Creek National Capitol, Capitol building in Okmulgee, United States.
Creek National Capitol is a stone building in Okmulgee with separate chambers for the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of tribal government. The structure reflects how the three branches of power were organized in distinct rooms.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation moved its capital to Okmulgee in 1867 and replaced a log council house with this stone building, approved by Chief Ward Coachman in 1877 and occupied in 1878. It served as the tribal capitol until the Five Civilized Tribes Act ended self-governance in 1906 and Oklahoma statehood followed in 1907. The city of Okmulgee bought it in 1919 and sold it back to the tribe in 2010.
The museum inside displays Muscogee (Creek) artifacts and exhibits on the tribe's history, alongside arts and crafts of other Native American tribes. Its restoration, funded by a $1 million campaign of the Creek Indian Memorial Association, won the 1993 National Preservation Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The building sits at the intersection of 6th Street and Grand Avenue, making it easy to locate. Educational programs about Creek Nation history are available to help visitors understand the tribal heritage better.
In the 1920s, when Okmulgee considered demolishing the Council House or converting it into a hotel, Cherokee entertainer Will Rogers visited the city and called for its preservation, helping end the redevelopment plans.
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