Creek National Capitol
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Creek National Capitol | |
Location | 6th St. and Grand Ave., Okmulgee, Oklahoma |
---|---|
Coordinates | 35°37′23.60″N 95°58′18.37″W / 35.6232222°N 95.9717694°W |
Built | 1878 |
Part of | |
NRHP reference No. | 66000632 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
Designated NHL | July 4, 1961[2] |
Designated CP | December 17, 1992 |
Creek National Capitol, also known as Creek Council House, is a building in downtown
After Oklahoma was admitted as a state in 1907, the Creek lost control of this building and communal territory to the United States government, by a 1908 act. It continued to lease the building to recently organized
In 1961 the building was declared a National Historic Landmark, and in 1966 it was one of the first listings on National Register of Historic Places.[2][4] In November 2010 the city sold the building back to the tribe for $3.2 million.[5] The building houses the Creek Council House Museum, featuring artifacts and exhibits about the history of the Muscogee tribe and the arts and crafts of other Native American tribes.
In 1992, it was included again on the National Register as a
History
In 1837 the majority of the
During the American Civil War, tribal unity was tested as members divided over alliance with the Confederacy. Leaders had hoped to maintain neutrality, but many members fought with the Confederacy. After the war, the US required a new peace treaty to be negotiated and also required the tribe to emancipate any enslaved African Americans they held. They became known as Creek Freedmen.
In 1867 the
In 1906 the U.S. Congress passed the Five Civilized Tribes Act, ending national self-governance for the Muscogee Creek Nation and the other four tribes: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole. In 1907 the Indian Territory was integrated into the state of Oklahoma.
That same year, the federal government leased the Muscogee Nation's Council House to the newly organized
In 1919 the City of Okmulgee purchased the Creek Council House and its grounds for $100,000, under the supervision of the
On April 24, 1923, activists founded the Creek Indian Memorial Association (CIMA) to protect the historical monuments of the Muscogee tribe. In 1934 the
In 1961 the Council House and the grounds around it were listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it was designated as a National Historic Landmark, of great significance. In 1970 Congress passed legislation authorizing the Five Tribes to democratically elect their chiefs.
In 1971 the Muscogee (Creek) Nation elected Claude Cox as chief. In 1979 the Muscogee (Creek) Nation adopted a new constitution to replace the one from 1867, and established a representative self-government. The tribal government was restructured to have executive, legislative, and judicial branches. They also created departments for education and health were created. As they reorganized, they identified land for sites for construction of tribal governmental buildings.
In 1989 the CIMA raised $1 million to restore the Creek Council House for use as a museum. They gained non-profit, 501-C-3
In 1993 the Creek Council House Museum received the National Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for this restoration. In 1997 the City of Okmulgee agreed to pay the CIMA $149,650 annually to operate the museum.
In 2005 the CIMA changed its name to The Creek Council House Museum Association. In August 2010, after several months of negotiations, the City of Okmulgee agreed to sell the Council House back to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for $3.2 million. Two months later, a ceremony was held to commemorate the Muscogee Nation's regaining ownership of their former capitol.[8]
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b "Creek National Capitol". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2008.
- ^ Clifton Adcock, "Creeks ask to buy Council House: The U.S. sold it out from under them to the city of Okmulgee in 1919. It's now a museum.", Tulsa World, March 18, 2010.
- ^ Francine Weiss (November 1975). National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Creek National Capitol (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 4 photos, exterior, from 1975 (894 KB)
- ^ Sara Plummer, "Tribe regains historic Council House", Tulsa World, November 15, 2010.
- ^ Maryjo Meacham; Danney Gobel (February 10, 1992). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Okmulgee Downtown Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved February 21, 2022. With accompanying 130 photos from 1991, with Severs Block in photos 3 and 4
- OCLC 655582328.
- ^ "Tulsa World, November 15, 2010". Retrieved June 15, 2011.
External links
- Creek Nation Council House
- Creek Council House at City of Okmulgee website (accessed March 16, 2010).