Creek Tribe

Creek Tribe

The Creek tribe is a group of Native Americans originally from the regions now known as Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.¹ The Creek now live mainly in Oklahoma, though small groups remain on their traditional lands.² ³ ⁴

Fast Facts

AKA: Muskogee⁵
Confederacy of several tribes, including Alabama and Coushatta tribes⁶
Referred to their native lands as Guale (Wah-li)⁷
Current population: c. 45,000 (1990)⁸
Important Creek gatherings: Annual Stomp Dance and Green Corn Ceremony⁹

Ancient Mound Builders

The Creeks are believed to descend from the ancient Mound Builder culture that covered much of the southeastern United States.¹⁰ As such, their history traces back 4,000 years before the arrival of Europeans in North America.¹¹

European Encounters

The first Europeans to encounter the Creeks were the Spanish.¹² In the late 17th century, Dr. Henry Woodward encouraged the Creeks to turn against Spain and support British expansion in the region.¹³

America Comes to the Creeks

Hoping to maintain their independence, the Creeks were divided as to whether they should remain neutral or support Great Britain or the United States during the American Revolutionary War.¹⁴ After the war, Alexander McGillivray led Creeks in opposition to American encroachments.¹⁵

Civil War

By 1811, divisions among the Creeks erupted into civil war. Traditionalist Upper Creeks, known as Red Sticks, sought to maintain a traditional way of life; they opposed the Lower Creeks, who were more comfortable with American society.¹⁶ Defeated by Andrew Jackson, the entire Creek nation was eventually forced to cede 22 million acres to the United States.¹⁷

The Treaty of Indian Springs (1825)

Anxious to take over remaining Creek lands in the southeast, the U.S. forced the Creeks to sign the Treaty of Indian Springs, ceding more land in Georgia, and agreeing to their relocation west of the Mississippi River.¹⁸ The treaty was voided the following year and replaced by the Treaty of Washington, ceding all land east of the Chattahoochee River.¹⁹ By 1827, most Creeks had been relocated from Georgia and Alabama to the new Indian Territory.¹⁴

Categories

History | U.S. History | Native American History | Groups and Organizations

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The Mahalo Top 7

Minnesota State University: Creek Indians
CreekIndian.com: Creek Indian
The New Georgia Encyclopedia: Creek Indians
Cheiftain's Trail: Creek Indians
JRShelby.com: Muscogee: A Study of the Creek Indians
Wikipedia: Creek (American Indians)
Google Video: ...Conversation with Phillip Deere, Muskogee-Creek Elder (Time 41:12)

Creek Tribe Divisions

Official Site (Oklahoma): Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma
Official Site (Alabama): Poarch Creek Indians
Official Site (Florida): Muscogee Nation of Florida
Perdido Bay Tribe: Saga of the Creek Nation

Creek Tribe History

Mound Builders

Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites: Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site
Wikipedia: Etowah Indian Mounds
Lost Worlds: Georgia's Native American Indians: The Moundbuilders | Ocmulgee Mounds
YouTube Video: Pyramids of "America": The Mississippians (Time 3:34)

Facing America

Among the Creeks: The Creek War
National Museum of American History: Eastern Indian Wars
Wikipedia: Creek War
NPS.com: The Battle of Horseshoe Bend
U.S. History.com Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Native American Constitution and Law: Constitution of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Red Stick Society: Red Stick Heritage
University of Georgia: Creek Treaties Related to Georgia

Trail of Tears

PBS: Indian Removal
Historical Documents: The Indian Removal Act of 1830
Wikipedia: Indian Removal
Encyclopedia of the American Foreign Relations: American Indian Removal
YouTube Video: Incident at Rock Roe (Time 6:54)

Creek Tribe Society

Creek Language

Native Languages of the Americas: Muskogee (Creek) Language
College of William and Mary: Creek Language Archive
The Museum: Dictionary

Creek Religious Beliefs

Google Books: Sacred Revolt: The Muskogees' Struggle for a New World by Joel W. Martin
Sacred Texts.com: Myths and Tales of the Southeastern Indians: Creek Stories
Questia: Creek Religion and Medicine
College of William & Mary: Creek Hymns
Access Genealogy: Creek Ceremonies
YouTube Video: 2007 Muscogee (Creek) Nation Powwow Grand Entry (Time 6:59)

Creek Culture and Art

Perdido Bay Tribe: The Wisdom, Art and Logic of Creek Medicine Ways
Amazon.com: Creek Indian Medicine Ways: The Enduring Power of Mvskoke Religion
PandaAmerica: Works of Art Inspire New Poarch Creek Indian Coins
The Handbook of Texas Online: Creek Indians
AccessGenealogy.com: Notes on the Creek Indians
NativeTech.org: Regional Overview of Native American Clothing Styles: Southeast Region

Creek Tribe Leaders and Key Figures

The New Georgia Encyclopedia: Creek Indian Leaders
Access Genealogy: Creek Indian Chiefs and Leaders

Alexander McGillivray

The New Georgia Encyclopedia: Alexander McGillivray
Chronicles of Oklahoma: Alexander McGillivray, Emperor of the Creeks
Access Geneaology: McGillivray, Alexander, General
Wikipedia: Alexander McGillivray
LoveToKnow 1911: Alexander McGillivray

Opothle Yahola

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture: Opothleyahola (ca. 1780-1863)
The Robinson Library: Opothleyahola
Wikipedia: Opothleyahola
Kansas State Library: Opothle Yahola
KTWU-TV (Washburn University): Opothle Yahola: A Memorial Trail Recalls an Indian Exodus

Suzan Shown Harjo

Indian Country: Suzan Shown Harjo
Wikipedia: Suzan Shown Harjo
Native Peoples Magazine: Chief Offenders

Creek Tribe In the Classroom

Native American Facts for Kids: Creek Indian Fact Sheet
Alabama Department of Archives and History: Creek Indian War, 1813-1814 Unit
Anne Gometz's Requisite Homepage: A Creek Indian Bibliography

Creek Tribe Images and Media

Gallery of American Indians: McKenney & Hall Creeks: Folio Plates
Flickr: Muskogee Indians Images
Google Images: Creek Indians Images | Muskogee Indians Images
Yahoo! Images: Muscogee Nation Images
AltaVista.com Creek Indians
Google Video: Creek Tribe Videos | Muscogee Indians Videos | Muskogee Indians Videos
YouTube Videos: Muscogee Nation Videos | Muscogee Powwow Videos
MySpace: Stomp Dance Songs of the Muscogee Creek
Music Cultures of the World Video: Stomp Dance, Powwow Style (Time 1:19.6)

Creek Tribe Blogs and Message Boards

Black Commentator: Blacks of Native American Ancestry Fight for Recognition (Sept. 15, 2005)
Joy Harjo: Joy Harjo's Weblog
Battlefield Biker: Andrew Jackson Defeats "Red Stick" Creek Indians... (March 27, 2007)
American Indian Tribes Forums Mvskoke (Creek)

Creek Tribe Timeline

c. 800-1500: Emergence of the Missippian Mound Building culture, forerunners of the Creeks
1540: Spanish conquistadors first encounter the Creeks on St. Simon's Island
1685: Creeks and British expel the Spanish from southeastern North America
1715: Creeks fight encroachment by South Carolina in the Yamasee War
1733: Creeks grant Oglethorpe the right to settle Georgia in the Treaty of Savannah
1776: Creeks divided over support of the British or the Americans in the Revolutionary War
1782: Upon the death of Emistesigo, Alexander McGillivray becomes leader of the Creeks
1790: McGillivray travels to New York City to conclude the Treaty of New York
1813-1814: The Red Stick War. leads to the Treaty of Fort Jackson
1826: The Treaty of Washington leads to the cession of remaining Georgia Creek lands
1836: Alabama Creeks launch the Creek War, resulting in their removal to Indian Territory
1867: Oklahoma Creeks adopt a written constitution
1898: The Curtis Act ends Creek sovereignty in Oklahoma
1971: Creeks reassert their sovereignty, electing a principal chief without U.S. approval

Related Pages on Mahalo

Cherokee Tribe | Indian Removal Act | Trail of Tears

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