Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	December 15, 2001 - Issue 51
	Creek Nation Officials Welcome Group
	by Cheryl Schuman Okmulgee Daily Times

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Complex was the site Tuesday morning of an international visit by eight people from the regions of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in Russia. These visitors are invited to the United States under the auspices of the State Department's International Visitor Program. They are professionals in business and government in their countries. The visitors will be in the United States for twenty days, having traveled from New York to Los Angeles. The purpose of this trip is for foreign visitors to witness ethics in business and government relations. Tribal officials were on hand to explain tribal government, the history of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and it's relationship to the governments of the State of Oklahoma and the United States. Principal Chief Perry Beaver, as a representative of the Administration branch of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, told the visitors about the history of the tribe. Why the United States removed them, as a sovereign government, from their tribal lands in Georgia and Alabama and forced them to Indian Territory. Beaver went on to explain how the Creek Nation is a sovereign nation within a sovereign nation and bound by it's own laws. Speaker of the House Wilbur Gouge conveyed to the Russians information about the legislative branch of the Creek Nation, how tribal laws are passed and executed. Pat Moore, District Court Judge, told the visitors the Creeks were people of honor and relayed to them the story of Timmy Jack, a Creek man convicted in 1896 of the murder of his best friend. The judge sentenced Jack to death, but sent him home for two months. At the end of that time, Timmy Jack appeared back at the Council House to face his execution. Moore said because of the rectitude instilled in Jack by his upbringing in the tribe, he did not attempt to flee, but returned to face his punishment. Timmy Jack was an honorable member of the Creek Nation. This story seemed to greatly intrigue the visitors. The guests asked many questions of the tribal officials. They seemed to be most interested in the relationship between the Creek Nation and the United States. Chief Perry told them the Creeks enjoyed all of the freedoms of being citizens of Oklahoma and the U.S. They vote in all elections and pay taxes, but they were also members of the Creek Nation and were awarded the privileges of being a member of the Creek Nation. Their Tulsa guide, Ms. Angie Moore, said they were all fascinated by anything Native American and had bought many Indian souvenirs to take back with them. Pat Moore presented each with a glass paperweight, with a hand-carved Creek "runner" (messenger) encased in the paperweight. The Russian visitors gave the tribal officials a Russian flag. Muscogee Creek Nation The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is a tribal government located in east central Oklahoma. The Creek Nation boundary includes eleven (11) Counties: Creek, Hughes (Tukvpvtce), Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Rogers, Seminole, Tulsa and Wagoner. http://www.ocevnet.org/creek/index.html

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