Muscogee Creek Nation Says Wind Creek Casino Is Built on Sacred Burial Ground

The Muscogee Creek Nation continues its legal battle against the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, alleging that the latter desecrated a burial ground by building a casino on top of it. Once known as Oce Vpofv (Hickory Ground), the location of the casino bears a historical significance to the former tribal nation.

The Two Tribes Share a Common Ancestry

Hickory Ground was the Muscogee’s last capital before the Native American tribe was forced to move in 1830. A federal policy forced most tribe members to depart, only allowing the families of those who fought for the US during the Creek War to remain. These few remaining families eventually formed the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which constructed the casino.

As decades passed, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians managed to invoke a preservation grant to acquire a portion of what was once Oce Vpofv. The tribal group eventually acquired federal recognition and began developing the land, to the original Muscogee Creek Nation’s dismay.

The Muscogee Creek Nation Wants the Casino Demolished

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians eventually developed a portion of the land into the Wind Creek Casino and Hotel. The development aggravated the Muscogee Creek Nation, which claimed that this act violated the sanctity of the land where many ancient leaders had been buried.

As a result, the Oklahoma tribe has been trying hard to stop further development of the Hickory Ground and even have their Alabama cousins demolish the casino.

The legal fight has been dragging on for years with the argument continuing in a federal court of appeals in Atlanta. The Muscogee Creek Nation claims that 57 bodies and multiple artifacts had to be exhumed for the construction of the casino and, to top it all off, had been stored improperly.

Additionally, the Muscogee doubted that all remains were returned and implied that some of the bodies of their ancestors might still be kept in boxes. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians denied any such claims but was still accused of not consulting their Oklahoma counterparts about the re-inhumation.

Poarch Band of Creek Indians Feels Its Sovereignty Is Under Attack

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians parried the Muscogee’s claims by emphasizing the two tribes’ common ancestry and shared history. According to Stephanie Bryan, tribal chair and CEO of the Poarch Creeks, the demand to tear the casino down is unreasonable.

Bryan further claimed that the Muscogee Creeks’ demands were an attack on the Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ sovereignty. She noted that it is saddening that the Oklahoma tribe refuses to see reason.

Another argument by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians alleged that the tribe had tried to work with the Muscogee Creeks when the land was acquired in the 1980s but the latter tribe had expressed no interest.

In any case, the Muscogee Creek Nation recently rescinded its support for the federal recognition of the Alabama tribe, deepening the rift between the two nations.