Kialegee Tribal Town

5736 Views

Last Updated: 4 years

Kialegee Tribal Town is headquartered in Wetumka, Oklahoma. It is a federally recognized indian tribe that was once part of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy.

Official Tribal Name: Kialegee Tribal Town

Address: 
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Official Website:

Recognition Status: Federally Recognized

Traditional Name / Traditional Meaning: The name “Kialegee” comes from the Muscogee word, eka-lache, meaning “head left.”

Common Name / Meaning of Common Name: 

Alternate names / Alternate spellings / Mispellings:

Name in other languages:

Region: Southeastern

State(s) Today: Oklahoma

Traditional Territory: Kialegee emerged as an independent town from a larger Creek town, Tuckabatche, located along rivers in what is now Alabama.

Confederacy: Muscogee Creek Confederacy

Treaties: On June 29, 1796 leaders from Kialegee signed a peace treaty with the new United States. But, within a decade the townspeople joined the Red Stick Upper Creeks in the Creek Civil War, in which traditionalists (Red Sticks) fought against the Lower Towns, which tended to have members who were more assimilated to European-American culture, as they had far more interaction with them. In 1813, US troops burned Kialegee. In 1814, 1818, 1825, and 1826, Kialegee representatives signed treaties with the United States. Finally 166 families of Kialegee were forced to relocate to Indian Territory in 1835 after Congress passed the Indian Removal Act.

Reservations:

 
Land Area:  
Tribal Headquarters:   Wetumka, Oklahoma
Time Zone:  

Tribal Flag: The Kialegee tribal flag contains an inner sky blue circle against a dark blue background, featuring a pair of stickball sticks, used in the traditional game still played at ceremonial grounds today. The black cross at the top represents the Christian religion. To the left is a hollowed log and beater, which women used to grind corn meal, central to Muscogee diets. At the bottom is a ceremonial lodge with a rounded bark roof, sitting on a mound. This lodge was the center of the tribal town for religious and civic gatherings and also a shelter for the needy. The earthwork mound reflects the Mississippian culture heritage of modern Muscogee people and the complex mounds that culture left. The bald eagle at the right is a sacred animal, featured in many tribal stories.

Population at Contact:

Registered Population Today: Of 439 enrolled tribal members, 429 live within the state of Oklahoma.

Tribal Enrollment Requirements: Enrollment in the tribe requires an individual to be full-blood Native American: half to full-blood Muscogee Creek and up to one-half Indian of any other tribe.

Documentation for enrollment follows matrilineal descent.  Any descendant of a female Kialegee tribal member is automatically eligible for tribal membership.

Spouses of Kialegee tribal members may petition for membership. In special circumstances, any full-blood Indian may petition the tribe for enrollment as an “Adopted Member.”

Genealogy Resources:

Black Creeks adopted through the Dawes Commission between 1898 and 1916

Government:

Charter:  
Name of Governing Body:  
Number of Council members:  
Dates of Constitutional amendments: 
Number of Executive Officers:  mekko or chief

Elections: Elections are held every two years

Language Classification:

Language Dialects:

Number of fluent Speakers:

Dictionary:

Origins:

Bands, Gens, and Clans

Related Tribes: Kialegee Tribal Town is one of the original 50 villages of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation

Traditional Allies:

Traditional Enemies:

Ceremonies / Dances:

Modern Day Events & Tourism:

Town members and visitors celebrate the annual Kialegee Nettv (Day), a gathering that celebrates the town’s history and culture.

Legends / Oral Stories:

Art & Crafts:

Animals:

Clothing:

Housing:

Subsistance: Kialegee Tribal Town  was an agrarian community. Women and children grew and processed a variety of crops, while men hunted for game.

Economy Today:

Religion & Spiritual Beliefs:

Burial Customs:

Burial customs practiced by Creek Freedmen

Wedding Customs

 Radio:  

Newspapers:  

Muscogee (Creek) Chiefs and Leaders:

Catastrophic Events:

Tribe History:

In the News:

Further Reading: