Macon will celebrate tribe that inhabited cherished Ocmulgee Mounds. Here’s how to attend

The annual Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration is returning to Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park this weekend.

The celebration, which is in its 32nd year, will bring artists, performers, leaders and members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to Ocmulgee to share modern indigenous perspectives and culture.

Vendors will sell handmade products, there will be storytelling and performers will do a cultural dance. There will also be live demonstrations of traditional crafts and activities for kids.

Carla Beasley, superintendent of Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical park, said the event seeks to acknowledge the mounds’ history and serve as an opportunity for park visitors to learn about the modern Muscogee (Creek) people.

“This is a story of American history, and it’s a story of all of us,” Beasley said. “Despite being forcefully removed and other horrific attempts to diminish them, Muskogean people and their culture are still thriving.”

Who are the Muscogee (Creek)?

The Muscogee (Creek) are a Native American tribe that historically inhabited parts of the Southeast, including what is now Macon. The Ocmulgee mounds are the ancestral homeland of the Muscogee (Creek).

The mounds were built over the course of a few hundred years as part of a large settlement that included farms, houses and trade routes. The mounds served as centers of political and religious life.

When white settlers arrived in Georgia in the 18th century, the Muscogee (Creek) lived in the area. The mounds were an important cultural site for the Muscogee (Creek), who said the mounds were “the place where we first sat down” after their ancestors migrated east.

The Indian Removal Act, passed in 1830, enabled the U.S. government to forcibly remove the Muscogee (Creek) from Georgia. This happened to other tribes in the South, including the Cherokee, Choctaw and Seminole.

The Southeastern tribes were pushed to reservations in Oklahoma, where they live today.

How to attend the celebration

The celebration will be happening on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is free to attend.

There will be no on-site parking. Attendees will instead park at the Macon-Bibb County Health Plaza down the road and a shuttle bus will drive to and from the park. The first bus will come at 9:15 a.m. both days and return every 15 minutes.

There will also be walking and biking access through the Heritage Trail along the Ocmulgee River and through the pedestrian gate at Clinton Street. The Ocmulgee Mounds has more information on its website.