On Friday, September 13, at 10:00 a.m., leaders from the Macon-Bibb County community and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation will hold a press conference to announce a new initiative to continue the drawing closer together of the two communities. The press conference will be held in Commission Chambers in City Hall (700 Poplar Street), and will be streamed live at www.facebook.com/maconbibbcounty.

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Visit Macon, Urban Development Authority, Newtown Macon, and Macon-Bibb County have worked together to create a visual component to the Downtown streetscape to match a similar effort in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, which is within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation.

“We came up with this idea when we were in Downtown Okmulgee at the Muscogee Nation Festival parade in 2022,” says Visit Macon CEO Gary Wheat. “As we purposefully work to forge a stronger and more restorative relationship with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, I’m proud to say we’ve found a way to showcase that to our residents and visitors.”

“Our story is here in Macon. Our flag proudly flies here in Macon. This is another step in reclaiming and strengthening our history in this region,” says Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill. “We’re thrilled that the indigenous language of these lands, will be represented now on the streets of Macon.”

Speaking at the press conference from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation will be Principal Chief David Hill, Second Chief Del Beaver, and Secretary of Culture and Humanities Raelynn Butler. Speaking from Macon-Bibb will be Mayor Lester Miller, Visit Macon President & CEO Gary Wheat, Newtown Macon President & CEO Josh Rogers, and Chris Sheridan.

Also in attendance will be various members of the Executive Cabinet; members from the National Council, including Representative Darrell Proctor, Representative Patrick Freeman, Representative Nelson Harjo, Sr.; and other dignitaries, staff, and members of the Nation. They are in town for the annual Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration happening September 14-15 at the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.

The continued effort to bring the two communities closer is beginning as both work together to expand and advocate for the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park to become Georgia’s first and America’s next National Park. The Park is to be co-managed by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Department of Interior.

In December 2022, Mayor Lester Miller signed an Ordinance that was unanimously passed by the Commission to permanently raise the Muscogee (Creek) flag over Macon City Hall. The ordinance, which also places a land acknowledgement on the grounds of City Hall, symbolizes a growing relationship between the Macon-Bibb County Government, community, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. That ceremony can be watched by clicking here.

As the former capital of Muscogean culture, Macon-Bibb County and the Ocmulgee River still hold unique significance to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. It is their ancestral homeland and was largely in Georgia and Alabama. The Muscogee (Creek) were removed to Oklahoma during Indian Removal in the 1830s, where they remain today with their headquarters in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The tribe is currently the 4th largest tribe in the United States with approximately 97,000 citizens.