As America celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Middle Georgia’s Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park reminds us that the story of this land stretches far deeper than the founding of the United States. The park, which preserves more than 12,000 years of continuous human history, stands as a testament to the enduring presence of Indigenous cultures long before the birth of the nation.

The Ocmulgee Mounds was once a thriving center of Indigenous life. “Betrayal, poverty, trauma—trauma is the biggest one—but also renewal. We have not stopped fighting and healing. And that’s truly where we are today,” says Tracie Revis, a cultural preservation advocate and member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. For Revis and many other Indigenous people, the nation’s milestone brings a complex mix of reflection, pride, and pain.

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