburn University, 2006) (M.A. Marquette University, 2001) (B.A. Western Washington University, 1998) 407 Typed Pages Directed by Kathryn E. Holland Braund This dissertation examines the removal of approximately twenty-three thousand Creek Indians from Alabama and Georgia to present-day Oklahoma between 1825 and 1838. At its height, the Creek Nation encompassed most of the present-day states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
    [Show full text]
  • Minutes 2012-11 Meeting 47.Pdf
    MINUTES NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION REVIEW COMMITTEE FORTY-SEVENTH MEETING NOVEMBER 28-29, 2012 _________________________________________________________ NAGPRA REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES November 28-29, 2012, page 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS The 47th Meeting of the Review Committee 4 Comments by Designated Federal Officer 7 Report: National NAGPRA Program Report on the Implementation of NAGPRA in FY 2012 7 Notices 7 Training 8 Civil Penalties 8 Digitization and Archiving Project 9 Web News and Data Management 9 Grants 9 Regulations 9 Action Item: CUI Database Recommendation 9 Review Committee Questions and Discussion 10 Review Committee Motion 10 Presentations: Research Reports 10 Presentation: The Columbia Plateau Inter-Tribal Repatriation Group 11 Presentation 11 Review Committee Questions and Discussion 11 Action Item: CUI Disposition Request, University of Washington Anthropology Department, WA 12 Presentation 12 Review Committee Motion 13 Comments by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks – Rachel Jacobson 13 Presentation: NAGPRA Update – Bureau of Indian Affairs 13 Presentation 13 Review Committee Questions and Discussion 14 Action Item: CUI Disposition Request, Central Washington University 14 Presentation 14 Review Committee Motion 14 Action Item: CUI Disposition Request, University of New Hampshire 15 Presentation 15 Review Committee Questions and Discussion 15 Review Committee Motion 15 Presentation: Hickory Ground 16 Presentation 16 Review Committee Questions and Discussion 16 Presentation: NPS Publication – American Indians in the Civil War 17 Public Comment – November 28, 2012 17 State University of New York – Oswego 17 Review Committee Questions and Discussion 17 Ms. Christine Landrum 17 Ms. Shannon Keller O’Loughlin 18 Ms. Bambi Kraus 18 Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • In the District Court of the United States for The
    IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, NORTHERN DIVISION MUSCOGEE (CREEK) NATION, ) a federally recognized ) Indian tribe, et al., ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) CIVIL ACTION NO. v. ) 2:12cv1079-MHT ) (WO) POARCH BAND OF CREEK ) INDIANS, a federally ) recognized Indian tribe, ) et al., ) ) Defendants. ) OPINION This dispute concerns the use and ownership of a 34-acre tract of land south of Wetumpka, Alabama. The land sits at Hickory Ground, the last capital of the Creek Nation before the Tribe was forced from the eastern United States in the 1830s, an exodus known as the Trail of Tears. Burial sites and ceremonial grounds dot the area, which in 1980 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a site of national significance. Today the land is held by the United States Department of the Interior in trust for Poarch Band of Creek Indians (“PBCI”), and it is the location of PBCI’s Wind Creek Wetumpka casino and hotel. The excavation of the land and the construction and operation of the Wind Creek Wetumpka are the subject of this litigation. The three plaintiffs who bring this suit are the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; the Hickory Ground Tribal Town, which is now located in Oklahoma; and George Thompson, the chief, or “Mekko,” of the tribal town. They filed the original complaint in this suit in 2012. In the operative second amended complaint, filed in March 2020 after the case had been stayed pending unsuccessful settlement negotiations, the plaintiffs have named three groups of defendants. The “Federal Defendants” consist of the Interior Department, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the officials who head each of those entities.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Spatial Analysis of Two Communities from the Hickory Ground Site in Wetumpka, Alabama
    A Comparative Spatial Analysis of Two Communities from the Hickory Ground Site in Wetumpka, Alabama by Kelly M. Ervin A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in Geography Auburn, Alabama December 13, 2014 Keywords: Creek Native American, Protohistoric, Community, GIS, Spatial Analysis, Culture Change Copyright by Kelly M. Ervin Approved by Philip L. Chaney, Chair, Associate Professor of Geography Yingru Li, Assistant Professor of Geography John W. Cottier, Associate Professor of Anthropology Abstract This thesis presents analyses on the intra-site spatial arrangement of two communities from the Hickory Ground site, 1EE89, in Elmore County, Alabama. Spatially referenced archaeological datasets of a Protohistoric community and a Historic Creek community are compared to investigate how the adaptive actions of community members structured the spatial patterning of the town. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and field maps taken during the 2002-2007 archaeological excavations of the Hickory Ground site, I present an 18 acre map with over 9,000 features. Statistical tests suggest Protohistoric structures are randomly nucleated around the community center, and Historic Creek structures are clustered into groups scattered away from the community center. The research presented here utilizes the archaeological community as the fundamental unit of analysis to evaluate social meaning from spatial attributes and contributes to a wider understanding of the cultural changes encountered by Native Americans during the Historic Period. ii Acknowledgements Many years of hard work went into the excavations of the Hickory Ground site under the supervision of Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Conflicting Interest of Hickory Ground and Exploring Options for Preserving the Sacred Parcel
    American Indian Law Journal Volume 2 Issue 2 Article 9 May 2017 Preservation Over Profits: The Conflicting Interest of Hickory Ground and Exploring Options for Preserving the Sacred Parcel Ashley Ray Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/ailj Part of the Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons Recommended Citation Ray, Ashley (2017) "Preservation Over Profits: The Conflicting Interest of Hickory Ground and Exploring Options for Preserving the Sacred Parcel," American Indian Law Journal: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2 , Article 9. Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/ailj/vol2/iss2/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications and Programs at Seattle University School of Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in American Indian Law Journal by an authorized editor of Seattle University School of Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AMERICAN INDIAN LAW JOURNAL Volume II, Issue II – Spring 2014 PRESERVATION OVER PROFITS: THE CONFLICTING INTERESTS OF HICKORY GROUND AND EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR PRESERVING THE SACRED PARCEL Ashley Ray INTRODUCTION During the summer of 2012, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians1 announced the $246 million expansion of their electronic bingo casino in Wetumpka,2 Alabama. Situated in an ideal location off of highway 231 overlooking the Coosa River, the Wind Creek Wetumpka Casino was designed to include a 20-story hotel tower, 285 rooms, and a 90,000 square foot gaming floor featuring more than 2,500 electronic bingo machines.3 Scheduled to open May 2013,4 the casino promised to be an economic boon to the tribal community.
    [Show full text]
  • Tribal Consultation NATHPO
    NATHPONATHPO Tribal Consultation Best Practices In Historic Preservation National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers PO Box 19189 Washington, DC 20036-9189 Phone 202.628.8476 Fax 202.628.2241 www.nathpo.org Acknowledgments The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers thanks and acknowledges: Report designed and prepared by Sherry Hutt, J.D., Ph.D., and Jaime Lavallee, J.D., LL.M., for the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers John L. Nau, III, Chairman, and Staff of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation National Park Service Staff for providing support and guidance Project Advisory Committee Members Ngozi T. Robinson Communications, Graphics and Web Design D. Bambi Kraus (Tlingit), Project Coordinator NATHPO Board Members: Alan S. Downer, General Chairman and Navajo Nation THPO Janine Bowechop, Vice Chairman and Makah THPO Thomas M. Gates, Secretary and Yurok THPO Kelly S. Jackson, Treasurer and Lac du Flambeau THPO John Brown, Narragansett Tribe THPO Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, or any other Federal or State Agency, or any Tribal Government. This publication produced, in part, under a cooperative agreement between the National Park Service and the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. May 2005 Washington, DC vi TRIBAL CONSULTATION: BEST PRACTICES IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TRIBAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICERS May 2005 Washington, DC iv ABSTRACT The “Tribal Consultation: Best Practices in Historic Preservation” project was conceived by the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO), Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and National Park Service (NPS), because consultation between Agencies and Tribes is intrinsic to the Section 106 process of the National Historic Preservation Act and an understanding of the necessary components is critical.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ghosts of Horseshoe Bend Myth, Memory, and the Making of A
    The Ghosts of Horseshoe Bend Myth, Memory, and the Making of a National Battlefield by Justin Scott Weiss A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Approved April 2014 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Donald Fixico, Chair Jack Schermerhorn Nancy Dallett ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY May 2014 ABSTRACT This research explores the various and often conflicting interpretations of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, an event seemingly lost in the public mind of twenty- first century America. The conflict, which pitted United States forces under the command of Major General Andrew Jackson against a militant offshoot of the Creek Confederacy, known as the Redsticks, ranks as the single most staggering loss of life in annals of American Indian warfare. Today, exactly 200 years after the conflict, the legacy of Horseshoe Bend stands as an obscure and often unheard of event. Drawing upon over two centuries of unpublished archival data, newspapers, and political propaganda this research argues that the dominate narrative of Northern history, the shadowy details of the War of 1812, and the erasure of shameful events from the legacy of westward expansion have all contributed to transform what once was a battle of epic proportions, described by Jackson himself as an “extermination,” into a seemingly forgotten affair. Ultimately, the Battle of Horseshoe Bend's elusiveness has allowed for the production of various historical myths and political messages, critiques and hyperboles, facts and theories. Hailed as a triumph during the War of 1812, and a high-water mark by the proponents of Manifest Destiny, Jackson's victory has also experienced its fair share of American derision and disregard.
    [Show full text]
  • Muscogee (Creek) Nation Renews Lawsuit Over Desecration of Hickory Ground Tribal Lands
    Muscogee (Creek) Nation Renews Lawsuit over Desecration of Hickory Ground Tribal Lands News Contact June 10, 2019 Lauren J. King Foster Garvey Newsroom Related Services The Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ construction of a casino Litigation resort in Wetumpka, Alabama desecrated the human remains of Muscogee (Creek) Nation ancestors and now the Muscogee Native American Law (Creek) Nation, Hickory Ground Tribal Town, and the Tribal Town Chief have renewed a federal lawsuit demanding that the Poarch Band return the sacred site to its prior condition. The site known as “Hickory Ground” contains human remains, as well as cultural objects sacred to the Muscogee. The 33-acre Hickory Ground site was acquired by the Poarch Band in 1980 using federal preservation grant funds. To obtain the federal funds, the Poarch Band promised to preserve the site “without excavation,” as destruction of the site would “destroy[] the cultural history of Creek people.” Hickory Ground is one of the most historically and spiritually important sites to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and was the tribe’s capital before it was forcibly relocated in the 1830s to what is now Oklahoma. Hickory Ground is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is alleging that the “subsequent desecration and construction were executed unlawfully by Poarch and numerous federal defendants,” according to the motion and the amended complaint. The Muscogee are demanding restoration of the original site. In addition, Mekko Thompson, who has served as the traditional Chief of the Hickory Ground Tribal Town for more than four decades, is seeking monetary damages for the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
    [Show full text]