Desecrated for a Casino
The Fight to Protect Hickory Ground
Hickory Ground in Alabama is the spiritual capital of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, with human presence dating back 10,000 years.
In 2001, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and Auburn University excavated at least 57 ancestors for casino construction without consulting the Muscogee Nation and in violation of federal laws.
Auburn University still holds Muscogee remains in inadequate storage after 20+ years and has one of the worst repatriation records in the country (less than 1% returned).
The conflict is complicated by intertribal tensions between two federally recognized Creek tribes—the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Poarch Band—both claiming ties to the sacred site.
“Justice for Hickory Ground” has become a national movement, with over 1,100 people signing petitions at the 2025 Santa Fe Indian Market and Native communities joining in solidarity.
Slot machines now sit where Muscogee ancestors once gathered in ceremony. A casino parking lot covers ground that held 10,000 years of continuous Indigenous presence. And in storage facilities at Auburn University, the remains of at least 57 people—pulled from their sacred resting place without permission—wait in plastic bags for a homecoming that may never come.
This is Hickory Ground, Alabama. The spiritual capital of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. A place so sacred that its desecration has sparked a national movement and exposed one of the most painful conflicts in contemporary Native America. It is a battle not just against institutional indifference, but between two Creek tribes themselves.
A Sacred Place
On the banks of Alabama’s Coosa River sits Hickory Ground: ”Oce Vpofv” in the Muscogee language. This was the final capital of the Muscogee people before their forced removal on the Trail of Tears. For thousands of years, their councils met here, ceremonies were held here, and generations were laid to rest here.
Archaeological evidence traces human presence at Hickory Ground back to 8,000 BC. Treaties signed here gave the young United States its legitimacy. For the Muscogee Nation, this ground is sacred and a beating heart connecting past to present.
A Promise Broken
In 1980, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians acquired Hickory Ground using federal preservation funds. They made a promise: the land would be protected “without excavation.” They even assured the Oklahoma Hickory Ground Tribal Town that their ancestral home “is being preserved.”
That promise lasted 21 years.
In 2001, excavations tore open the earth for Poarch’s second casino resort. Auburn University archaeologists unearthed at least 57 ancestors and thousands of funerary objects. Some remains ended up in plastic bags in moldy storage.
The Muscogee Nation wasn’t consulted. They didn’t even know their relatives were being dug up until years later.
The Law Was Clear And Ignored
This wasn’t just a moral failure, it was illegal. Two federal laws were violated:
The Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) both require consultation with Native tribes before disturbing graves or sacred sites.
Auburn and Poarch did neither.
Auburn was also required to deliver a complete inventory of the remains within six weeks. Twenty years later, the Muscogee Nation is still waiting. Auburn has one of the worst records in the country for returning Native remains with less than 1% of the more than 700 ancestors in its possession having been made available for repatriation.
Some Muscogee ancestors are still in trash bags.
Two Tribes, One Sacred Ground
This conflict is further complicated by a painful reality: both the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are federally recognized tribes. Both call themselves Creek. And they’re now locked in bitter conflict over the same sacred ground.
The tension has deep roots. The Poarch Band descends from families who remained in Alabama during removal, some who sided with Andrew Jackson in the Creek War. Their survival meant relinquishing Muscogee citizenship. When they gained federal recognition in 1984, the Muscogee Nation supported it. Today, many Muscogee citizens deeply regret that decision.
The Muscogee Nation sees Hickory Ground as its spiritual heart and ancestral burial ground. Poarch insists it has sovereign control. The result? Public accusations, heated exchanges at conferences, and court battles. For many, the intertribal bitterness is as painful as the desecration itself.
A Movement Rising
But the fight for Hickory Ground is growing. “Justice for Hickory Ground” has become a national movement.
At the 2025 Santa Fe Indian Market, the campaign drew massive attention. Panels featuring Joy Harjo, Sterlin Harjo, and Mekko George Thompson packed rooms with overflow audiences. Over 1,100 people signed postcards demanding Auburn return the remains.
Native communities across the country have joined in solidarity. As RaeLynn Butler of the Muscogee Nation explains: “So many Natives have a similar story: sacred sites destroyed, ancestors stolen. That’s why this fight resonates everywhere.”
Why This Matters
Hickory Ground isn’t just about one tribe or one place. It’s about whether America still treats Native ancestors as specimens rather than human beings. It’s about whether “development” can still bulldoze sacred sites for profit. And it’s about whether promises, legal and moral, mean anything when it comes to Native peoples.
The Muscogee Nation is fighting in courts, running public education campaigns, and taking direct action against Auburn University. Their message is simple: let our ancestors rest.
👉 Learn more or support the campaign at muscogeenation.com/justice-for-hickory-ground or follow Justice for Hickory Ground on Facebook.