{"id":31541,"date":"2023-08-07T13:40:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T17:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=31541"},"modified":"2023-08-07T15:23:03","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T19:23:03","slug":"george-thompson-the-plight-of-our-sacred-hickory-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/08\/07\/george-thompson-the-plight-of-our-sacred-hickory-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"George Thompson: The plight of our sacred Hickory Ground"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tHickory Ground Mekko George Thompson on Poarch issue\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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Muscogee (Creek) Nation ceremonial Mekko George Thompson discusses the ongoing legal issue between his ceremonial ground, Hickory Ground, and the Poarch Band…<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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Mvskoke Media: Hickory Ground Mekko George Thompson on Poarch issue<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
Protecting Sacred Sites<\/div>\r\n
The Plight of Hickory Ground Tribal Town\u00a0<\/div>\r\n
Monday, August 7, 2023<\/div>\r\n
By George Thompson<\/div>\r\n
Mekko of Hickory Ground<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nLike most Americans, I know where my people, and my family, are buried. And like most Americans, my religion and moral decency requires that I protect and preserve their final resting place.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nMy family is from Hickory Ground. Hickory Ground is where we lived, died and carried out our Mvskoke religion for thousands of years. It was the capital of our Muscogee (Creek) Nation<\/a>. And it is where we buried our most important political and cultural leaders. And my family.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBut then the Trail of Tears separated us from our home. We didn\u2019t want to leave. We were forced to go. We had no choice. That\u2019s when the trauma began; and it continues today.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nRecently, a group of people (claiming to be Native) came to Hickory Ground and dug up my family, placed them in trash bags and plastic bins, and stored them at a university to be studied. The federal agencies responsible for Hickory Ground\u2019s protection sat back and did nothing. They allowed the desecration to happen. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nAfter exhausting all other options, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation has filed a lawsuit that seeks accountability for all parties<\/a> who caused or allowed this tragedy to happen.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \"George<\/a>

George Thompson is the Mekko of Hickory Ground, a lifetime position that he has held for over 47 years. Photo © Mvskoke Media, Courtesy Muscogee (Creek) Nation<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nI\u2019m a plaintiff in the Hickory Ground litigation because it is my duty to do everything I can to protect the legacy of Hickory Ground and all of our relatives buried there. I will not stop fighting until my family rests in peace. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nMuscogee (Creek) Nation\u2019s story is one of resilience. Over the years, we\u2019ve had our land seized by speculators, squatters, federal agents, and even the U.S. government itself. By the 1830s, the federal government went so far as to relocate all Creeks by force. On that forced march, our ancestors physically walked our sacred fire, given to us by Creator, for over 800 miles until they got to Indian Territory, where they re-established our ceremonial ground here on the Reservation. \r\n\u00a0

<\/p>\r\nSince that time, Hickory Ground has continued to be located south of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Capital in the heart of the Muscogee Reservation, Indian Territory.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nI am the Mekko (Chief) of Hickory Ground. As Mekko of this sacred ceremonial ground, it is my life-long responsibility to protect and preserve the past, present, and future of our Muscogee (Creek) ways and culture. Our culture values respect (vrakkueckv<\/em>), integrity (fvtcetv<\/em>), responsibility (mecvlke<\/em>), humility (eyasketv<\/em>), wisdom (hoporenkv<\/em>), and love (vnokeckv<\/em>).\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0

<\/p>\r\nThese virtues have carried us through countless wars, the outright removal from our ancestral homelands, and policies aimed at obliterating our people and erasing our identity. However, I am deeply concerned about the current state of the historic Hickory Ground site in Alabama and the challenges we face in protecting our sacred site.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0

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