Spotlight on Native Americans: Muscogee (Creek) by Ralph Waterby, Rosen Publishing Group, New York, 2016,
This trib prefer to call themselves Muscogee, their traditional name. Europeans called them Creek because they lived near creeks in the southeast, Georgia and Alabama. Europeans prized their land, and eventually the government forced all of the Muscogee in Georgia to move, and most in Alabama. They moved to the reservation in Oklahoma. The were forced to move in the winter of 1836-37. The Indian removal Act called for Native Americans to leave voluntarily. Those who did not leave voluntarily were forced to go. 20,000 were moved to Oklahoma. 3500 died on the trail. William McIntosh had agreed to sell Muscogee land. In this he broke the law as there was no council. He was put to death.
During the Civil War the Muskogee tribe was divided, some supporting the Union and others fought with the Confederacy. Those fighting for the Confederacy killed many Muscogee.
The traditional Muscogee had an abundant life. The had good soil for raising crops, corn, squash and beans. There was also game to hunt. They lived in rectangular houses built from wood. The enjoyed the Green-corn ceremony every year. Corn was their sustaining crop which never failed, even in times of drought.
Today the Muscogee people seem to thrive. There are nearly 100,000. The greater portion are in Oklahoma with their capital being Okmulgee. There is also a significant group in Alabama, the Poarch Band of Creek.
Joy Harjo and Cynthia Leitich Smith are authors of poetry and children's books and are members of the Muscogee Nation.
This book provides background information and introduces themes bearing further study such as the Trail of Tears.
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