Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1407173
Elevating the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and the Ocmulgee River corridor south to Hawkinsville is a project that is being embraced by residents and officials across the state, as well as the Muscogee-Creek Nation. James Floyd, former principal chief of the Muscogee-Creek Nation, is among those not only embracing the project, but helping to move it forward. "We were a mound-building people," Floyd said. "The preservation of the mounds provides a direct link to our past as mound-builders. But that's not all ... this land is our ritual homeland, where our beliefs are grounded. Our ancient culture has a real presence here; our ancient sites provide meaning." Though Floyd lives in Oklahoma, where the Muscogee- Creek Nation has had its home for nearly 200 years, he said there still are at least 200-400 citizens of the Muscogee- Creek Nation living in Central Georgia, near their ancient homeland. Employment opportunities or military service keep them tied to the land, he said. "We have groups who never removed from this part of the country and assimilated elsewhere," he said. "They maintain a sense of connection to the mounds and river. When any of us embark on a pilgrimage back to our homeland, it's a homecoming for us all." David Hill, current principal chief of the Muscogee-Creek Nation, agreed. "It's always important to come home," he said. "Once you come back home, there is a different beating in your heart; this is where we came from. The fire that is in our heart is the fire that is here. We have to keep it going. We have to keep the language and the culture here." As the fourth largest tribe currently in the United States — with more than 90,000 citizens — the Muscogee-Creek Nation is largely based in Oklahoma with pockets of population in states surrounding Oklahoma, as well as both California and Georgia. Hill and Floyd both remain personally attached to the region despite maintaining residences in Oklahoma. As a trustee and board member of the National Park Conservation Association, Floyd also provides a unique perspective. "This is a high priority for me," Floyd said. "In my role as former principal chief and a representative of the tribe, I am able to communicate and collaborate on positions that the tribe takes formally as far as preservation goes." The importance and cultural significance of ONPPI's initiative cannot be overstated, said Clark. "Macon has such a rich modern history. There is a level of atonement we have to look at collectively in terms of preserving these lands that are sacred in some way to all of us," he said. Working in conjunction with the Muscogee-Creek Nation, the initiative is enjoying bipartisan support in Washington, D.C. Members of both parties, in both chambers, supported the Dingell Act of 2019, and the special resource study that the Dingell Act mandated is currently ongoing. President Joe Biden's recently proposed budget includes about $1.575 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund monies for the project. "Congressional action will be required to expand the park into a National Park and Preserve, but that language has yet to be proposed," Clark said. 52 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021