The history of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation dates back centuries, with roots in the southeast, including Georgia. But for more than two decades, the Muscogee have been in a legal battle to restore one of their sacred sites and reclaim the remains of their ancestors. Now, they await a federal court’s decision about whether the case will move to discovery.
When members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation were forced from their land, they left behind the remains of their ancestors and sacred cultural items on a site called Hickory Ground. It’s located north of present-day Montgomery, Alabama.
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians also trace their ancestry back to Hickory Ground, but the tribe says they were later “unfortunately separated by historical events.” In the 1980s, the land was obtained by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The Muscogee tribal members claim, by the early 2000s, Poarch Tribal Members reportedly requested Auburn University excavate the human remains of Muscogee Nation ancestors to make way for a $246 million casino resort. Poarch tribal members refute that claim, stating there is no telling whether these remains belong to specifically Muscogee ancestors, specifically Poarch, or Creek people generally.
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