“This Reservation is our responsibility. That responsibility includes a daily grind to find justice. We must have an adequate space to do that.” Principal Chief David Hill
OKMULGEE – Muscogee (Creek) Nation Press Secretary remarked at the Wednesday, March 18 Courthouse Topping Out Ceremony that it felt like the Nation had just broken ground on the project yesterday. The courthouse construction project has made swift progress, breaking ground on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, a mere six months ago. Tribal leadership signed the final construction beam before a crane lifted it and placed it atop the courthouse structure.
The Courthouse is part of the MCN’s three-phase Master Plan. The Nation secured funding for the project in 2022. Once completed, the two-story structure will span 43,514 square feet and will sit on the southeast corner of the MCN Tribal Complex. The Courthouse will feature larger jury courtrooms that will hold up to 150 spectators each. It was designed by New Fire Native Design Group and constructed by Candor Building Solutions.
A topping-out ceremony is a Scandinavian tradition that dates back centuries. The ceremony celebrates the milestone of placing the final beam on a structure; it does not signify the project’s full completion. A tree is attached to the top of the final beam to signify that no structure should be taller than a tree. The final beam on the MCN Courthouse featured a tree on top, along with two lit fire emblems.
Salsman has described the past few years as “the greatest era of growth the Nation has ever seen”. Just this year, the Nation has broken ground for new healthcare facilities in Sapulpa and Holdenville. Although the project is not fully finished, Salsman remarked, “I call it the Bon Jovi Day, ‘We’re halfway there.’”
Topping Out Remarks
MCN Principal Chief David Hill and National Council Representative Galen Cloud both agreed with Salsman’s remarks about the speed of the project. Principal Chief Hill remarked that he did not want to look back on his term as chief as a time when little had changed across the Nation.
“You can look around this campus now and see visually that we have changed the landscape,” Principal Chief Hill said. “If you last visited the Tribal headquarters in 2019, you wouldn’t even recognize it today. For that, I am extremely grateful for all the people who have shared and executed our vision.”
National Council Speaker Randall Hicks remarked that the courthouse will carry out laws that reflect the values of Mvskoke culture. To Speaker Hicks, it not only honors the past but also helps prepare the next generation for success.
“This Courthouse represents something deeper than steel and concrete. It represents fairness, accountability, and a commitment to serve our people with integrity,” Speaker Hicks said.
MCN District Court Chief Judge Roger Wiley echoed Speaker Hicks’ remarks that the project was made possible by the ancestors who persevered through hardship. From his perspective, the justice system is merely building on the foundation that already exists.
“Those who came before us made this Nation what it is,” Judge Wiley said. “We’re just temporarily occupying our positions. My hope and my prayer is that we will make it stronger, we will keep it healthy, and leave the kind of Nation that we were lucky enough to inherit from our ancestors and pass it down to the ones that come after us.”
The courthouse’s address will be 1103 East Eufaula, Okmulgee, Okla.
