During the late 1820s and 1830s, thousands of Muscogee (Creek) Indians living in the Southeast were forced to relocate to Indian Territory (Oklahoma).  They were allocated 4,824 square miles of land.  

In 1867 the Creeks began operating under the guidance of a written constitution and code of laws.  The city of Okmulgee was established as the capital, named after the original Creek capital in Georgia.  The Principal Chief and National Council ran the affairs of the nation from Okmulgee.  In 1898 the Curtis Act dissolved tribal government and in 1907 Indian lands became part of the new state of Oklahoma. During the 1930s, the Indian Reorganization Act granted the right of Indian tribes to adopt a constitution subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

Two years later the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act gave Indians the right to incorporate and to establish cooperatives.During the early 1960s, the National Council was reorganized and the nation recognized as a sovereignty by the United States.  In 1971, for the first time since Oklahoma statehood, the people elected a Principal Chief.

During the 1930s, Creek government was based in various Tribal Towns. A national system slowly developed and in 1979 a new constitution was adopted by the Creek people. This new constitution recognized chartered Creek communities which serve as local government units within the national system. 

Today, the Creek Nation is the third largest federally recognized tribe in the United States.  Like the United States government, the Creek government is composed of executive legislative and judicial branches. The Executive Branch administers a variety of service programs for the Creek people. The Division of Human Development provides  education and vocational training. The Division of Community Services provides hospitals and clinics, and the Division of Tribal Affairs oversees Tribal Lands, Agri-Business and Natural Resources. Law Enforcement is under the Lighthorse Commission. The Executive Branch of also includes the Chief and National Council.

The nation is divided into voting districts and representatives to the Council are elected by district. Elections for Principal Chief and Second Chief are held every four years while National Council Representatives are elected every two years. Tribal offices are located in a circular, earth-embanked building  patterned after the Earthlodge at Ocmulgee National Monument, Georgia.

Despite the conveniences, technology and influences of the twentieth century, the Creek people maintain many traditional values.  Family ties are strong and Creek values and beliefs continue to be passed down from generation to generation.  

Tribal Towns and ceremonial grounds, along with the mikko (Town Chief), still exist.  Each ceremonial ground is the site for sacred ceremonies like the Green Corn, a ritual that dates to pre-removal times.  

Life in the Creek Nation in many ways is no different from anywhere else in the United States.  Children go to school; blue jeans are common, and individuals go to various churches and have varied political beliefs.  A common heritage, however, binds the Creek people together.  It is this heritage, this special culture, that makes  the Creek Nation what it is today.                                                                                                

                                                                                                                               Text by Alan Marsh

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