This weekend was an historical moment for Macon-Bibb County as our community celebrated the 30th Annual Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration. The events not only drew in hundreds from our region, but more than 150 members of the Muscogee and Yuchi tribes.  

The weekend celebration kicked off with the unveiling of an art exhibit at Bright City on Thursday, September 14. This year’s exhibition featured five Muscogee and Yuchi artists who expressed their homecoming from Oklahoma to their ancestral lands in Macon. The collection was curated by Tracie Revis of the Muscogee Nation and presented by NewTown Macon & Dashboard. The photos along the alley outside of NewTown Macon will be on display through July 2023. 

The day after, about 300 people were invited to the Terminal Station for a special dinner by the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) to welcome the Muscogee Creek Nation visitors from Oklahoma. The dinner included remarks from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Muscogee Creek Nation Principal Chief David Hill , and Mayor Lester Miller. . 

This was the Secretary’s first ever trip to Macon and she said it would certainly not be her last. She also took part in the celebration at the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Saturday morning and was joined by Senator Jon Ossoff and Representative Sanford Bishop. 

“I was honored to be part of the Macon community that welcomed the Nation back for the Indigenous celebration,” said ONPPI Director of Advocacy Tracie Reevis. “The Nation said that they felt more welcomed back more than ever. Seeing the photography and the marquees made it felt warm and inviting. Even more so, we got to show all of our visitors how special and sacred this place is. 

The two-day celebration at the Park had many family-friendly events, shows, music, food, indigenous vendors selling handmade crafts, and so much more.