Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

Long before Ocmulgee Mounds NHP became a national park, this land was home to Indigenous peoples whose connection to it spans thousands of years. The interpretive materials now being reviewed tell their story — often developed through years of formal tribal consultation, as required by federal law.

From the internal review records: “This is a site bulliten available at the park visitor center. It discusses the harsh treatment of Native Americans during the Creek Removal period, and des ribes the policies and views of past presidents and other historical figures toward removal. This document directly relates to the park story and enabling legislation to preserve the Ocmulgee Old Fields, the ancestral homeland of the Muskogee P...”

Why this matters: The Indigenous history presented at Ocmulgee Mounds NHP was developed through formal tribal consultation — a legal requirement under federal law. The language being reviewed was often specifically requested by tribal nations whose ancestors lived on this land for thousands of years. Revising it without renewed consultation would violate both the spirit and the letter of that process.