Box 188, Okemah, OK 74859 is located in east-central Oklahoma, 70 miles east of Oklahoma City on Interstate 40, approximately 7 miles east of Okemah, Exit 227 Clearview Rd. The tribal area is characterized by rolling hills of alternating hardwood forest and open grassland. CULTURE AND HISTORY:
The Thlopthlocco Tribal Town is federally recognized Indian Tribe with members whom are Creek Indians, bu
t specifically belong to Thlopthlocco through the traditional matriarchal lineage (not to be confused with Creek Nation of Oklahoma.) They have their own trust lands of about 2500 acres situated in Okfuskee and Hughes County. Members of the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town are descendants of the Muskogee people, a Muskogean-speaking tribe of the southeastern United States. They were referred to as “Alabama” or “Creek” by early Euro-American settlers in the region during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The Creek lived in riverfront or coastal villages in the area of present-day Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and wester Florida. They practice a subsistence pattern based on hunting, fishing, and horticulture. The Creek demonstrated a significant influence of the prehistoric Caddoan and Mississippi cultures and were related linguistically and culturally to the Yamasee, Seminole, Apalachee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw. Hernando de Soto led the first party of Europeans into Creek territory in 1539. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the lower Southeast became an economic and military battleground for the competing European powers. The Creek’s allied with the English against the Spanish during the 18th century but eventually became embroiled in war with other tribes competing for English trade items. The Creeks formed part of the “Five Civilized Tribes” a name applied to the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, Cherokees, and Seminoles by English settlers because of their r***d adoption of many Euro-American culture practices. Warfare between Creeks arose during the War of 1812 as different bands declared allegiance to either The English or the United States. A massive influx of American settlers into the Southeast during the early 19th century led Andrew Jackson to sign the Removal Bill in 1830, giving him power to exchange land west of the Mississippi for lands held by Southeastern tribes. In 1836, the U.S. Army forced the Creeks to relocate to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. In eastern Oklahoma, the Creek became relatively prosperous farmers. However, they eventually lost most of their tribal lands through allotment. Thlopthlocco, a Creek tribal Town, has figured prominently in the local Creek history and traditions. The tribe looks to increase economic opportunity for tribal members, and is actively pursuing new recreational and business programs. A gaming facility, smoke shop and gift shop earn revenues for the tribe. GOVERNMENT:
A Business Committee, composed of a Tribal Town King and two Town Warriors, Secretary, & Treasurer whom are elected, and they appoint five members that make up the ten member governing body. Members serve four-year terms. Enrolled tribal members also meet annually at town meetings. The Thlopthlocco Tribal Town is a federally recognized Indian Tribe with its own governing body (not part of the Creek Nation.)
