You are invited to a Zoom meeting. When: Feb 16, 2022, 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)Participants must Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsduyurjwuHNzU_q9DtDyyszC928RJd-fI
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is pleased to announce that we will host a Creek language Class!
***Please note that you must register for the session! This meeting is free of charge ***
Many of you have expressed that you would like to attend a Muscogee Creek language course as many of us can recall family stories of our ancestors who spoke the Creek language fluently.
Well, your wait is over! Please join the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen band in this 1st series of hopefully many more to come. Join us on February 16, 2022, at 7:00 PM CST via Zoom!
A Creek Language instructor will teach the class who speaks the Creek language proficiently. The instructor will cover basic Creek phrases. We encourage you to come with questions!
You are invited to a Zoom meeting. When: Feb 16, 2022, 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
The life and times of Creek Freedwoman Hagar Myers
When: Feb 19, 2022, 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sdOqrrTsuGdHIcD73emTcaX_jfHjoBy7I
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is thrilled for the opportunity to present the life and times of Creek Freedwoman Hagar Myers!
Our very own Be’eri Free Ahli will enact the story of Creek Freedwoman Hagar Myers.
You may remember Be’eri in the Life and Times of Creek Freedwomen Mary Grayson and Lucinda Davis where she did a Stella job of enacting their lives through their testimonies.
Please join the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen band on February 19, 2022, at 1:00 PM CST via Zoom! You must register for this event…
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The Green Peach War occurred in 1882 and was named Green Peach War because the peaches were green on the peach trees. The loyal Creek women desired to deliver a message to Isparhecher to notify him of the soldiers coming from Forth Gibson. Creek Leader Isparhecher served as Judge in the Okmulgee district in 1882, impeached from office and accused of sedation.
He established a military camp with some 350 of his followers at Nuyaka, twelve miles west of Okmulgee. A quasi-government was set up, and light horse companies were formed.
Scott Waldo’s 1937 interview to the Indian Pioneer Project gives an account where there was a need to deliver a message to Creek leader Isparhecher while he and his forces were in the Sac and Fox country. The letter was to warn them that the 9th and 10th Cavalries (Buffalo Soldiers) military troops were being summoned from Ft. Gibson.
“The desire was for the leader and his followers to surrender without resistance as a slaughter would indeed occur. But how could they get the message through? No man could get through the lines of Checote Army and possibly not a woman”. Creek Freedwoman Hagar Myers was born enslaved, but her husband John and family were born free. Many people of African descent were born free who lived among the Muscogee Creeks.
Courageously Hagar said, “I’ll go carry the message to surrender. If I get through well enough, if not, then I have done my all the best I know to do, to save further bloodshed, for a few dollars due each of us.” She was furnished with the best horse they had and started for the Sac and Fox agency. She was stopped many times, but by her cunning ways, and ideas and many falsehoods, she reached Spieche and delivered the message. The message was read to the rank and file, and the majority shouted, “let’s all surrender to the blue coats when they get here.” “Some still held out saying “no, we will die fighting,” but the majority always wins and they surrendered as before stated.”
Hagar provided the letter to the insurgent leaders who surrendered to the US military troops. In this account, Hagar is credited for bringing peace and saving many lives during this War.
Isparhecher served as Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, 1895–1899 “Every Muscogee citizen, whether his skin is red, white or black, has equal rights and privileges in this (Creek) Nation. Even the most abject, poor, and ignorant is entitled to equal consideration with the most distinguished, rich, and learned at the hands of our officers.” Isparhecher
Source: Freedmen of the Frontier Volume 2 Selected Creek & Seminole Freedmen Families Photo: Hagar Myers family African Creeks: Estelvte and the Creek Nation
This is a great opportunity and there is a limited number of scholarships available, please take advantage of this opportunity.
re(BUILD) Tulsa Developer Academy
TEDC is launching re(BUILD)Tulsa, formally known as Build Tulsa, in January 2022. The initiative provides education and funding for nonprofit and for-profit residential developers, specifically BIPOC and women.
We define Re(BUILD) as the following:
Building resilient and equitable neighborhoods through:
BIPOC-led
Urban
Infill
Land
Development.
The Developers Academy (DA) provides specialized training for participants interested in real estate development.
The goal of the DA is to provide developers of color with the institutional knowledge, social networks, and trust-based capital they need to be the producers and front-end beneficiaries of systems change, rather than consumers of the end-product.
BIPOC developers are equipped to lead redevelopment efforts, through the creation of affordable and workforce housing units.
Program Details
The course is designed to assist emerging real estate developers with their professional development goals.
Provide access to training in the fundamentals of real estate development
Create networking opportunities to develop formal and informal business relationships with each other
Develop a supportive ecosystem that includes lenders, grant makers, city staff and mentors
Committee Passes Build Back Better Agenda to Provide Long-Overdue Investments in Housing Resources
Today, the House Financial Services Committee passed the Financial Services Committee Title of the Build Back Better Act to provide long-overdue investments in housing resources, such as affordable housing, downpayment assistance, and efforts to end homelessness.
The following bill passed the Committee by a vote of 30-24.
The Build Back Better Act is a bill that would provide $322 billion in funding for new and existing federal housing programs designed to provide a comprehensive response to address our nation’s urgent housing needs including the national eviction and homelessness crises, particularly among the lowest income families, people with disabilities, millennials, and people of color. It includes targeted funding streams for new construction and preservation of housing, rental and downpayment assistance, sustainable and resilient housing, fair housing enforcement, among other investments. Click here for bill text.
We are pleased to inform you that the Restoration and dedication service for the Thomas Smith cemetery was simply marvelous. If you were not present, you missed a treat. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War provide a Color Guard for the ceremony to honor Civil War Veteran Private William Lacy Sr., the husband of Creek Freedwoman Lucinda Postoak-Lacy.
The event included a Creek tribal hymn led by Mr. Bill Bailey, the occasion by Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons, and a riveting presentation of the life and times of Private Lacy and Lucinda by Mr. Calvin Osborne, the GGG grandson of Private Lacy and Lucinda Postoak-Lacy.
Osborne is the President of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment Company B reenactment group, which has participated in many Civil War films such as “Glory,” “Gettysburg,” “Gods and Generals,” “Andersonville,” and “Lincoln.”
CBS News, News 6, and the Tulsa World was on-site to capture the essence of this historic event. All had a grand time in attendance.
Please consider donating to the ongoing restoration project for the TSC!
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is thrilled to inform you that our meeting with Representative Shelia Jackson-Lee (Texas, District 18 104th-117th) was successful. As a result of that meeting, she has co-sponsored H.R 4637. Upon our departure, the congresswoman gifted each of us with a signature 2021 Inaugural year calendar.
The express purpose of H.R. 4637 introduced on behalf of Creek Freedmen is To sever United States Government relations with the Creek Nation of Oklahoma until such time as the Creek Nation of Oklahoma restores full Tribal citizenship to the Creek Freedmen disenfranchised in the October 6, 1979, Creek Nation vote and fulfills all its treaty obligations with the Government of the United States, and for other purposes.
If you are a supporter of the 1866 Creek Treaty Rights of the Creek Freedmen, we encourage supporters to reach out to your U.S Senators and members of Congress to support the HR 4637.
Who: The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band, Inc., P.O. Box 6366, Moore, Oklahoma, 73153.
What: Announcement of preservation project 1902 for recently procured Historic Creek Freedmen Cemetery, aka the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
When: August 14, 2021, 10:00AM-12:00PM CDT
Where: Thomas Smith Cemetery, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Why: To Preserve and Protect the unique history, heritage, and genealogy of the Muscogee Creek Freedmen “Black Creeks” who were removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears.
News:
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band has recently acquired the Thomas Smith Cemetery, Located at 20989 E 41 ST S, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma,74014.
The cemetery is the resting place for many original enrolled Creek Freedmen of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. Join us as we commemorate the legacy of the founder Creek Freedmen Thomas Smith, Civil War Veteran William Lacy Sr. Creek Freedmen Adam Manuel, Creek Freedmen Lucinda Postoak-Lacy, The Barnett’s, Hines, McIntosh, Ananias (A.N) Pegues, and all that rest in the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
Please join us in the commitment to preserve and protect this historic treasure. We have already made significant progress, but much more work is needed.
We are pleased to announce that the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of heroes who fought and worked to save the Union, organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954 will join the event. Members of the Oklahoma Department of the SUVCW will provide a Color Guard for the ceremony.
The guest presenter is Mr. Calvin Osborne. Osborne is a native Tulsan who attended Booker T Washington High School. In 1991, Calvin joined Company B of the 54th Massachusetts Civil War Reenactors (the 54th). The 54th was specifically formed by the National Park Service to film the award-winning Tri-Star motion picture “Glory.” The 54th has been instrumental in the filming of civil war movies, documentaries, and historical films, including “Gettysburg,” “Gods and Generals,” “Sommersby,” “Andersonville,” “Lincoln,” and others.
Osborne is currently serving his second term as President of the 54th. He is a direct descendant of William Lacy Sr., a former slave who became a civil war soldier with the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry (79th USCT). William Lacy married Creek Freedwomen Lucinda Thomas Postoak-Lacy, a woman who was also a former slave in the Creek Nation in the Oklahoma Indian territory. He has been the subject of a short CNN video related to his ancestors’ military history and working with Ancestry conducting voiceovers.
Calvin earned a B.S. in Management from William Jewell College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is an attorney currently practicing law in Washington DC, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Additionally, we invite the family members to join us and share some historical facts about their ancestors that lay rest in the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
According to Mr. John Hines (81) and Mr. James Hardman, both Creek freedmen descendants whose ancestor’s resting place is in the Thomas Smith cemetery. Both state that the cemetery is the resting place of some affected by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Hardman, a Creek Freedmen descendant, interviewed his grandmother Eva T. Lacy in 2002. Eva Lacy states that her mother, Malissa Green-Lacy, her brother Edgar Lacy, and her grandmother Lucinda T. Lacy (Burried in TSC) lived on Greenwood that fateful day the massacre took place. Although they all survived that day, she made mention of others.
The land donated in 1902 was from the original Muscogee Creek Nation land allotment of Thomas Smith, Creek Freedmen, roll # 4943, who received 160 acres of land. The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is so please to acquire 1 acre of an original Creek Freedmen Dawes allotment.
There are a dozen or so military graves, the oldest dates to the Civil War. The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry (later the 79th U.S. Colored Infantry) was an African American regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The regiment was organized before the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and without federal authorization, thus becoming the first black unit to see combat alongside white soldiers during the war in October 1862.
The oldest grave marker is that of M. Jordan, the birth date of May 18, 1808, who died Oct 28, 1902. Also, a member of the last Creek Council was A.N. Pegues, born in 1879, who died around 1959.
There are approximately 300 people buried in the cemetery and a dozen or more who served in the military. They served in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam war.
Creek Freedmen Sarah Rector’s story is more widely known as the “Richest little Colored girl,” who became a millionaire overnight as her Creek Dawes allotment was booming in oil. There was also another Creek Freedmen, whose family allotment was also booming in oil.
Adam Manuel’s resting place is also in the Thomas Smith Cemetery. His son, Luther, was considered the riches colored boy due to the oil and gas leases on his land allotment. While the family allotment was originally assumed to be worthless, it became the most valued allotment in Creek Nation. Manuel was receiving $20,000.00 to $50,000.00 a month.
The Thomas Smith Cemetery has fallen into disrepair as many graves have sunken and headstones damaged, requiring a great deal of care and restoration. The Barnett gated section is overgrown and inaccessible, and there is another section of graves adjacent to the Barnett section that is overgrown and inaccessible. Our objective is to clear out the dense trees and greenery so that the families can access their loved ones’ graves.
Shamefully some have used the cemetery as a dumping ground. We managed to clean up much of the trash, and the very next day, someone had dumped more junk on the cemetery grounds. The Thomas Smith Cemetery requires fencing, new signage, regular maintenance, sinking monument repair, and more.
As part of the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band’s Mission of promoting self-sufficiency in preserving our unparalleled cultural heritage, the MCIFB acquired the cemetery to protect and preserve the unique history and heritage of the Muscogee Creek Freedmen.
The MCIFB’s goal is to capture and continue to tell our ancestors’ stories and honor and protect the lives of the Creek Freedmen and all those whose resting place is Thomas Smith cemetery.
We cannot allow this little-known treasure rich in history to continue to diminish and fall into disrepair. We are grateful to the citizens in the community who contacted the MCIFB for help and to all who have helped over the years. You have done a noble job of managing the grounds to the best of your ability.
We are taking bids from contractors to donate the labor and material needed to restore and continue preserving this essential and somber historical marker. Thomas Smith Cemetery requires the following: signage, fencing, tree cutting, Seasonal ground maintenance, GPR services, and more. Any donations are greatly appreciated. Please reach out to us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com www.1866creekfreedmen.com.
The MCIFB is a 501(C) (3) organization. Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.
Thank you!
Rhonda K. Grayson Sharon Lenzy-Scott Jeffrey D. Kennedy
Please refer to the attached FAQ for more information about the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band and its mission.
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Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band
MEDIA CONTACT:
TELEPHONE: EMAIL: mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Who: The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band, Inc., P.O. Box 6366, Moore, Oklahoma, 73153.
What: Announcement of preservation project 1902 for recently procured Historic Creek Freedmen Cemetery, aka the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
When: August 14, 2021, 10:00AM-12:00PM CDT
Where: Thomas Smith Cemetery, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Why: To Preserve and Protect the unique history, heritage, and genealogy of the Muscogee Creek Freedmen “Black Creeks” who were removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears.
News:
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band has recently acquired the Thomas Smith Cemetery, Located at 20989 E 41 ST S, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma,74014.
The cemetery is the resting place for many original enrolled Creek Freedmen of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. Join us as we commemorate the legacy of the founder Creek Freedmen Thomas Smith, Civil War Veteran William Lacy Sr. Creek Freedmen Adam Manuel, Creek Freedmen Lucinda Postoak-Lacy, The Barnett’s, Hines, McIntosh, Ananias (A.N) Pegues, and all that rest in the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
Please join us in the commitment to preserve and protect this historic treasure. We have already made significant progress, but much more work is needed.
We are pleased to announce that the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of heroes who fought and worked to save the Union, organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954 will join the event. Members of the Oklahoma Department of the SUVCW will provide a Color Guard for the ceremony.
The guest presenter is Mr. Calvin Osborne. Osborne is a native Tulsan who attended Booker T Washington High School. In 1991, Calvin joined Company B of the 54th Massachusetts Civil War Reenactors (the 54th). The 54th was specifically formed by the National Park Service to film the award-winning Tri-Star motion picture “Glory.” The 54th has been instrumental in the filming of civil war movies, documentaries, and historical films, including “Gettysburg,” “Gods and Generals,” “Sommersby,” “Andersonville,” “Lincoln,” and others.
Osborne is currently serving his second term as President of the 54th. He is a direct descendant of William Lacy Sr., a former slave who became a civil war soldier with the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry (79th USCT). William Lacy married Creek Freedwomen Lucinda Thomas Postoak-Lacy, a woman who was also a former slave in the Creek Nation in the Oklahoma Indian territory. He has been the subject of a short CNN video related to his ancestors’ military history and working with Ancestry conducting voiceovers.
Calvin earned a B.S. in Management from William Jewell College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is an attorney currently practicing law in Washington DC, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Additionally, we invite the family members to join us and share some historical facts about their ancestors that lay rest in the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
According to Mr. John Hines (81) and Mr. James Hardman, both Creek freedmen descendants whose ancestor’s resting place is in the Thomas Smith cemetery. Both state that the cemetery is the resting place of some affected by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Hardman, a Creek Freedmen descendant, interviewed his grandmother Eva T. Lacy in 2002. Eva Lacy states that her mother, Malissa Green-Lacy, her brother Edgar Lacy, and her grandmother Lucinda T. Lacy (Burried in TSC) lived on Greenwood that fateful day the massacre took place. Although they all survived that day, she made mention of others.
The land donated in 1902 was from the original Muscogee Creek Nation land allotment of Thomas Smith, Creek Freedmen, roll # 4943, who received 160 acres of land. The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is so please to acquire 1 acre of an original Creek Freedmen Dawes allotment.
There are a dozen or so military graves, the oldest dates to the Civil War. The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry (later the 79th U.S. Colored Infantry) was an African American regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The regiment was organized before the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and without federal authorization, thus becoming the first black unit to see combat alongside white soldiers during the war in October 1862.
The oldest grave marker is that of M. Jordan, the birth date of May 18, 1808, who died Oct 28, 1902. Also, a member of the last Creek Council was A.N. Pegues, born in 1879, who died around 1959.
There are approximately 300 people buried in the cemetery and a dozen or more who served in the military. They served in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam war.
Creek Freedmen Sarah Rector’s story is more widely known as the “Richest little Colored girl,” who became a millionaire overnight as her Creek Dawes allotment was booming in oil. There was also another Creek Freedmen, whose family allotment was also booming in oil.
Adam Manuel’s resting place is also in the Thomas Smith Cemetery. His son, Luther, was considered the riches colored boy due to the oil and gas leases on his land allotment. While the family allotment was originally assumed to be worthless, it became the most valued allotment in Creek Nation. Manuel was receiving $20,000.00 to $50,000.00 a month.
The Thomas Smith Cemetery has fallen into disrepair as many graves have sunken and headstones damaged, requiring a great deal of care and restoration. The Barnett gated section is overgrown and inaccessible, and there is another section of graves adjacent to the Barnett section that is overgrown and inaccessible. Our objective is to clear out the dense trees and greenery so that the families can access their loved ones’ graves.
Shamefully some have used the cemetery as a dumping ground. We managed to clean up much of the trash, and the very next day, someone had dumped more junk on the cemetery grounds. The Thomas Smith Cemetery requires fencing, new signage, regular maintenance, sinking monument repair, and more.
As part of the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band’s Mission of promoting self-sufficiency in preserving our unparalleled cultural heritage, the MCIFB acquired the cemetery to protect and preserve the unique history and heritage of the Muscogee Creek Freedmen.
The MCIFB’s goal is to capture and continue to tell our ancestors’ stories and honor and protect the lives of the Creek Freedmen and all those whose resting place is Thomas Smith cemetery.
We cannot allow this little-known treasure rich in history to continue to diminish and fall into disrepair. We are grateful to the citizens in the community who contacted the MCIFB for help and to all who have helped over the years. You have done a noble job of managing the grounds to the best of your ability.
We are taking bids from contractors to donate the labor and material needed to restore and continue preserving this essential and somber historical marker. Thomas Smith Cemetery requires the following: signage, fencing, tree cutting, Seasonal ground maintenance, GPR services, and more. Any donations are greatly appreciated. Please reach out to us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com www.1866creekfreedmen.com.
The MCIFB is a 501(C) (3) organization. Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.
Thank you!
Rhonda K. Grayson Sharon Lenzy-Scott Jeffrey D. Kennedy
Please refer to the attached FAQ for more information about the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band and its mission
The MCIFB is pleased to inform you that we applied to the Muscogee Creek Nation preservation department for the cemetery cleanup this past May.
The following is the criteria:
“This application is for a cemetery cleanup, which will assist in the preservation and recordation of Muscogee (Creek) Cemeteries located within the current tribal boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. A Muscogee (Creek) Cemetery is defined as a Muscogee/Creek cemetery or burial that is located on a church ground, current/former allotment, family owned land or private owned land”.
The Historic and Cultural Preservation Manager has confirmed the cemetery crew will meet with us to discuss our cleanup application and start cleaning up the cemetery within two weeks.
The program helps clean up debris, mow grass, cut trees, and field fencing for cemeteries. The MCN does not provide regular maintenance or fix sunken graves in the cemetery. Unfortunately, the program is limited to mowing and cutting/cleanup once every four years. In the future, they hope to expand their capacity to clean up cemeteries on an annual basis. The GPR survey service will help identify unmarked graves in an area or see if an area looks clear so families can bury someone in that area.
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is thrilled to report that the executive board and Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons attended the Congressional hearing on NAHASDA Reauthorization Addressing Historic Disinvestment and the Ongoing Plight of the Freedmen in Native American Communities on Tuesday, July 27, 2021.
We submitted written statements to the committee on this critical issue. We ask that the committee support and include the language added in section 604 to the NAHASDA Bill, which would protect the Freedmen if the tribes do not comply with their 1866 article 2 treaty obligations.
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band Inc. is Thrilled to announce that H.R. 4637 was introduced by Congressman Danny Davis on July 22, 2021. We have worked tirelessly with Congressman Danny Davis staff to ensure that HR 1514, introduced in the 116th Congress, was reintroduced in the 117th congress, now H.R.4637.
The express purpose of H.R. 4637 introduced on behalf of Creek Freedmen is To sever United States Government relations with the Creek Nation of Oklahoma until such time as the Creek Nation of Oklahoma restores full Tribal citizenship to the Creek Freedmen disenfranchised in the October 6, 1979, Creek Nation vote and fulfills all its treaty obligations with the Government of the United States, and for other purposes.
If you are a supporter of the 1866 Creek Treaty Rights of the Creek Freedmen, we encourage supporters to reach out to your U.S Senators and members of Congress to support HR 4637.
We are pleased to announce that the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of heroes who fought and worked to save the Union, organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954 will join the event. Me
mbers of the Oklahoma Department of the SUVCW will provide a Color Guard for the ceremony. We will be honoring Civil War Veteran William Lacy Sr., the husband of Creek Freedmen Lucinda Postoak-Lacy.
Please share this event and invite all to attend! No worries the cemetery will be mowed and ready for visitors.
We will have the following items avail for purchase!
We are sold out of the black T-shirts, but we have plenty of the purple T-shirts.
Who: The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band, Inc., P.O. Box 6366, Moore, Oklahoma, 73153.
What: Announcement of preservation project 1902 for recently procured Historic Creek Freedmen Cemetery, aka the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
When: August 14, 2021, 10:00AM-12:00PM CDT
Where: Thomas Smith Cemetery, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Why: To Preserve and Protect the unique history, heritage, and genealogy of the Muscogee Creek Freedmen “Black Creeks” who were removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears.
News:
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band has recently acquired the Thomas Smith Cemetery, Located at 20989 E 41 ST S, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma,74014.
The cemetery is the resting place for many original enrolled Creek Freedmen of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. Join us as we commemorate the legacy of the founder Creek Freedmen Thomas Smith, Civil War Veteran William Lacy Sr. Creek Freedmen Adam Manuel, Creek Freedmen Lucinda Postoak-Lacy, The Barnett’s, Hines, McIntosh, Ananias (A.N) Pegues, and all that rest in the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
Please join us in the commitment to preserve and protect this historic treasure. We have already made significant progress, but much more work is needed.
We are pleased to announce that the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of heroes who fought and worked to save the Union, organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954 will join the event. Members of the Oklahoma Department of the SUVCW will provide a Color Guard for the ceremony.
The guest presenter is Mr. Calvin Osborne. Osborne is a native Tulsan who attended Booker T Washington High School. In 1991, Calvin joined Company B of the 54th Massachusetts Civil War Reenactors (the 54th). The 54th was specifically formed by the National Park Service to film the award-winning Tri-Star motion picture “Glory.” The 54th has been instrumental in the filming of civil war movies, documentaries, and historical films, including “Gettysburg,” “Gods and Generals,” “Sommersby,” “Andersonville,” “Lincoln,” and others.
Osborne is currently serving his second term as President of the 54th. He is a direct descendant of William Lacy Sr., a former slave who became a civil war soldier with the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry (79th USCT). William Lacy married Creek Freedwomen Lucinda Thomas Postoak-Lacy, a woman who was also a former slave in the Creek Nation in the Oklahoma Indian territory. He has been the subject of a short CNN video related to his ancestors’ military history and working with Ancestry conducting voiceovers.
Calvin earned a B.S. in Management from William Jewell College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is an attorney currently practicing law in Washington DC, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Additionally, we invite the family members to join us and share some historical facts about their ancestors that lay rest in the Thomas Smith Cemetery.
According to Mr. John Hines (81) and Mr. James Hardman, both Creek freedmen descendants whose ancestor’s resting place is in the Thomas Smith cemetery. Both state that the cemetery is the resting place of some affected by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Hardman, a Creek Freedmen descendant, interviewed his grandmother Eva T. Lacy in 2002. Eva Lacy states that her mother, Malissa Green-Lacy, her brother Edgar Lacy, and her grandmother Lucinda T. Lacy (Burried in TSC) lived on Greenwood that fateful day the massacre took place. Although they all survived that day, she made mention of others.
The land donated in 1902 was from the original Muscogee Creek Nation land allotment of Thomas Smith, Creek Freedmen, roll # 4943, who received 160 acres of land. The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is so please to acquire 1 acre of an original Creek Freedmen Dawes allotment.
There are a dozen or so military graves, the oldest dates to the Civil War. The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry (later the 79th U.S. Colored Infantry) was an African American regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
The regiment was organized before the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and without federal authorization, thus becoming the first black unit to see combat alongside white soldiers during the war in October 1862.
The oldest grave marker is that of M. Jordan, the birth date of May 18, 1808, who died Oct 28, 1902. Also, a member of the last Creek Council was A.N. Pegues, born in 1879, who died around 1959.
There are approximately 300 people buried in the cemetery and a dozen or more who served in the military. They served in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam war.
Creek Freedmen Sarah Rector’s story is more widely known as the “Richest little Colored girl,” who became a millionaire overnight as her Creek Dawes allotment was booming in oil. There was also another Creek Freedmen, whose family allotment was also booming in oil.
Adam Manuel’s resting place is also in the Thomas Smith Cemetery. His son, Luther, was considered the riches colored boy due to the oil and gas leases on his land allotment. While the family allotment was originally assumed to be worthless, it became the most valued allotment in Creek Nation. Manuel was receiving $20,000.00 to $50,000.00 a month.
The Thomas Smith Cemetery has fallen into disrepair as many graves have sunken and headstones damaged, requiring a great deal of care and restoration. The Barnett gated section is overgrown and inaccessible, and there is another section of graves adjacent to the Barnett section that is overgrown and inaccessible. Our objective is to clear out the dense trees and greenery so that the families can access their loved ones’ graves.
Shamefully some have used the cemetery as a dumping ground. We managed to clean up much of the trash, and the very next day, someone had dumped more junk on the cemetery grounds. The Thomas Smith Cemetery requires fencing, new signage, regular maintenance, sinking monument repair, and more.
As part of the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band’s Mission of promoting self-sufficiency in preserving our unparalleled cultural heritage, the MCIFB acquired the cemetery to protect and preserve the unique history and heritage of the Muscogee Creek Freedmen.
The MCIFB’s goal is to capture and continue to tell our ancestors’ stories and honor and protect the lives of the Creek Freedmen and all those whose resting place is Thomas Smith cemetery.
We cannot allow this little-known treasure rich in history to continue to diminish and fall into disrepair. We are grateful to the citizens in the community who contacted the MCIFB for help and to all who have helped over the years. You have done a noble job of managing the grounds to the best of your ability.
We are taking bids from contractors to donate the labor and material needed to restore and continue preserving this essential and somber historical marker. Thomas Smith Cemetery requires the following: signage, fencing, tree cutting, Seasonal ground maintenance, GPR services, and more. Any donations are greatly appreciated. Please reach out to us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com www.1866creekfreedmen.com. 405-405-732-5889.
The MCIFB is a 501(C) (3) organization. Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.
Thank you!
Rhonda K. Grayson
Sharon Lenzy-Scott
Jeffrey D. Kennedy
Please refer to the attached FAQ for more information about the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band and its mission.
I am pleased to inform you the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band and its members/supporters will participate in the Black Wall Street Memorial March. We ask that you join the March with us as we honor the legacy of Black Wall Street.
We are not only marching for Justice for Greenwood, but we are marching for Justice for Black Creeks. We ask that you join us on Friday, May 28 and that you encourage others to join us as well. Please come with your signs…Justice for Black Creeks, 1866 Creek Treaty Matters, Black Creeks Matter, Creek Freedmen Matter, etc.
Those of you who have a Creek Freedmen T-shirt, please wear it, or wear a Black T-shirt if you have one. But please don’t let that stop you from showing up; wear what you have. We want to pack the place with Creek freedmen descendants and our supporters.
Listed below are the details of the March:
The Memorial March is on Friday, May 28, 2021. Check-in will begin at 8:30 AM and is located at Carver Middle School (624 E Oklahoma Pl, Tulsa, OK 74106) in the north parking lot at the corner of Pine and Greenwood. Pine and Greenwood will close at 9:00 AM. We will line up by order number at 9:45 AM. The March will begin at 10:00 AM, and it will start with the Survivors being driven by the horse-drawn carriage, followed by a corps of African drummers route will commence on Greenwood, south of Pine, and end at the Greenwood Cultural Center. You may park in Carver’s parking lot or in the parking areas located on the map attached. Look for the MCIFB banner!!!!!! We are ready to march, Justice!
We want to thank everyone who took the time to join the March 27, 2021, Town Hall with our esteemed guests Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. The speakers were very generous with their time and answered all questions posed to them. It seems everyone we talk to who was in attendance wants to express appreciation for the inspiring presentations and the Town Hall meeting. Thank you, Chief Hoskin, for your progressive thinking and commitment to honoring the Treaty of 1866 as it pertains to the so-called Cherokee Freedmen.
The Congresswoman is a long-time supporter of Freedmen Treaty Rights. She has committed her continual support in holding the tribes accountable in upholding the Freedmen’s treaty rights, and we could not be more pleased.
We want to publicly thank the Congresswoman and her staff for being so generous with their time. We have been communicating with Congresswoman Waters staff to keep her abreast of the Creek Freedmen citizenship case and the immediate need for relief.
Those of you who regularly attend our Town Hall meetings may remember that one of the Congresswoman’s staffers from the House and Finance committee joined our Town Hall meeting last year on June 27, 2020. We have had the opportunity to meet in person with several of the Congresswoman’s staff members and via conference call from both the House and Finance committee and the Legislative Director.
The attached PRE-COVID photo of a few of Congresswoman Waters Staff members and board members of the MCIFB is from one of several visits to DC.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters to join the March 27, 2021 Town Hall meeting!
Please join the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band (MCIFB) on March 27, 2021, at 3pm, CST for its next Town Hall meeting! The MCIFB special guests are Congresswoman Maxine Waters, U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd congressional district, and Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
We are thrilled that Congresswoman Waters will address our members, supports, and interested parties and provide her perspective on the issue of Freedmen’s access to housing as Chairwoman of the House Financial Service Committee.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters has been a long-time supporter of the Freedmen’s Treaty Rights and will be joining to discuss her work on the Committee and its relation to Freedmen’s struggles.
Chief Hoskin will discuss the importance of honoring treaties and how the Cherokee Nation has progressed since the Cherokee Freedmen regained full citizenship.
Also, we will provide an update on the Black Creeks “Creek Freedmen” Citizenship Case in the District Court of Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. Black Creeks are being denied citizenship within the MCN; the Treaty of 1866 has not been abrogated, and citizenship for the Black Creeks should be approved.
If you have a question, you are welcome to submit your questions in advance to mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com.
If you are interested in joining the fight as a member or supporter, please reach out to us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com. Time: Mar 27, 2021 03:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82915580834… Meeting ID: 829 558 0834 Passcode: 849479
The Honorable Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, to speak at the next Town Hall Meeting on March 27, 2021!
Please join the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band on March 27, 2021, for its next Town Hall meeting! Our special guest is the honorable Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
Chief Hoskin will discuss the importance of honoring treaties and how the Cherokee Nation has progressed since Freedmen regained full citizenship.
We will also provide an update on the Black Creeks “Creek Freedmen” Citizenship Case in the District Court of Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. You do not want to miss this meeting!
If you have a question for the Chief or a question about the citizenship case, you are welcome to submit your questions in advance to mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com.
If you are interested in joining the fight as a member or supporter, please reach out to us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com.
Time: Mar 27, 2021 3:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
If you missed the MCIFB annual history program on January 16, 2021, you missed a treat! There was story Telling from Freedmen Descendants Mr. Allen Mitchell, Kenneth Ford, Creek Freedmen, Mr. Charles Gibson, a Seminole Freedmen, and Story Teller Jennifer Bradley as Mrs. Mary Grayson. Renee Brown, a Creek Freedmen descendant, spoke of her family member Ketch Barnett and pledged her support to the Creek Freedmen plight. Historian Alaina Roberts spoke about her Freedmen lineage and the history of the 5 tribes.
Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons provided an update on the Creek Freedmen lawsuit in the Muscogee Creek Nation District Court. Attorneys for the plaintiffs filed an MSJ; a reply was due on February 2, 2021, from the MCN, but the Nation asked for an extension until February 19, 2021. A recording of the program will be uploaded soon! Stay tuned for more exciting events!
Freedmen of Indian Territory: Identifying, Uncovering, and exploring various documents unique to the history of IT, such as the Dawes census cards, Creek ‘Old Series’, the Indian Pioneer Papers, Land Allotments Records & Testimonies, and more will be discussed!
Please join the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band on February 27, 2021, for its Genealogy conference! The conference kicks off at 9:30AM CST to 3:30 PM CST via the Zoom platform. Zoom instructions will be sent via email once tickets are purchased. Conference registration fee is $35.00 via Eventbrite – Freedmen of Indian Territory Genealogy Conference.
Whether you are a beginner, hobbyist, family historian, or seasoned genealogist, this power-packed conference promises to provide a treasure trove of information. Freedmen of Indian Territory are some of the most documented people in history with fascinating family stories. Please join us as we discuss Freedmen genealogy, Storytelling, Culture, Identity, and the quest for citizenship within the Muscogee Creek Nation.
A few of the topics and documents that will be discussed!
Basic Resources for Freedmen Family Research
Finding the Stories of Oklahoma’s Freedmen
Indian Territory/Oklahoma—An All-Black State? Territory of Lincoln
The Dawes Commission – and the Allotment of the Five Civilized Tribes, 1893-1914,
We will also discuss the….
Dawes Commission census card
Creek ‘Old Series’ Card c,1898
Land Allotment: Hastain’s Township Plats of the Creek Nation
1900 U.S. Census-MIXED BLOOD-Has this Indian any white blood?
Proof of Death and Heirship’ papers!
Angela Walton-Raji is known nationally for her research and work on Oklahoma Native American records. Her book Black Indian Genealogy Research, African Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes, is the only book of its kind focusing on the unique record sets pertaining to the Oklahoma Freedmen.
A founding member of the well known AfriGeneas.com, webite, Ms. Walton-Raji is also a genealogist specializing in information for beginners, via daily and weekly online genealogy chats on AfriGeneas.com. She also serves as the host of a weekly genealogy podcast, The African Roots Podcast a number of instructional videos and has been used in recent years as a genealogical consultant on several video documentaries. Ms. Walton-Raji combines her skills as a genealogist with a warm on camera personality that brings comfort to her viewers through and her video channels on YouTube, while providing her viewers with useful information. Her African Roots TV, and Beginning Genealogist channels have both brought new insights to hundreds of viewers nationwide.
Ms. Walton-Raji’s talents have been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, for over a decade. In the 1990s she was a featured speaker at a number of Smithsonian events, and to date, she is the only genealogist in the nation, to present regular genealogy lectures at the National Museum of the American Indian, in both the Washington DC and New York facilities. She was a awarded the honor of presenting a special series of genealogy lectures to coincide with the Exhibition IndiVisible that officially launched in November 2009, and is now traveling throughout the nation.
Beyond her public appearances, she is a published author, host of 3 blogs a 10 year ongoing message board, 3 websites, and she hosts the only weekly podcast devoted to African American genealogy. Her comfort with language and skills in writing, make her well known and well respected in the genealogy community. In the Spring of 2010, she was featured in a in-depth interview with the Smithsonian magazine online. She is an alumnus of the National Institute of Genealogical Research (now known as the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (GenFed), she has taught in the Samford Institute of Genealogical Research and has spoken at Roots Tech, and has been active for many years in the African American Genealogical & Historical Society, where she now serves on the board of the Technology Education Committee. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Romance Languages and a Master of Education. She lives in MD where she continues to research, write and teach.
For more info contact Rhonda at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com
Creek Freedmen Lawsuit could open the door for citizenship to thousands of Black Creeks (Freedmen)
Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons will speak and update attendees on the Black Creek (Freedmen) lawsuit in the District Court of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. Named plaintiffs are Rhonda Grayson and Jeffrey Kennedy, Board Leaders of the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band.
Renee Brown to Speak on Jan 16, 2021, at the MCIFB Black Creek Native History Program!
Please join the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band on Jan 16, 2021, at 3 pm CST for its annual Black Creek Native History Program. We have an exciting event planned, and all are welcome to attend.
This event will be held via Zoom meeting. Please join Renee’ Brown former Senior Vice President, Chief of Basketball Operation and Player Relations of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) a Black Creek Freedmen Descendant as she speaks on her family history and why you should support the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band and its quest for Citizenship within the Muscogee Creek Nation.
She is the Niece of Famed Jazz musician Washington Rucker and a Descendant of Creek Freedmen Ketch Barnett. Barnett was a Creek Nation Interpreter and Baptist minister & Pastor of the Old Fountain Church. Ketch Barnett, along with Cow Tom, & Harry Island traveled by wagon from IT (Okla) to Lawrence, KS, where they boarded a train in 1868 to Washington DC, to ensure that the Creek Freedmen were treated fairly and included in benefits extended to the citizens of the Nation.
Historian Dr. Alaina Roberts will present on the history of the Freedmen, a Creek hymn of prayer will be sung by one of our members, and a special appearance by Creek Freedwoman, Mrs. Mary Grayson. Story Teller Jennifer Bradley will guide event participants on a journey back in time to the days of Indian Territory, a pivotal time in history before the creation of the State of Oklahoma when people of African descent were known as Natives, Black Indians, or African Creeks in Indian Territory.
You don’t want to miss the riveting performance. (The Enactment will be taken from the Writers Projects 1937 WPA Slave Narratives)
Alaina E. Roberts is a historian who studies the intersection of Black and Native American life from the Civil War to the modern day. She is currently an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Roberts holds a Doctorate in History from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts in History, with honors, from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
She writes, teaches, and presents public talks about Black and Native history in the West, family history, slavery in the Five Tribes (the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole Nations), Native American enrollment politics, Indigeneity in North America and across the globe, Black and Native American portrayals in the media, and identity.
Her first book, I’ve Been Here All the While: Black Freedom on Native Land is now available for pre-order and will be available in hardcover from the University of Pennsylvania Press in April 2021. Her writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, the Journal of the Civil War Era, Al Jazeera, and the Western Historical Quarterly
Did you know that Renee’ Brown former Senior Vice President, Chief of Basketball Operation and Player Relations of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), is a Black Creek Freedmen Descendant?
She is the Niece of Washington Rucker and a Descendant of Creek Freedmen Ketch Barnett. Barnett was a Creek Nation Interpreter and Baptist minister & Pastor of the Old Fountain Church. Ketch Barnett, along with Cow Tom, & Harry Island traveled by wagon from IT (Okla) to Lawrence, KS, where they boarded a train in 1868 to Washington DC, to ensure that the Creek Freedmen were treated fairly and included in benefits extended to the citizens of the Nation.
Did you know Famed Jazz musician Washington Rucker is a descendant of Black Creek Freedmen Ketch Barnett? Barnett was a Creek Nation Interpreter and Baptist minister & Pastor of the Old Fountain Church. Ketch Barnett, along with Cow Tom, & Harry Island traveled by wagon from IT (Okla) to Lawrence, KS, where they boarded a train in 1868 to Washington DC, to ensure that the Creek Freedmen were treated fairly and included in benefits extended to the citizens of the Nation.
A census had already been taken in the Nation that excluded the F reedmen, so the three acted quickly and wisely and made their appeal in Washington to ensure the Freedmen were included in the benefits.
Washington Rucker is an award-winning jazz musician who was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998. Rucker was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 5th, 1937, he was born in Greenwood, and attended Booker T Washington High, developing a talent for the drums along the way. By his teens, Washington was working with bluesman Jimmy “Cry Cry” Hawkins and was soon off to UCLA to study to get into the Los Angeles music scene. A man of many talents, Washington got a degree in history and side careers in acting and cosmetology while playing drums with bands in a variety of genres. Rucker has worked with artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Gospel artists Rev. James Cleveland and Shirley Caesar, Jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Hampton Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Hamptones, and Freddie Hubbard and singers Nancy Wilson and Linda Hopkins. He also fronts his own group, The Jazz Collection, which he tours and records with.
He has an active career as an educator, teaching a master class at USC on the “Art of the Brushes” in drumming and a well regarded program on Jazz History for young students called Jazz for Wee People. He has also appeared regularly in film and television as a character actor, most notably in Martin Scorsese’s “New York, New York” and Clint.
“Fighting American Racism in Indian Country: Black Creeks Lives Matter Too”
Please join our next Zoom meeting on October 17, 2020, at 3:30 PM CST; our special guest panelist is Rebecca Nagle, a writer, organizer, and all-around agitator for good. Cherokee Nation citizen and two-spirit woman.
We will discuss life in the Cherokee Nation now that the treaty of 1866 has been upheld in the Cherokee Nation for the Black Cherokee Freedmen. We asked Ms. Nagle to speak about her experience, and she states the following.
“As a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, I am glad that our tribe has finally upheld its treaty obligation to restore citizenship for Freedmen descendants. We had been warned that such a move would undermine our tribe’s sovereignty, but I believe it strengthens it. Our tribe is stronger when it includes all Cherokees”.
We hope that the Muscogee Nation’s people, and leadership will take note of this critical message from a Cherokee citizen. Nagle’s statement is powerful!
Want to hear more? Please join us as we unpack and dive into this critical subject of citizenship on October 17, 2020.
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Oct 17, 2020 03:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: “Fighting American Racism in Indian Country: Black Creeks Lives Matter Too”
Saturday, September 19, 2020 at 3:30 PM CDT – 5 PM CDT
Price: Free · Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook
Part 3
Join Young Adult Creek Freedmen descendants and Young Adult Creek citizens of the Muscogee Creek Nation as they unpack the myths and reveal the facts regarding Creek Freedmen Citizenship and why Creek Freedmen descendants strive for citizenship. ( AKA Black Creeks)
Meeting via Zoom
Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Race Relations and the Muscogee Creek Nation “Where Do We Go From Here”? Time: Sep 19, 2020 03:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 446 907 3138 Passcode: MCIFB1866 One tap mobile
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August 15, 2020 Zoom meeting!
As a reminder, the MCIFB will host its next Zoom meeting on August 15, 2020, at 3:30 pm CST. We encourage you to invite your family and Friend to join the meeting. We have an impressive line-up of presenters, and we look forward to learning together and discussing this critical issue of excluding Black Creeks from membership/citizenship within the MCN.
We have sent numerous invitations by mail and email to Chief Hill, Second Chief Beaver, and the National Council. We encourage our supporters to reach out to the MCN’s leadership and express your concern that our invitations were not acknowledged. We have attached the flyer for the Zoom meeting, and one of the letters inviting the MCN’s leaders.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the Zoom meeting!
Sign in info for the Zoom meeting…..
Time: Aug 15, 2020 03:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
One tap mobile+1(346) 248- 7799 or 1(646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 818 0738 7964
Passcode: 838961045
Thank you!
Rhonda Grayson
Sharon Lenzy-Scott
Jeffrey Kennedy
MCIFB
Attorney’s for the Creek Citizenship Case currently in District court of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma
Damario Solomon-Simmons
Erik J. Giles
Ally and trusted Friends
Attorney James (Jim) Diamond
Attorney Branton Grissum
For more information, please contact us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com or 405-204-0023/405-414-0366
If you missed the 1st Zoom call on Race Relations and the Muscogee Creek Nation on June 27, we have included a link to the recording for your viewing pleasure. Please join us for the 2nd call on Aug 15.
These conversations are intended to educate the public about this Little-Known History and expose the discriminatory practice of excluding hundreds of thousands of Black Creeks from membership within the Muscogee Creek Nation. Creek Freedmen (AKA Black Creeks) were adopted members of the MCN per the Treaty of 1866 but were disenfranchised from the Tribe in 1979. Creek Freedmen were enrolled members with all the rights and privileges as the so called by BLOOD tribal members. Consequently, Creek Freedmen were not permitted to vote in the 1979 election, which ultimately removed the Creek Freedmen and their descendants from the Tribe.
Join us for our next Zoom call on 8/15/2020 (see second flyer for information)
MCIFB
Directors
Rhonda
Sharon
Jeff
Please contact us at the MCIFB email address mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com
Race Relations and the Muscogee Creek Nation Where Do We Go From Here?
The MCIFB will host a Zoom meeting on Saturday, June 27, 2020, to discuss the issue of Membership/citizenship granted to the Creek Freedmen pursuant to the Treaty of 1866 Article 2. In 1979, the Creek Freedmen and their descendants were disenfranchised from the MCN. As a result, the Creek Freedmen Descendants have been fighting to regain tribal status for decades.
We hope you will join us in this first series of candid conversations on race relations as it pertains to the disenfranchised Creek Freedmen Descendants and their quest for Equality and Justice as members removed from the MCN in 1979. The meeting will take place on June 27, 2020, at 3:30 pm CST, via Zoom.
We have sent an invite to Chief Hill, Second Chief Beaver, and members of the National Council to join the conversation. We specifically requested that the Muscogee Creek Nation’s leadership speak about their position concerning the Creek Freedmen citizenship issue and brainstorm on how we can work together to reach a common ground.
The ask is that the Creek Nation leadership spark change and remove the knee off the neck of Black Creeks and condemn the discriminatory practice of excluding Black Creeks “AKA Creek Freedmen” from obtaining their rightful place in history as members/citizens of the MCN for the past 41 years.
Discussions will also include how Creek Freedmen descendants will contribute to the overall wealth, long-term sustainability, and promote economic development within the tribe.
In addition to the dis panel, joining the discussion are enrolled citizens/members of the MCN who support the Creek Freedmen descendants. We are asking all enrolled members that support the 1866 Treaty rights of the Creek Freedmen descendants to reach out to the MCN leadership and express your concern with the injustice and the discriminatory practice of excluding Creek Freedmen descendants. Please encourage the MCN Chief and other invited leaders to attend the Zoom call so that we can have a constructive candid conversation to provoke change.
This Zoom call is the first of several scheduled “Candid Conversations” to discuss this critical human rights issue that has affected the Creek Freedmen Descendants for the past 41 years. If you are interested in participating in future discussions as a panelist, or if you know of anyone that may be interested in presenting on the next series of “Candid conversations” on this critical subject, please reach out to us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com.
The MCIFB will host a Zoom meeting on Saturday, June 27, 2020, to discuss the issue of Membership/citizenship granted to the Creek Freedmen pursuant to the Treaty of 1866 Article 2. In 1979, the Creek Freedmen and their descendants were disenfranchised from the MCN. As a result, the Creek Freedmen Descendants have been fighting to regain tribal status for decades.
We hope you will join us in this first series of candid conversations on race relations as it pertains to the disenfranchised Creek Freedmen Descendants and their quest for Equality and Justice as members removed from the MCN in 1979.
The meeting will take place on June 27, 2020, at 3:30 pm CST, via Zoom. See attached flyer for detailed information about this event!
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The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band will host its next meeting on February 22, 2020, at Ralph Ellison Library (Room B) at 1:00 PM.6
Presentation: “All about the Land” The 1910 Hastain’s Township Plats of the Creek Nation
The presenter will walk participants through this interactive presentation of the Hastain’s Township Plats of the Creek Nation published in 1910. The exhibit will be presented on (20) 24″ x 36″ display Boards, which will show the complete Township and Range of original Creek Allotments (160 acres of land), which include the African Creeks citizens who were enrolled tribal members of the Creek Nation Tribe. This presentation and exhibit will show town locations laid out by the Curtis Act of 1898, which broke up tribal and communal lands in the Indian Territory.
Participants will be able to locate their Ancestor original Land Allotment, learn who their neighbors were, and understand the location of their ancestor’s land in the Creek Nation. It will also list the names of allottees, their roll number, and if the allotment was the location of the homestead. If the Township and Range are known, participants will be able to locate the information on the Creek Nation Map.
Additionally, attendees will receive an update on current actions taken by members of the MCIFB to obtain tribal membership into the MCN. There was a formal hearing to appeal the denial of citizenship on Oct 31, 2019, in the Muscogee Creek Nation complex. The Assistant Attorney General, Shanna Burgin conducted the hearing, Nathan Wilson, Citizen Director, Andy Proctor Citizenship Manager (Jenks Office) and Allan Colbert Citizenship Manager (Okmulgee Office), and five members of the MCN citizenship board were present. We will provide an update to attendees on current activities and the next steps at the meeting regarding citizenship efforts into the MCN. Genealogy tips and research assistance will be available.
We look forward to seeing you!
Where: Ralph Ellison Library When: February 22, 2022 Address: 2000 NE. 23rd St. OKC, 73111
Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band PO. Box 6366 Moore, OK, 73153 mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com 405-414-0366 or 405-204-0023
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August 24, 2019 meeting!
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band will host its next meeting at Greater New Faith Ministry on August 24, 2019, at 1:00 pm.
Genealogy research assistance will be provided to those interested in tracing their roots to the Dawes Roll. Please bring your family documents so that we can better serve you. The Creek Treaty of 1866 will be discussed as well as the history of the Creek Freedmen. This meeting is free of charge and is open to the general public. Please contact the MCIFB if you have questions or if you would like to become an official member or supporter.
We have engaged with a candidate running for elected office for the MCN who has reached out in support of the Creek Freedmen and expressed an interested in attending the meeting.
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band will host its next meeting at Ralph Ellison Library on April 27, 2019, at 1:00 pm. Topics of discussions will include the federal lawsuit filed by attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons of Riggs Abney law firm on behalf of the Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band to restore citizenship to thousands of Creek Freedmen within the Muscogee Creek Nation. H.R. 1514 will be discussed, a bill introduced on March 5, 2019, in the U.S. House of Representatives on behalf of Creek Freedmen by U.S. Representative Danny Davis. The express purpose of the bill is “To sever United States Government relations with the Creek Nation of Oklahoma until such time as the Creek Nation of Oklahoma restores full Tribal citizenship to the Creek Freedmen disenfranchised in the October 6, 1979, Creek Nation vote and fulfills all its treaty obligations with the Government of the United States, and for other purposes.”
Genealogy tips and research assistance will be provided to those interested in tracing their roots to the Dawes Roll. Please bring your family documents so that we can better serve you. This meeting is free of charge and is open to the general public. Please contact the MCIFB if you have questions or if you would like to become an official member or supporter.
When: April 27, 2019 Where: Ralph Ellison Library Address: 2000 NE 23rd ST, Oklahoma City, OK Time: 1:00PM
History and Genetics conference set for June 15, 2019!
The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band in collaboration with W. Montague Cobb Research Lab, Howard University and Avery Research Center, College of Charleston is pleased to announce its June 15, 2019 conference!
The 2019 conference will be held at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK, 73102, from 10:00 am-5: 00 pm. The Banquet will be held at Pearl’s Bricktown, 303 E. Sheridan Ave. Oklahoma City, OK, 73104 at 6:30 pm. The 2019 conference has attracted scholarly presenters and speakers; presentations will focus on Creek Freedmen, Seminole Freedmen, and Gullah history. Topic of discussions will explore the intertwining histories, culture, relationships, and racial identity of Black Indians and Native Americans. Other significant activities are planned such as a genealogy workshop that will cover Creek and Seminole Freedmen history. A planned panel discussion will include attorneys, historians, and the descendants of Creek and Seminole Freedmen. Discussions to include currents issues in Indian country affecting the disenfranchised Freedmen.
Freedmen leaders Leetta Osborne-Sampson (Seminole-Caesar Bruner Band), Sylvia Davis (Seminole-Dosar Barkus Band), Sache’ Primeaux-Shaw (Ponca/Seminole-Caesar Bruner Band), are among the confirmed speakers. An exciting time is sure to be had by all in attendance.
Conference attendees are invited to participate in African Bloodlines an important project spearheaded by W. Montague Cobb Research Lab, Howard University and Ms. Caldwell. This project investigates ancestral, bio-cultural, and genetic linkages of chronic disease amongst African Americans and African American micro-ethnic groups. By combining relevant historical, anthropological, and genomic-based techniques in hopes to create a comprehensive analysis, particularly of cardiovascular disease, in the precision medicine era. African Bloodlines is the colloquial name for “Identifying Genetic and Bio-Cultural Linkages to Cardiovascular disease among African Americans.” Ancestral and Health DNA testing will be provided to participants. Participation in this project is optional.
The conference work-shops fee is $35.00 and includes lunch. The fee for official members is $25.00. The conference banquet will be held at Pearls Bricktown at 6:30 pm. The ticket price is $35.00 and can be purchased via eventbrite, or mail your check to MCIFB at PO BOX. 6366, Moore, Oklahoma, 73153. Conference registration ends on June 1, 2019. For additional information email us at mcifb@1866creekfreedmen.com.
The MCIFB Disclaimer
***The Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band is not a Federally Recognized Tribe. We do not receive federal, tribal benefits such as medical, housing, dental, etc.***
mcifb disclaimer full
