Correction: Mvskoke Media ran a version of this story in the October 1 edition. Significant edits were made against the advice of the reporter who worked diligently to cultivate trust and share the insights of Hickory ground members who generously shared their perspective on this issue. These edits did not properly reflect all the historical context and did not give proper space for the stories shared with Mvskoke Media. To properly honor the experiences of those who spoke to Mvskoke Media, Mvskoke Media is running the entire story with intact quotes.
Byline: Shayln Proctor/Reporter
ATLANTA, GA.- This journey for Hickory Ground began as far back in the 1500s in the precontact era. In the early 1800s Hickory ground was located in Wetumpka, AL.,the aboriginal homelands and historic treaty territory. “Oce Vpofv,” which translates to Hickory Ground Tribal Town, was one of the independent tribal towns. Each tribal town has a ceremonial ground. Oce Vpofv is located on the east bank of the Coosa River.
Generations later Poarch Band Creeks built a casino resort on the Hickory Grounds land. In doing so, the Poarch Band Creeks desecrated a burial ground and took 57 Oce Vpofv ancestors from their final resting place., Today, the ancestors of Oce Vpofv have not been returned nor have the funerary objects.
Background History
During the 1800s the Poarch Band of Creeks existed but did not become federally recognized until 1984 when the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) granted their recognition.,According to the Muscogee Creek Nation website, “In the early 1800s, several white settlers married Muscogee (Creek) women and settled in a small geographic area known as Tensaw, located in southwest Alabama. When the United States government removed the Muscogee (Creek) Nation from Alabama in the 1830s, many of those living at the Tensaw settlement chose not to remain with the Nation. In 1836 MCN had to be removed forcibly and aggressively to go on the path of Trail of Tears, which many had died along the way.
As the Indian Claims Commision put it, these “remaining members of the [Muscogee (Creek) Nation] abandoned all tribal organization and became United States citizens,”.
Between 1812-1815 the Creek ancestors of the Poarch Band had betrayed the Muscogee (Creek) Nation,and even fought along with Andrew Jackson against the tribe. During that time MCN citizens, and the Poarch ancestors who helped the Army were rewarded by being allowed to stay in Alabama, avoiding the horrors of the trail of tears.
In order to stay safely in Alabama the Poach Ancestors gave up their MCN Citizens. Oce Vpofv Hoktat Mekko (Women’s Chief) Mike Harjo (Mvskoke) is ground council. He has served 24 years on ground council and spoke of what he heard about the trail of tears.
According to Harjo, Hickory Ground was the last capital of the Southeast in their homelands, from the oral history during this journey the members had made medicine for everyone because they knew this trip was going to be long. During the trail of tears, there were children and pregnant women, however if they were young boys the soldiers knew they would eventually become warriors.
“As soon as the males were born they would grab them by the legs and slam them against the tree and kill them. The mothers of the young boys would dress them as girls so they wouldn’t be killed. Sometimes if they have a male baby when the soldiers were around and if the male babies that were crying the mothers would hold their mouth close and their nose closed so they wouldn’t cry trying to save them. Sometimes the soldiers didn’t leave or stood around too long when they were hiding the baby but the baby would have been dead, there were cases like that. Some of them had to tie them around their legs if they were boys and the women put their dresses over them, and put a rag around their mouth so the soldiers wouldn’t know they had a male baby around their legs and they walked all the way over there,” Harjo said.
Harjo heard Spencer Frank’s family was one of them that had to do that during that time. He mentions that there wouldn’t be as many Mvskoke people if the women didn’t do that. During that time there wasn’t much food either, so they hid corn. They would hide the corn, sew it and overlap it with their dresses. This reasoning was because the soldiers would take it away for them, and the women were saving it for their people.
Harjo even said there was an old journal that somebody had written in Mvskoke.
Within this journal there was mention of a big river and Harjo think’s it was the Mississippi. The soldiers came down and grabbed a lot of the men then went towards the stream. They heard a lot of commotion and gunshots, when the women were looking at the water, in those waters they saw bodies floating. “They killed a lot of men and a lot of stories like that. When they stopped for a break and the soldiers would come and take these young girls or maybe somebody’s wife and they would take them and rape them, so a lot of bad things with that, the steHvtke (white people) were doing,” Harjo said.
Oce Vpofv Topv Wvtenkv Jayland Cvpvnkv Gray (Mvskoke) also spoke about the history.
“With all of that, that’s Poarch Band history too. They were on the other end of all of that, they either helped or watched it happen and that’s Poarch Band’s history right there,” Gray said. “So the ones that say they are descended from… they helped and watched.”
“The descendants of the Creek individuals who stayed in Alabama “maintained no tribal organization” and simply existed as “unorganized descendants” until the Indian Claims Commission proceeding arose in the 1950s. McGhee v. Creek Nation, 122 Ct. Cl. 380, 385, 388, 391 (1952).”
According to the MCN website,“the Indian Claims Commission proceedings presented an opportunity for the unorganized descendants in Alabama to obtain compensation for lands ceded by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in 1814, a time when their Creek ancestors located in Tensaw were still considered part of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The facts suggest that the unorganized descendants attempted to create a tribal organization solely for the purpose of monetary gain. The Indian Claims Commission observed in 1952 that the “Creek Nation East of the Mississippi” (which later rebranded itself as the “Poarch Band of Creek Indians”) was a “recently formed tribal organization.”
Harjo explains Lower Creeks
“People say they had a connection with Hickory ground and Poarch Band said they had a connection with Hickory ground but their reservation is closer to the shoreline by Alabama and not too far by Florida Panhandle. They do not have connection with Hickory Ground,” Harjo said. “Because their people came from the South, they were lower Creeks, the ones that the steHvtke people call ‘friendly Creeks’.
“Lower Creeks were the first ones to take up white ways as far as Christianity and traded them to get slaves. Hickory Ground is Upper Creek grounds where we didn’t have nothing to with the steHvtkes and didn’t want nothing to do with that,” Harjo said. That’s when the whites called us hostile.”
Generations later, in 1980 the Poarch Band, through a federal preservation grant acquired the Hickory Ground site in Alabama along with a $330,000. This agreement was the beginning of a 20-year agreement to protect the Hickory Ground site.
The Poarch agreed to preservation
Poarch band’s purpose for the preservation grant was preservation. The agreement states:
“Acquisition of the property is principally a protection measure. Acquisition will prevent development on the property. All historic structures on the site have been destroyed. What is left consists of below surface remains. Through proper archaeological methods and techniques these below surface features can reveal a tremendous amount of information about the Creek way of life in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Upon gaining fee-simple title to the land as called for in this proposal plans will be developed to minimize continued destruction of the archaeological resources. Prior to any type of development of the property a scientifically sound archaeological program will be conducted to mitigate or minimize effects upon the historic resources.
“The property will serve as a valuable resource for cultural enrichment of Creek people. The site can serve as a place where classes of Creek culture may be held. The Creek people in Oklahoma pride in heritage and ties to the original homeland can only be enhanced. There is still an exhibiting Hickory Ground tribal town in Oklahoma. They will be pleased to know their home in Alabama is being preserved. The site may serve as an open air classroom where Creek youth can learn of their heritage. Interpretive programs can be developed around the vast array of history connected with Hickory Ground. The Creek Nation East of the Mississippi, Inc. (Poarch Band of Creeks) has already conducted CETA sponsored training in archaeological methods for Creek youth. The Hickory ground site will continue to enhance their understanding of their history, without excavation.“
Journey began
This preservation was supposed to last 20 years and was set to expire in July 2000. However a year before the expiration, Poarch requested to have all of the responsibilities in the lands within the Poarch reservation, including the Hickory Ground site. Their request was granted by the National Park Service.
The Poarch made the decision to build a second casino resort, despite already having one located in Atmore. From 2001-2011 Poarch partnered with Auburn University to conduct a phase III excavation of the Hickory Ground site. Poarch removed 57 of human remains and 7,000 archaeological artifacts. Not all of the cultural items were removed, many were destroyed in the making of the casino. The remains and items that were not destroyed were placed into storage.
Auburn University played a vital role during the desecration, during phase III in 2001. Under the permit by ARPA and NAGPRA, removing items required permission from the MCN and Mekko Thompson.The University needed a permit to obtain the remains under the Archaeological Resources Protection Plan (ARPA), however they didn’t receive that til 2003, two years after.
ARPA’s required Auburn University to provide reports of how many human remains they excavated along with other items. To date, a comprehensive report has never been given to the MCN and Mekko Thompson.
Harjo believes the Poarch lied to the government to get the fund and never intended to preserve knowledge or language.“They don’t care about the culture, language and ceremonies and really ceremonies that we have. They don’t care about none of that,” Harjo said. “They already had it in their mind; it was always about the money; it was never about preserving the grounds, the burial or anything; it was all about money from the get-go from the start.”
According to MCN, “because the Mvskoke relatives that Poarch and Auburn illegally dug up are the direct ancestors of Mekko Thompson and the members of Hickory Ground Tribal Town today—located on the Mvskoke Reservation in Oklahoma—NAGPRA requires Auburn (and Poarch) to repatriate all of Mekko Thompson’s relatives to him, so he can rebury them in accordance with Mvskoke religion, culture, law, and tradition.”
Auburn University, however, has failed to repatriate the ancestors and objects. The ongoing storage of Mvskoke relatives in plastic bins and trash bags causes the Mvskoke people of Hickory Ground significant trauma and heartache,”A statement from MCN said.“The Nation, along with Mekko Thompson and Hickory Ground Tribal Town, filed the current lawsuit against Auburn, asking the federal courts to require Auburn to comply with NAGPRA and return Mekko Thompson’s relatives to him.”
“Should Auburn choose to do the right thing, it does not need to wait for a federal court to tell the university what to do. Auburn could return Mekko Thompson’s relatives right now, if they choose to do so.”
The MCN and Hickory Ground Tribal Town tried their best to stop the excavation and desecration of the human remains along with the cultural items. They wanted all of it to be returned back to the original resting place. Unfortunately, in 2011 the Poarch Band broke the covenant.
Harjo spoke to former tribal chair of the Poarch Band of Creek Indian, Eddie Tullis in a meeting back in 2011.
“A long time ago he (Tullis) had a dream, back when the rise of casinos was coming about. He had a dream that they (Poarch Band) had a big high casino looking over the river at Hickory Ground and so that’s when he came up with the idea,” Harjo said.“He told us straight up to our faces in that meeting,” “And I asked him if he knew what a ceremonial ground was and he didn’t know. None of them knew, none of the councils knew in that meeting what a ceremonial ground was, obviously you didn’t see no language classes and they didn’t want the cultural way, they wanted money.They already knew it was all just a lie, they don’t care about the ancestors.”
Intentional Deception
Construction for the Poarch Creek’s $246 million casino resort on Hickory Ground began July 11, 2012. The band failed to contact Mekko Thompson and the MCN in a timely manner. They intentionally avoided discussion about reburial and proceeded with a secretive reinterment that avoided facing accountability for their actions.
MCN website stated, “Hickory Ground remains a symbol of the resilience and enduring cultural heritage of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Its history reflects the broader narrative of Native American struggles, from early European contact and to forced removal and contemporary efforts to preserve sacred sites. The ongoing efforts to protect Hickory Ground underscore the importance of honoring and respecting indigenous history and cultural heritage. How we care for the burial grounds of our loved ones says a lot about the values we hold true today. When Native burial grounds are destroyed and disrespected, their descendants suffer greatly.”
Jayland Gray expressed his anger over the betrayal committed by Poarch Band.
“They probably knew we were going to fight it once we found out so they knew to hurry and do what they needed to do. Because we are direct descendants of that land and you look at our records we trace back matrilineally, and he’s (Harjo) got family there too,” Gray said. “We got direct bloodline to that land. I’m sure they knew that so they probably just did that and didn’t want to let anybody know… keep it under the rug because they knew a fight was going to come.
“Personally anytime this stuff gets brought up it makes me mad. I wish we could handle things the old way but now it’s legal stuff but I guarantee you anything like that happened back in the old days there would be executions ordered.
“That stuff ain’t taken lightly and that’s direct family so anytime we go down there and I see all that, I know I got straight matching matrilineal ties with that land and that’s where I come from,” Gray said. “If Hickory Ground didn’t exist then I wouldn’t exist.”
Harjo has old census records of tribal towns. According to him he has had grandparents, great grandparents some of his grandma and grandpa are both from Hickory Ground. He has a lineage tracing back to the land. He knows that he is a direct descendant of the ancestors that were dug up. When he gets closer to the Wind Casino he gets emotional and mad.
During the long legal battle from 2013-2023, the courts seemed to favor the Poarch’s side but Oce Vpofv, Mekko Thompson and MCN did not quit and aren’t settling until justice is served.
“The lawsuit claimed sovereign immunity and so the Judge let them opt out of the lawsuits but there’s an exception to sovereign immunity which is if you broke federal law like NAGPRA,” Harjo Said. “So we don’t know why the judge let them and I don’t think the judge went into it deep enough, because if you break a federal law you cannot claim sovereign immunity so that’s what that case is about.”
Harjo believes that the Poarch band shouldn’t have been able to opt out on sovereign immunity. After going to court on Sep. 25, he believes that the three judges seem to have more knowledge. He is hopeful they see that the Poarch Band should be held accountable.
Still fighting for our ancestors
In July 2023 the opening brief in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals was filed by Mekko Thompson, Hickory Ground Tribal Town and MCN.
On Sep. 23 MCN departed from Okmulgee to make their way to Atlanta, Georgia for the “Journey For Justice” trip to hear the oral arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Oce Vpofv grounds members, members of other ceremonial grounds, MCN Chief Hill and MCN Second Chief, MCN representatives made the trip in solidarity During that morning of departure they were escorted by Lighthorse Police Vehicles. The group traveled to Montgomery Alabama for the first night.
On the morning of Sep. 24 the group went to the original location of where Hickory Ground was at in Wetumpka, AL. Everyone has witnessed where the Wind Creek Casino built it on burial sites.
When entering through the gates by the Wind Creek Casino Resort where the old Hickory Ground is located,, everyone had to sign in and show their tribal citizenship card to gain entrance. After signing everyone had to put on a “visitors badge,” but that didn’t go well with some.
Gray expressed how insulting it was to be labeled a visitor.
“I didn’t like that our own Mekko, he’s Coosa Mekko he’s over that and still is, he always will be even after he dies he will still be recognized as a Coosa Mekko, that’s who he was when he was here and that’s how he will be recognized,” Gray said.“When we went down there the Poarch Bands stood there, we talked Creek in front of them and they didn’t know what we were saying.”
“They were going to give us the visitors badge but who are they to tell us, we are visitors, we are not visitors.”
“We come from there and we have ties directly to that and want us to wear a visitors badge and seeing our Mekko carrying around that badge, I didn’t care for that,” Gray said.
“We are not visitors there, one of the guys told me that, I put mine in my pocket and I wasn’t going to wear it and he told me I needed to wear my visitors badge,” Gray said. “I looked at him crazy and he knew why I looked at him like that, he’s standing there looking at me telling me I’m a visitor.”
“I ain’t no visitor there, that’s where my blood goes, is through that land that we are standing there, I would like for them to know that, that was disrespectful,” Gray said.
“Were older times… things would have went differently and that was just disrespectful to have us wear the visitors badge, because there were others that talked about it too and they didn’t like it.”
The Oce Vpofv along with other ground members challenged the Poarch Band to a Tvlepora game at the ground. The Poarch never responded. In the ground ways, if they hadn’t said anything within four days, it relates to backing down from the fight.
Harjo has been going on this case since he was 19 years old and he is currently 44, but he’s been wanting to challenge the Poarch Band for awhile. He was glad that they stuck with protocol and traditions for the people.
“If they were real Mvskoke people they would have accepted it and we gave them four days to give us a notice and we hadn’t heard anything,” Harjo said.
Gray mentioned that this game is rough and death can happen in this challenge.
“So that game was played and people die, we went down there and challenged them and that’s how far we are willing to go and we are willing to take it to death,” Gray said. “That’s how we feel about it and if we weren’t willing to take it that far then we wouldn’t have challenged them so if you get challenged like that, that’s how personal we take it.
“We are willing to take it to death,” Gray said.
MCN Chief David Hill made a statement acknowledging the emotional toll of the trip.
“Day 2 of our ‘Journey For Justice’ took us to an emotional stop at the original site of Oce Vpofv,” His statement said. “It was hard remembering the desecration there but it felt good to know that the ancestors knew we were there and have come on this journey to stand for them and their legacy.”
Later that evening there was a candlelight vigil. Candles representing the 57 Hickory ground ancestors dug up by the Poarch Band were lit. Members from Hickory Ground and their supporters held the candles. The candles were laid out with roses and stickball sticks as symbols the ancestors were remembered.
During the attendance there were different ceremonial ground members that spoke about this journey including Mekko Thompson. Principal Chief David Hill, Second Chief Del Beaver, Robin Soweka, Mary Kathryn Nagle (Cherokee), Joy Harjo, MCN Ambassador Jonodev Chaudhuri, Sterlin Harjo, and MCN Representative Galen Cloud also addressed the group.
Sep. 25 is the day the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals heard the oral arguments in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, et. al v. Poarch Band of Creek Indians, et al. in Atlanta, Georgia.
On the morning of the hearing Oce Vpofv, ground members, MCN representatives, and other members walked from the hotel to the court with different signs and a banner representing the ground and ancestors. When the court opened some of the ground members and others attended. During that session the room was filled with so many emotions.
Seeing all of the support for Oce Vpofv meant a lot to the ground. Harjo believed this trip was the largest group of Mvskoke to return since the trail of tears. He saw support from different ceremonial grounds such as Seminole grounds, Cherokee grounds. He said that this was a good trip, a good fellowship.
However Harjo’s main reason for this trip was for the ancestors that were desecrated and finding justice for their ancestors.
Gray expressed comfort from the support of the large group that traveled to Hickory Ground. He said the group was bigger than he expected and he felt good to see support from people and even other tribes who did not have direct relations still supporting Hickory Ground.
“I wish I could have shaken all of their hands for being there and supporting us and for all of us gathering up like that, that meant a lot for us,” Gray Said. “To gather that much attention from other steCates, you know it’s wrong if you got all of these people backing you up. We all know steCates , we don’t do stuff like that, dig up our own people for a profit, everyone knows it’s wrong.”
“That’s why we had all of our support like that, I know I appreciated that a lot. Now I know if it ever comes down to it we have a lot of people backing us up so that’s one thing I noticed.”
Harjo noted that he also wished he could have shaken each of their hands as well and he mentioned a big Mvto to everyone that showed up and supported them along this journey.
Mekko George Thompson, Chief Hill and Secretary RaeLynn Butler attended the press conference as well.
Mekko Thompson spoke saying that this is a “monumental day.”
Ancestors
“We know they were there and I’m sure they were glad to see us still sticking together like that and everything we do is for our ancestors, everything. Carrying on the grounds, carrying on our language, the ways that we have it’s always for the ancestors and they see that,” Gray said. “I’m sure they were proud to see not just the Mvskokvlke getting together but other tribes too and bringing them together and fighting the enemy, Poarch Band, once again.”
Gray thinks the fight in modern times may look different, but he feels the Ancestors recognize their efforts.
“It’s a little different then how they did it but it’s the best we can do. I’m sure they appreciate that so that’s all we can do is keep it going the best way we can, we still have that fight in us,” Gray said. “Seeing us challenge them that’s like what I said when you get your warrior name you’re supposed to be willing to die for your ground and for your people. That’s what that game involves is dying and most times you may not make it home and them seeing that, that let’s them ancestors know we are still here, we are still strong, we still got the fight in us.”
“They know what goes into that game and it’s not just a game to us, so I’m sure they were glad to see how far we are willing to take it.”
Harjo mentions that Hickory Ground is a mother ground and they have daughter grounds, so he believes that when they showed up the ancestors were glad, proud and happy to see their descendants.
“I know they are proud that we still have our fires going and we haven’t converted to new ways. We stuck with what the creator gave us and what we got from our ancestors, which was our fire,” Harjo said. “I’m sure they are glad and proud that we are still carrying on and the knowledge and wisdom that they taught has been passed down.”
“I believe they were with us and the creator was with us too and with all of that hopefully we can see justice for them, for the ancestors.”
Hickory Ground members thoughts about the Poarch Band
Harjo and Gray see the Poarch Band’s actions as a result of a legacy of lies and betrayal. Harjo believes it began when the Poarch Band fought with Andrew Jackson.
“When your people needed you in the harsh times and dark times and you turn your back on your own people and you join and decide to kill your people, that’s backstabbing right there,” Harjo said.
Harjo sees the manipulation, betrayal and lies repetitively. He saw how they didn’t abide by keeping Hickory Ground safe and lied to get that land.
He states that back in 1984 when Poarch Band became federally recognized, that their tribe started off as full bloods. But Harjo doesn’t see how they were mixed race already but start off being full blood again, he believes that’s another lie that they told.
Harjo saw that the Poarch’s PR had claimed that they reached the Hickory Ground about the land and claimed that Hickory Ground denied being contacted. In Harjo’s opinion that was a lie. Harjo doesn’t remember hearing Poarch reaching out.
“When you dig up 57 remains and desecrate 57 remains, but then the Paskofv the part where we dance at they put a fence around that and they left the bodies in there but there’s only about 4 or 5 bodies in there that I believe,” Harjo said. “So they say their preservation of that hickory ground, so that’s a lie, you can’t put a fence around with 4 or 5 bodies and say you’re preserving Hickory Ground when you’ve already desecrated the rest of the ceremonial ground and the burial ground of 57 remains.”
“So what I see is lies and they keep lying.”
Harjo heard that next to the casino resort where the five story parking garage was built that they didn’t check that ground so there could be relatives buried underneath.
Harjo spoke about the 2013 incident when Harjo, Wayland Gray and others were praying for the ancestors. They were arrested. According to Harjo, the Poarch lied saying they were on their property. The Poarch also said that Wayland was going to burn down the casino which was a big deal after the 9/11 attack, making it a minimum of ten years for a terrorist threat. Later video evidence cleared Wayland, proving there was no threat.
Jayland Gray spoke about the meaning of what a warrior is and believes that the Poarch doesn’t have that.
“What I was told when I was young, you take medicine at your ground and they give you that name, that’s your warrior name. When you get that name, that name means you’re going to back your people and your ground no matter what happens,” Gray said. “You put it first and you’re willing to die for it, protect it and die protecting your people, that’s what a warrior is.” “Whenever everything started happening down there, people the Poarch Band are descended from didn’t do that. They turned their back, they were fighting against us.”
According to Gray, “They had warrior names, that’s a lie starting out. Lie to your own people, saying ‘I’m ready to protect my ground and people,’ that didn’t happen. They said they were going to preserve Hickory Ground and that didn’t happen.”
Gray recalled a statement released by Poarch Band officials or one of their relatives.
“She mentions how she was sad because Hickory Ground doesn’t want to work together. “We will work with them but this is what’s going to happen later on and they are going to turn their back on us again,” Gray said. “They are like white people, they are going to step on you to get a step ahead. That’s what they’ve been doing since everything happened back at the homelands, so it’s in their blood that’s what they are always going to do just like white people they are white people.”
People may need to know
This case has been ongoing for several years, however some people may not be familiar with this case and the importance of it. Harjo and Gray would like to mention what this means to them and what the readers need to know about “Justice for Hickory.”
Harjo wants to point out that digging up cemeteries of the 57 graves should never happen. So in this day and age, he wonders how they are able to get away with that in the U.S. He notes that this is a tribe on tribe thing, and NAGPRA was writing up these rules, there was no thought that a situation like this would happen, that a Native American tribe would dig up a Native American tribe.
“So no laws were made for this situation,” Harjo said. “The Poarch Band said they were repatriated, which is a false statement,.”
The Poarch Band claimed to repatriate some of the remains and they claim that they went by the Mvskoke ceremony for reburying those remains. “But it was a lie, we don’t have a ceremony for reburying our ancestors because we never dug them up in the first place,” Harjo said.
In the future Harjo hopes that others see that the importance that this holds is for them to set a precedent that prevents this from happening to others. He feels it is important for the tribal nations in the U.S. to pay close attention to this case.
Gray also agreed to Harjo’s response, that this could happen again and he believes this case is an example to others.
“They can look at this and give themselves some hope and encouragement. Like them, poor Indians did it, then we can too, that would be important later down the road and we don’t know how the world is going to end up after us,” Gray said. “They can always look back at us. We are stemerke Indians fighting as hard as we can and we get justice out of this and that is something they can look back on.”
What this journey meant to them
Gray said that he knows that whenever they pass on they go to the other side. He was told, when you cross over, they will ask you if you did everything that you could to keep your people going and keep their ways alive. He says that he would hate to be in that position if someone said they didn’t. So fighting and everything else they do is for their ancestors and for the creator. He wants for them to say that they did everything they could, that they tried.
Gray mentions that currently they are born into the hard times where the language and religion is dying, however they are still fighting and trying to keep it alive as best as they can. He knows before them there were ancestors fighting as well in the wars to have them get here, and they never quit. But he hopes he sees that they are proud and it’s personal of what they did.
Harjo says that this has been a long journey, there were many meetings with the Poarch to work and resolve things. However he felt that they disrespect his Mekko when Mekko told them to put them back in their resting spots but Poarch said that they weren’t going to because that casino was more important, which was disrespectful.
Harjo felt at one time the Poarch Band was untouchable and sometimes he wanted to block them out. But after he found out about the exception of the sovereign immunity, that gave Harjo more hope. When this trip was coming he knew that they’ve been fighting for a long time and he couldn’t give up now. During that trip he was ready to fight for justice.
Harjo knows the creator gave them the fire and that’s their fire, that is how they are able to connect. He says that they are still carrying it on and it accounts for who you are, your soul and as a Mvskoke person. He notices that others realize it as well because of the support that they receive from MCN, their council, Chief Hill and Second Chief Del Beaver.
As a Mvskokvlke people, Harjo says that they all feel and what it’s like for this journey, because he mentions that they all think alike and it’s personal to them.
“This case is very emotional, because this is connecting to their soul and everything of who they are,” Harjo said. “You see a lot of the bad that’s happened and there’s other things that come along with it and you see us come together as people so sometimes you see good and it’s just a mix so it’s been a long journey so it means everything to us.”
Closing discussion
Harjo believes that the Poarch doesn’t think like the Mvskoke people, and that the Poarch shouldn’t have received recognition because in his opinion they hold no relations or cultural aspects as the Mvskoke people do and that they only share with steHvtke ways. He sees the Poarch as foreigners and doesn’t recognize them as Mvskoke people.
“These people that we are fighting are saying that they are part of us the Mvskokvlke, I can’t recognize them being part of us because they don’t look like us, they look wvcenv (old word for white people),” Harjo said. “They don’t speak our language, they don’t have our ways, they don’t have sacred fire, they don’t have the songs, the Chiefs, Medicine man, War Chief, Hoktat Mekko, they don’t even have the traditional food or things that we believe in.”
The Poarch Band are not the only people to have made these claims of connection to the ceremonial grounds. He sees these claims as damaging to the people who do the work to preserve traditional ways, and are by lineage connected to the ceremonial grounds. He believes these claims of connection are often part of a strategy to gain attention and are harmful ceremonial grounds that are not formal agencies of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Government.
“When the attorney for freedmen held a press conference and claimed connection to Hickory ground, that was for media attention,” Harjo said. “If they were really Hickory Ground people they would have been there for the real issue which is our ancestors and they would have a heart for that but they were there for something else.”
”Their attorney said that they are part of Hickory ground… well I don’t know how they can be part of Hickory Ground when the Lower Creeks were the one that were trading and having slaves, we were Upper Creeks.”