Indigenous celebration starts Saturday

More Muskogee (Creek) artists are showing their work at this year’s Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration than ever before, and the greatest number of Muskogee Nation departments are set to tell of their nation and how they serve its people.

Also attending will be Principal Chief David Hill and Second Chief Del Beaver along with others from the Muscogee Nation and additional Southeastern Indigenous guests.

The free 33rd annual Indigenous Celebration is Saturday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, 1207 Emery Highway.

Parking is also free — but not at the Ocmulgee Mounds. Instead, free parking is just down the road at the Macon-Bibb Health Plaza, 171 Emery Highway, with regular free shuttles running to and from the park.

“We look forward to again welcoming the Muscogee citizens back to their ancestral homeland this weekend,” said Lisa Lemon, executive director of The Ocmulgee Mounds Association, the local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting events, exhibits and cultural, interpretive and educational programming at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The association co-hosts the celebration along with the National Park Service staff at the mounds and in cooperation with the Muscogee Nation.

Lemon said it’s the first time many of the more than two dozen artists will be at the celebration, along with many favorites who are returning. According to park officials, the Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration is one of the largest celebrations of Southeastern Native American culture. It provides visitors with opportunities to learn from the people whose ancestors inhabited the area thousands of years before Macon was founded.

The family-friendly celebration features traditional cultural crafts, storytelling, live demonstrations, music, dance and more. Activities for kids, including pottery-making, will be available.

“This was Muscogee (Creek) land until 1826 when they were removed from their ancestral home to land in Oklahoma that European settlers considered less desirable,” said Carla Beasley, park superintendent. “Despite their removal, hardships and attempts to obliterate them, the Muscogee (Creek) and other tribal nations are thriving and have a great history and culture unknown to most people.”

Working cooperatively, the Muscogee Nation, along with elected officials and local citizens, spearheaded by the Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative. They hope to see Congress designate Ocmulgee Mounds the newest national park and Georgia’s only national park. Uniquely, it will be co-managed by the National Park Service and the Muscogee Nation.

Before Saturday and Sunday’s celebration, the related exhibit “Ocmulgee to Okmulgee 2025” has its grand opening on Friday at 6 p.m. at the McEachern Art Center on Second Street. 

In its third year, this exhibit features:

— Dan Beaver (Muscogee/Alabama), who primarily creates his art using different types of wood and traditional southeastern designs from the Mississippian period, also known as the Mound period.

— Carly Treece (Muscogee/Cherokee), a multidisciplinary artist who often creates with oil and cold wax and whose paintings have been exhibited around the world.

— Amanda Rutland (Muscogee/Seminole), a jewelry maker who is inspired by Mississippian designs and the natural world and who incorporates the iconography and symbolism of her mound-builder ancestors in her work.

The three artists will be at the Friday opening and present artist talks. The exhibit, sponsored by the Ocmulgee Mounds Association, shows the unification of both craft and fine art into one powerful experience. Organizers said the exhibit also represents a powerful return, honoring the resilience of the Muscogee (Creek) by bringing their art, culture and history back to the land of their ancestors.

McEachern director Jonathan Cohen called this year’s exhibit “multifaceted” and “immersive.”

“This is the first time we’ve included a sculptural element in the exhibit,” he said. “With Dan Beaver being such a master woodworker, it’s great having him introduce a new medium. Carly Trece is a wonderful painter, with most of the work she’s brought coming from the private collection of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Medical Center. Amanda Rutland’s jewelry is superb, reflecting traditional and modern designs and techniques in fine metals, turquoise and other materials.”

The three artists will also be at this weekend’s celebration with their work. Among the many other artists at the celebration are Johnnie Diacon, who will again work on a live painting during the event, depicting some aspect of the park. He will leave the work at the park. Diacon shows widely and is currently part of an exhibit called “Continuum” at Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum.

Another is Jamie Bennett of Mvskoke Threads, whose modern wardrobe and textile pieces are based on traditional themes. All artists and artisans will have prints, clothing, jewelry and other vendor items available for purchase.

The two-day celebration is a grand time to buy from “original locals” while learning about and experiencing the culture of those whose home this was before being tragically and illegally removed.

For more on the celebration, visit ocmulgeemounds.org.

Another weekend event

The fourth annual Otis Redding King of Soul Festival is Friday and Saturday. In celebration of Otis Redding’s 84th birthday and his historic performances in New Orleans, the festival presents a rare opportunity to hear the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined by special guests Yola, Lamont Landers, Dexter Redding and Charles Davis.

The gala event, “An Evening of Respect,” is at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Macon City Auditorium. Music continues Saturday at the Capitol Theatre with the “Big ‘O’ Homecoming Show & Dance” featuring Mannie Fresh, a New Orleans DJ, rapper and platinum-selling producer. Visit otisreddingfoundation.org for more information.

Email Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.