Indigenous history behind sacred sites and mounds in Georgia

Prior to the early 18th century, Georgia was the home to several Native American tribes. When Indigenous people were forced off their land due to the Indian Removal Act, these tribes dwindled to only three — the Cherokee of Georgia, the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee and the Muskogee (Creek) Nation.

Georgia is still home to many sites and mounds that have a long history connected to Indigenous people before English settlers. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, “City Lights” highlighted some of those sacred places with Tracie Revis of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She’s the director of Advocacy for Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative in Macon.

“A lot of Indigenous people, when they come back here, still have mixed feelings because there’s a lot of generational traumas from being forced off your land,” Revis said. She continued, “Taking care of this land helps us all heal together.”