MVSKOKE Reservation- The annual Muscogee (Creek) Nation Agriculture Youth Program will be visiting the Mvskoke Homelands in Georgia and Alabama this summer from June 8-14. The trip is open to MCN youth that are 14 years and older, live within the reservation boundaries, and have membership in the MCN Ag Youth Program. The fully funded trip has an April 25 deadline.
For this year’s trip, youth will visit Moundville and Horseshoe Bend in Alabama and the Ocmulgee Mounds in Georgia. In the past when they went, Ag Youth Program Manager Billy Haltom (Potawatomi) said that the trip was a great time and very educational for the youth. The annual trip switched gears two years ago to focus on history and culture. Before that, the group traveled to Washington D.C., where they visited the United States Department of Agriculture, met people from the Indian Affairs Office and other departments dealing with tribal programs
“A lot of our kids don’t ever get the opportunity to leave the state, much less do a lot of things that we’re able to do with them when we go out of town,” Haltom said.
Haltom described the previous Homelands trips as a mix of emotion, education, and history. When the group visited Tuscaloosa, Ala., they toured the University of Alabama, went to Moundville State Park,and toured the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.
While at Moundville, a few employees from MCN Historic and Cultural Preservation came to help since they are familiar with the staff and the different parks. “We really got the deluxe tour, it was really neat and it was very educational,” Haltom said.
During the Horseshoe Bend tour, Haltom described it as emotional because of the battle that took place and the lives that were lost. During their time at Ocmulgee Mounds in Macon, Ga., the group was joined by the former MCN Chief of Staff who helped them with a tour. “We got to meet with the mayor and go tour City Hall. There’s a lot of coexistence between MCN and the town of Macon, that was a really neat experience,” Haltom said.
Even though it is an educational trip they are able to have fun– swimming in the ocean all afternoon, seeing dolphins, and watching the Atlanta Braves baseball game. “That was a really good day for everybody even though it wasn’t as much education. They got to experience a lot of things that not a lot of them would ever be able to do,” Haltom said.
Hotels, food, and transportation are covered by the program and even every stop the group makes, including convenience stores, is included in the cost. However, the program doesn’t cover souvenirs. “It’s an excellent opportunity for young people to go. It doesn’t cost them anything, it’s guaranteed a good educational fun trip and it’s just a lot of fun,” Haltom said.
Halstrom shared that they already have eight members signed up so far for this year’s trip, with a max of 10. He has heard some of the youth speak highly of those trips and mentions that they all say that they had a good time, how educational it was for them and they hope they go back.
“I enjoy being with the kids, it’s a lot of fun. Because again, a lot of our kids have never really been anywhere or have been on a very limited basis somewhere. Just to see them take in all the different things they probably never thought they would get to do. It’s just really rewarding,” Haltom said.
For any information about the Ag Youth Program or the Homelands trip you can contact Billy Haltom at 918-843-0385 and their office number is 918-732-7628. Their application form for the Homelands trip can be found on their facebook page at MCN Ag Youth Program.
