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Muscogee Indians
Published on Nov 19, 2015
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Muscogee Indians
Mae Lynn Harrington
The Muscogee people were known for their agriculture, which is shown in their official seal, adopted after the Civil War. The plow further symbolizes the influence of Europeans in the 19th century. The "I.T." stands for "Indian Territory."
Pre-Contact
- Southeast Woodlands
- very organized union
- several "mother tribes"
- 55 autonomous tribal towns
- majority spoke Muscogean languages
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the Muscogee civilization was a very sophisticated and organized entity. This map indicates the general area they lay claim to. As the population grew and neighboring tribes were conquered, this area expanded. Several tribes became dominant "mother tribes" whose culture and language prevailed. The people generally spoke Muscogee or related languages.
Hernando de Soto burns Mabila
In the 1540s, Spanish explorers came to the Americas seeking riches. The expedition army was very brutal. The European diseases they carried with them killed many indigenous people. This marks the collapse of the great Mississippian culture. In the years following, the remaining Muscogee formed an alliance. Mabila was a fortress town inhabited by 2500+ warriors who fought the Spanish, thought to be located in present-day Alabama.
Tuskaloosa
Tuskaloosa was a giant, strong man who in the 16th century helped drive away Hernando de Soto. He made such a formidable opponent in the Battle of Mabila that the Spaniards never came back north. Tuscaloosa, AL is named after him.
wattle and daub housing
For the most part, women were farmers and men were hunters and fishers. They were not nomadic; therefore, their housing was suited for permanent settlements. The "wattle" refers to the river cane frame, and the "daub" part is the plaster that covers the wattle. Single families lived in them.
The circular hut and mound itself were used for religious and ceremonial purposes.
Religions were mixed throughout the region, but in general they believed in the Creator and held ceremonies. Storytelling was very important, and there were many folktales to explain things in their world.
Tribe Structure
- 'mico' = village chief
- 'micalgi' = lesser chiefs
- included advisors, respected elders
- matrilineal
- elder women also played a role
Micos were tribe representatives and leaders of warriors. Micalgi included medicine men (pictured), respected elders, and various advisors.
Clothing
- men wore breechcloths and leather leggings
- women wore skirts and mantles
- both genders wore moccasins and cloaks
- later adapted European styles of dress
- men, warriors especially, had complex tribal tattoos
Clothing was made of deerskin or woven fiber. As you can see, men shaved their head in Mohawk styles. Women wore their hair long and in topknots.
Green Corn Ceremony
- all Southeastern cultures celebrated it
- second corn crop harvest, in early summer
- celebration, thanksgiving
- people cleaned the village and forgave each other
- revived sense of community and spiritual purity
The most important religious ceremony for all Southeastern people was the Green Corn Ceremony. Although other cultures, like the Seminole and Cherokee, celebrated it when the first corn crop was harvested, for the Creek it was more tied to the second harvest. It involved singing, dancing, feasting, and moral lectures.
Benjamin Hawkins teaching Creek Indians how to use a plow on his plantation in central Georgia.
Chitto Harjo
- b. 1846 in Indian Territory
- "Crazy Snake"
- opposed the allotment of Creek land
- met with U.S. government officials
- shot 1909, forced into hiding, died 1911
Untitled Slide
Finally, in a treaty in 1832 Muscogee leaders agreed to give up the last of their homelands in exchange for some land in the Indian Territory. Even so, a lot stayed behind and between 1836 and 1837, the U.S. Army enforced the displacement of over 20,000 Indians.
Present-day Muskogee in Muskogee County, OK
In Oklahoma, the Muscogee regrouped and did pretty well for themselves until the Civil War, when they found it impossible to be neutral, the way they wanted to be. Members of the tribe fought for both sides; because of their support for the South, in the Reconstruction Treaty of 1866 they were required to cede about half their given land, 3.2M acres.
Today
- U.S. citizens
- The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is the largest, most prominent federally recognized tribe.
- three-branch gov't modelled after the U.S.'s
- self-governing Tribal Jurisdiction Areas in Oklahoma
Pictured: A building of the College of the Muscogee Nation, a tribal community college founded in 2004.
