These found poems are drawn from interviews with elderly citizens of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation recorded in 1937-38 as part of the Indian-Pioneer History Project sponsored by the federal Works Progress Administration and archived at the Oklahoma Historical Society and the University of Oklahoma. You can read more about this project at Tribal College and Reckoning. —Eds.
1
tokepahce town is spoken of as
the mother of the muscogee nation
and is first
apehkv is second
kvsehtv is third and
kvwetv is fourth
each gathers at his own town but
no two towns meet on the same date
so they can all visit the other towns
they do not take medicine when
visiting unless they want to and then
it is taken by permission
2
their way of carrying on their customs
was to watch one another
the members of tribal towns watched others
to learn how and see how other tribal towns
carried on the ceremonies
customs and
carried out the beliefs
which had been handed down by the older ones
none wished to interfere with
the rights of the tribal town in the use
customs and
beliefs that accompanied the medicine
and the use of the medicine was
always a foremost rite in each town and
was considered sacred by the other towns
the tokepahce were looked on with respect
for their sacred plate ceremony
3
all the ancient tribal towns of
the mvskoke creek nations
were not bound by the traditional customs
of other tribal towns
but they turned to the tokepahce for
instruction and guidance in their
way of conduct
for the tokepahce were old in their ways
and strong for tribal rites
the tokepahce never acted possessive
when they were sought for advice and guidance
by the other towns
tales have been handed down of how
the old indians of the tokepahce town
in the old country
observed their busk ground ceremonials
rules were laid down to prevent the
cooking odors from the camps
to reach those within the busk ground
who were taking medicine
all camps were placed in a circle
around the council fire site with the fire
site being the center of the busk ground
4
the tokepahce town or square
was measured by the earth
north south east and west
the government sent a man out
to investigate he went to see
and surveyed it and said it was
just right
the ones who belong to that
town go there and take medicine
before they eat green corn and
have their dances
this fire was given to the
tokepahce town by the great
spirit and has been handed down
from generation to generation
i believe it is a kind of
flint the fire is in a rock
at all dances they use it
to dance around
they take four logs about three feet
long and six inches through two are
laid north and south and the other two
are laid across them east and west
just right they are set on fire with
this sacred fire and make a big light
to dance around toward daylight they are
pushed together and pushed together
until every bit of the logs burn out
during the last dance
it is bad luck to leave the logs
unburned
Sandy Fife, b. ca. 1870
Thloppie Tiger, b. ca. 1880
Eunah Hobia, b. ca. 1897
William Benson, b. ca. 1875
