Members of the Muscogee Nation say they're feeling heartened after attending a hearing related to a long-running case dealing with a sacred Alabama graveyard. Wetumpka’s Hickory Ground, or Oce Vpovf, was allegedly desecrated when 57 bodies were dug up by another tribe claiming Muscogee ancestry.
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians built a $246 million casino, Wind Creek, on the contested site. The land was once inside the Muscogee Nation’s capital before members were forced into southeast Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.
The Muscogee Nation’s lawsuit around the removal of the remains was dismissed, and a hearing in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals went forward Wednesday morning.
In a subsequent statement, the tribe said it appreciated attention shown in the courtroom.
"Muscogee leaders and attorneys expressed optimism following the hearing, noting the Judges’ thoughtful and engaging questions throughout the proceedings," reads the statement.
Muscogee Nation Chief David Hill said in a Monday interview with Public Radio Tulsa the tribe in Oklahoma just wants the remains peacefully restored to Oce Vpofv.
“I think the main thing is, just wanting to get this over with, to have the 57 body remains put back in place, to have the proper burial that it should have had, should have never been dug up, really, in the beginning,” said Hill.
About 150 members of the Muscogee Nation and a few representatives from other tribes boarded buses in Okmulgee on Monday morning to travel to Atlanta for the latest hearing. They stopped in Wetumpka on Tuesday night to view the contested site.
The 11th Circuit is expected to rule on the case in the coming months.
