“THE SURVIVAL OF THE EASTERN MUSKOGEE CREEK PEOPLE”
FORWARD:
It is difficult to understand the Muskogee Creek people without an understanding of the Physical, Agricultural, Social, and Spiritual life; both past and present.[1]
This book is written for those who want to know more about the Eastern Muskogee Creek People and to preserve the history for our younger generation and those children yet to be born. The Tribe understands that the “Dark Days” of the Removal are behind us and they recognize that they now have given us hope for a better tomorrow. This book is to help others to know how we existed in the East after the removal of the eighteen hundreds.
[1]Muskogee History Seminar, Treaties with the Creek Indians and England the scope of Treaties-Harvard Law Revised 1933.
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Muskogee History Seminar:
The Muskogee Creek Indians of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries lived in what is now Georgia, Alabama and North Florida. According to the eighteenth century writer, James Adair, who was a trader in Muskogee County, these Native American people lived beside bodies of water and were called “the people who lived by the Creek” – thus the English nickname “Creeks”…………
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Youth Muskogee History Seminar: We PASS our history through the generations. P= Physical: A= Agriculture S= Social S= Spiritual
Who are The Muskogee Creek? “Muskogee” means “Dwellers in the Swamp”. Muskogee people originally lived in the Southeastern United States, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and were a part of the Creek. The Creek Confederacy was a group of several Towns that banded together for both trade and protection. As the United States grew, European Settlers moved into Creek Territory. Eventually, the United States Government forced the Muskogee to leave the Southeastern United States. However, some Muskogee People remained and continue to live and thrive in the Southeast………..
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Muskogee History, Myths & Legends:
The story of Creation and Ms. Turtle:
Eastern Creek legend tells us that Mother Earth, when created, was covered with water. Observing this, Master of Breath created Locv, or turtle, to swim under the water and dig up parts of Mother Earth to form dry land. Ms. Turtle was so pleased that she began to share her knowledge of swimming with all the other forms of life that had been created. She helped all she could until she grew tired. She became angry because she could not teach them all, and fear was born in her heart. Thus came the belief that is taught today that being very tired, fearful, or angry can be a driving force of the will to live…………
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The Way of the Circle:
The Circle has no beginning and no end. It is continuous. The Circle contains and appreciation; an acknowledgment. When people come together in the Circle there is a spirit of oneness, energy and power. This represents unity, integrity and harmony. The Circle is never ending.
When we hear the sound of the drum we feel the heartbeat of the earth. We acknowledgment the spirit within it; it was once a tree with life giving force. It was created with both bark and wood, which was combined in harmony. We dance to the tempo, the heartbeat of the earth. We are dancing to our Creator; we are in harmony. We are in the Circle.....
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