Nuyaka is a populated place in Okmulgee County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, United States. It is approximately south-southwest of Beggs and is west of the city of Okmulgee off SH-56. The Old Nuyaka Cemetery and the Nuyaka Mission site are southwest of town. The elevation is and the coordinates are latitude 35.653 and longitude -96.14. It was notable as the center of traditionalist opposition to the Creek national government during the late 19th century. According to one source, the name Nuyaka is from the Creek pronunciation for New York, which was the site of a meeting between President

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and 26 Creek chiefs. The meeting was to discuss a treaty and to obtain a cession of Creek land to the U, S. Government. Reportedly, the Creeks were so impressed with New York City that they named one of their towns in present-day

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

on the

Tallapoosa River The Tallapoosa River runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United Sta ...

for it. The town was abandoned during the

Creek War The Creek War (also the Red Stick War or the Creek Civil War) was a regional conflict between opposing Native American factions, European powers, and the United States during the early 19th century. The Creek War began as a conflict within th ...

in the fall of 1813 and destroyed by Major General David Adams in December 1813. That site was never rebuilt and is now within the boundary of the

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is a 2,040-acre, U.S. national military park managed by the National Park Service that is the site of the penultimate battle of the Creek War on March 27, 1814. The military park is located in Tallapoosa ...

. "The Creek War and the War of 1812:Nuyaka."
/ref> White men wrote the town name as Nuyaka.Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration. ''Oklahoma: A Guide to the Sooner State''. (1941) University of Oklahoma. Available on line from Google Books

/ref> After the

Muscogee (Creek) Nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...

moved to

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

, the name was given to one of the new Creek towns near Okmulgee. This Nuyaka was populated mainly by full-blood Creeks who did not want to adopt the ways of white civilization. After the Civil War, it became the center of a threatened insurrection by a group of full-blood Creeks against the officially recognized Creek Nation government and the ruling faction, led by

Samuel Checote Samuel Checote (1819–1884) (Muscogee) was a political leader, military veteran, and a Methodist preacher in the Creek Nation, Indian Territory. He served two terms as the first principal chief of the tribe to be elected under their new constitu ...

. The dissidents were led by Lochar Harjo and, after Harjo's death,

Isparhecher Isparhecher (c. 1829 - December 22, 1902, Muscogee), sometimes spelled "Isparhecker," and also known as ''Is-pa-he-che'' and ''Spa-he-cha'', was known as a political leader of the opposition in the Creek Nation (now known by their autonym Muscogee ...

. The rebellion over various issues, such as retention of tribal culture as a way of life and tribal ownership of land, was settled with little bloodshed, though it was called the Green Peach War. The town was the terminus in 1921 of the

Oklahoma-Southwestern Railway The Oklahoma-Southwestern Railway (“OSR”) ran between Bristow, Oklahoma and Nuyaka, Oklahoma. It operated from 1920 to 1930 before being abandoned. History Incorporated January 12, 1920 by legendary Oklahoma oilman Thomas Baker Slick Sr., T.B ...

, which originated in Bristow and ran through Slick. The town's estimated oilboom population of 600 in 1922 was enough to support daily passenger rail service to Slick and points beyond. However, by 1929, the population was down to about 50, and train service was limited to three times a week. The line was abandoned altogether in 1930.

References

{{reflist Muscogee tribal towns Geography of Okmulgee County, Oklahoma Muscogee (Creek) Nation Indian Territory