A dozen members of the Eufaula-Canadian Tribal Town joined Saturday morning for a Memorial Walk, an annual event that is in remembrance of the Muscogee-Creek Nation Green Corn Ceremony.
It also pays homage to the tribal town’s ancestors who walked from Alabama to Eastern Oklahoma.
The Green Corn Ceremony tradition was brought with the tribe from Alabama.
A few tribal towns continue to hold the ceremony, but the numbers are decreasing.
Creek artist Jon Tiger led the walk, which began at the east end of McKinley Avenue near the cove and went west to the end of Foley Avenue.
Before the Memorial Walk began, which has been held for the past seven or eight years, Tiger led the group in prayer and then gave a brief explanation of the Green Corn Ceremony.
“July 15 was a ceremonial time for us at the ceremonial ground about six miles west of here,” he said. “It is designated as Green Corn time – a renewal time of year, with Green Corn beginning a new year when ad transgressions and hard feelings are forgiven and taken away.
“It is a time of fasting and taking medicines, cleansing ourselves. Fasting is important when significant events are coming up.”
Tiger noted that the tribe brought the name Eufaula Town with them from Alabama.
“A lot of our traditions came along with us,” he said. “We all met at Fort Gibson. From there we came here, along the South Canadian River. The more progressive of us went to Tulsa, Broken Arrow and Coweta.”
Tiger said everyone who came here came from a tribal town.
“Everybody had a clan. But people have lost track of their heritage. After the Trail of Tears there were 44 tribal towns and now there are less than 20. Creek persons need to find out who they are before it’s too late,” he said. “We need to renew our spirit, our understanding, our appreciation for our ancestors.”
Wilson Bear, who was among the walkers, said when he was growing up his father was the leader of the stomp grounds in Eufaula.
“But they shut the grounds down in ’64 or ’65. They tried to open it back up, but it never did take off,” Bear said. “I went to every stomp dance, every ceremonial dance. But after I grew up I kind of grew away from it. I miss it now.”
