Morgan Taylor/ Reporter
TVLSE, Oklahoma – Tulsa Public Schools celebrated National Native American Heritage Month by holding two tribal flag acknowledgement ceremonies on Monday, Nov. 8.
As state and Tulsa City officials are progressing efforts to reverse the monumental decision reaffirming the Muscogee Nation reservation boundaries, other entities are partnering together in support of the tribe.
The ceremonies held at the Tulsa Public School Education Service Center and Edison Preparatory School was to acknowledge, commemorate and support the Muscogee Nation, according to school officials.
“We are proud members of the Muscogee Nation,” Edison Principal Clay Vinyard said. “This is a historic moment for our school districts and the families that we serve.”
Principal Chief David Hill stated that roots of the Muscogee Nation run deep in the city of Tulsa.
“From the moment our ancestors began their journey of removal, to the moment the Locv Pokv people placed their ceremonial fires here along the Arkansas River and claimed this land as Tvlahassee, our shared history began,” Hill said. “We would see this place become Tvlse and eventually what we now know as Tulsa.”
According to Chief Hill, prominent Muscogee (Creek) families established themselves in the area which helped make Tulsa what it is today.
“For that reason, Tulsa will always be an original home for the Muscogee people and will continue to be a city we seek to help in thriving and becoming a partner in making our Reservation a better place for all,” he said.
ROTC students raised the flag while MCN citizen Pete Coser Jr. sang a traditional Flag Song in the language.
“Each time someone asks why a Muscogee (Creek) Nation flag flies here, that is an opportunity to tell the great story. And each time our citizens see the flag here; they will know that their heritage and Nation is being acknowledged,” Hill said.
Tulsa lies within the boundaries of three tribal nations.
Two additional ceremonies were held on Nov. 18 to honor the Osage Nation and the Cherokee Nation at other Tulsa Public School facilities.
