Many years ago, the Poarch and Muscogee (Creek) Nation were unfortunately separated by historical events. Today, they are distinct sovereign nations with completely separate lands.
In 1980, the Poarch Creek Indians learned that an approximately 34-acre parcel in the City of Wetumpka, Alabama (then-current population of 7,000) was for sale. The land had been commercially farmed for more than a century, was impacted by commercial development, and faced regular flooding due to its location along the Coosa River.
A big box retailer was expected to purchase and develop the land, so swift action was needed. At the time, Poarch Creek had few resources. However, the Tribe believed every effort should be made to purchase the property to restore a portion of their homelands and to provide for their community.
The Poarch Creek Indians acknowledge that it has a shared history with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, including ancestral and cultural ties to the historic Hickory Ground Tribal town at the Wetumpka location. Since historical times, over 30 Creek towns have existed in Alabama. Out of respect for this history, Poarch Creek invited Muscogee to jointly apply for a grant to purchase the 34-acre parcel of land.
Despite repeated attempts to secure a partnership with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Muscogee gave no response or rationale for refusing to avail itself of such a rare opportunity. Poarch Creek was left with no choice but to move forward and purchase the land without Muscogee. Because of the Poarch Creek’s limited resources, an Alabama Historical Commission grant aided in the initial purchase of these lands. This grant included a written 20-year preservation covenant, which the Poarch Creek honored.
After their purchase of the Wetumpka property in 1980, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation enacted an ordinance formalizing its government-to-government relationship with the Poarch Creek Indians on July 30, 1983. It was a formal recognition that each of the Creek Tribes—the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Poarch Creek Indians—were independent, sovereign Indian nations.
On August 11, 1984, President Reagan’s Interior Department formally acknowledged the Poarch Creek Indians as a federally recognized Indian tribe. In so doing, the U.S. affirmed that the Tribe had maintained its existence as an autonomous, distinct tribal community since historical times. After formal acknowledgement by the United States in 1984, Poarch Creek had the Wetumpka parcel placed into trust for its benefit, establishing it as sovereign tribal land under the Tribe’s jurisdiction and governance.
Click here to read the full historical context.
More than four decades of lawful sovereignty:
1980: The Poarch Creek Indians (PCI) purchased the Hickory Ground property to preserve its historical and cultural significance.
1984: The United States formally recognized what had always been true: PCI is a sovereign Indian nation that has existed as a distinct political community prior to the Creek War of 1813-14.
1985: The federal government took the Hickory Ground property into trust for PCI, establishing it as part of the Tribe’s initial reservation.
1990s: Poarch agreed to allow archaeologists to study the Hickory Ground property given that (1) there was no visible evidence of a burial ground; (2) the site was eroding because of decades of flooding, farming, and lack of maintenance; and (3) the Tribe had limited financial and technological resources.
July 2000: PCI began studying the Hickory Ground property alongside archaeologists from Auburn University.
2006: PCI opened discussions with Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN) about developing the Wetumpka property.
2011: The excavation at the Hickory Ground site is completed.
April 2012: PCI reinterred remains according to Creek tradition and federal law.
July 2012: PCI announced plans to develop Wind Creek Wetumpka at the Hickory Ground site.
December 2012: MCN filed the first of numerous meritless lawsuits.
2014: Wind Creek Wetumpka opened. The district court stayed the case pending settlement negotiations.
March 2020: MCN filed an amended complaint after the case had been stayed pending unsuccessful settlement negotiations.
March 15, 2021: A U.S. District Judge of the Middle District of Alabama dismissed the case, ruling that PCI Tribal defendants have sovereign immunity. (View)
July 2024: MCN continued their lawfare against PCI by appealing to the 11th Circuit.
October 11, 2024: The Court of Appeals vacated the district court’s order of dismissal and remands for further proceedings. By this time, MCN had yet to win any decisions in court despite repeated attempts dating back over two decades. (View)
February 11, 2026: PCI filed a comprehensive motion to dismiss the fourth iteration of the meritless lawsuit over the Hickory Ground reservation property.
Click here to read the full historical context.
Hickory Ground in the News
Media coverage of Hickory Ground typically provides a highly biased perspective that favors Muscogee’s narrative. The few articles that do give a fair hearing to Poarch’s side of the story are included here.
Hickory Ground in the News
Media coverage of Hickory Ground typically provides a highly biased perspective that favors Muscogee’s narrative. The few articles that do give a fair hearing to Poarch’s side of the story are included here.