The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe (East of the Mississippi), also known as the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe, is a
state-recognized tribe
State-recognized tribes in the United States are Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by state government through laws, governor's executive orders ...
in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
. The organization was denied
federal recognition
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States.
in 1981.
They descend from
Muscogee Creek
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsIndian Removal in the 1830s and remained in Georgia. Their mission is "To maintain and educate Tribe members and general public regarding tribal history and traditions."
Nonprofit status
The group organized as a
501(c)(3) nonprofit
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 5 ...
organization in Georgia in 1973. They are based in Whigham, Georgia, and Nealie McCormick is their agent. Their officers are:
* Marian S. McCormick, CEO, chief
* Ashley Adams, CFO
* C. Peggy Venable, secretary
* Nealie McCormick, agent
They also organized as a nonprofit in the state of
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
in 1989; however, they are listed as being inactive.
Petition for federal recognition
In 1948 and 1952, the Muskogee Creeks of Georgia joined with the Creek Nation East of the Mississippi, now known as
Poarch Band of Creeks
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians ( ;) are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans with reservation lands in lower Alabama. As Mvskoke people, they speak the Muscogee language. They were formerly known as the Creek Nation East of the Mis ...
, as a unified group for the purpose of suing for Docket 21 land payments awarded by the
Indian Claims Commission The Indian Claims Commission (ICC) was a judicial relations arbiter between the United States federal government and Native American tribes. It was established under the Indian Claims Act of 1946 by the United States Congress to hear any longstandin ...
. The State of Georgia recognized hundreds of members as eligible for this Docket in 1966.
In 1978, the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe–East of the Mississippi petitioned for
federal recognition
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States.
. The Office of Federal Acknowledgment denied their petition in 1981. The office noted that the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe's membership criteria "contained no specific requirements for establishing Creek Indian ancestry" and observed that "The LMC is not a tribal community which has functioned as an autonomous entity throughout history until the present, but is rather a group of individuals who believe themselves to be of Indian ancestry, most of whom did not conclusively establish this fact."
State-recognition
The
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directl ...
founded the Georgia Council on American Indian Concerns and "is the only state entity specifically authorized to address the concerns of Georgia's American Indians." The council recognizes three state-recognized tribes, including the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe, who were recognized through state law GA Code Section 44-12-300.
Activities
The Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe holds the annual Tama Intertribal
Powwow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native Americans in the United States, Native American and First Nations in Canada, First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity fo ...