Discussion of how planning and designs can be grounded in values - Emily
The essence of a community is its people; therefore, the design and function of any community should reflect its people and their values. For centuries, the Muscogee people have been deprived of that by colonization, but as the tribe is reclaiming their sovereignty and power, it is important to reflect on how the Muscogee can shape their communities according to their values and create truly Indigenous spaces and Indigenous futurity. For instance, this plan for the South River Forest study area presents an opportunity to design a space that reflects Muscogee values as much as possible in both physical design and programming so that those who live and visit the space feel reconnected with their tribe, their ancestors, and themselves.
Notably, this portion of the plan has not been written by a member of the Muscogee tribe, but the content is completely shaped by Muscogee knowledge and values collected from Muscogee people. The information has been written largely based on in-depth discussions with the Muscogee students and instructor of Dr. Harjo’s Indigenous Community Planning course at the University of Oklahoma, including evaluative discussion to ensure that the written product properly reflects what was said. In order to more clearly connect the representatives’ discussion of community values to urban planning, each of the subsequent Muscogee values is reviewed in the context of community planning and complemented with concepts from best planning practices and precedents. The Muscogee values that the class representatives emphasized most in the development of this plan included community relationships and caregiving, sovereignty, lifelong learning and experiences, nature as kin, and respect and empowerment of women and other gender minorities. Each of these values are detailed below with descriptions of their place in the Muscogee context and how they can be realized in community planning and Indigenous futurity.
Community Relationships and Caregiving
Of all the values reflected in this plan, community relationships and caregiving were the most prevalent in our discussion. Specifically, the Muscogee representatives outlined community components based on seven generation planning, equity, and programming that helps people achieve fulfilling, healthy lives. Notably, the planning concepts in this section really are basic staples to good community design, but oftentimes, marginalized communities are denied access to them, so they are not commonly utilized. Applying the Muscogee value of community relationships and caregiving to planning, however, not only enhances these planning staples but would also be important in developing Indigenous futurity if implemented. Many of the planning interventions based on this value and related best practices ensure that basic needs are met so that people can have more room to flourish, and in the context of an Indigenous community, they would also help Indigenous folks overcome the generational trauma from colonization. For instance, if Muscogee residents have access to affordable and quality housing, childcare, education, and medical care, they have a much greater opportunity to get better jobs and build equity, to maintain good health and avoid diseases triggered by poverty, and to pursue personal interests and relationships.
Before listing how this value can be realized in planning, it is important to note one important theme that is present in all of the examples, even if it is not explicitly said for each one: The designs and programming that realize community relationships and caregiving must emphasize accessibility – accessibility for disabilities, neurodiversity, low-income people, LGBTQ+ people, etc. – and make what would normally be special accommodations that are difficult to receive integrated throughout and easily available to everyone. Physical design elements that support community relationships and caregiving include outdoor and indoor recreational spaces throughout the area for geographical accessibility to activities, ADA-accessible indoor and outdoor design, spaces conducive to neurodiversity, outdoor cooking spaces, a tool library to eliminate economic barriers, campgrounds for Muscogee visitors as well as affordable housing for Muscogee residents, elder housing that neighbors the community center and ceremonial grounds for easy access, housing with shared courtyards and arbors to facilitate interactions, a medical center, and a language immersion school for all ages. Programming that supports community relationships and caregiving include organized social groups, classes for both Muscogee practices and general life skills, food assistance, childcare, foster child and young adult programs, mental health services, and employment within the settlement for those living there.
Physical elements:
Outdoor and indoor recreational spaces
ADA accessibility indoors and outdoors
Community spaces conducive to neurodiverse people (spaces designed for escape from overstimulation, creating/making spaces, no harsh lighting, acoustic dampening, seating nooks, etc.)
Walkable urban design (plenty of seating, outdoor furniture, shade, ADAaccessible sidewalks, public art, access to nature, public spaces, etc.)
Outdoor/community cooking spaces
A tool library
Campgrounds for visiting Muscogee
Affordable permanent housing
Subsidized housing for low-income and houseless people
Elder housing near important community spaces
Housing with shared courtyards and arbors
A medical center
An apothecary
A language immersion school for all ages
A grieving and remembrance space
Programming:
Organized social groups and gatherings (reading and storytelling groups and events, crafting groups, sports teams, community dinners, etc.)
Community meetings and programming with accommodations for disabled and neurodiverse people (meeting participation that does not require public speaking, small group meetings and activities, arts and craft programs, etc.)
Classes on Muscogee practices (crafts, dancing, singing, art, gardening, food processing and production, etc.)
Classes on general life skills (health, nutrition, leadership, governance, finances, etc.)
Food assistance sourced from the community farm
Childcare
Programs specifically for visiting foster children and young adults
Employment opportunities within the community for those living there
Therapy and mental health resources
Sovereignty
As future Indigenous communities, such as this one, are meant to be a reflection of the tribe, sovereignty is an absolutely critical value for Indignous community planning and futurity. Sovereignty is a multifaceted framework consisting of concepts that include but are not limited to governance, individual autonomy, food sovereignty, public health, environmental and resource management, cultural preservation, energy independence, and access to knowledge. As a general Muscogee definition, however, sovereignty can be described as many people working as one. Both physical designs and programming can be used to support the “many working as one” definition as well as further the specific subcategories that make up sovereignty. Above all, however, making community decisions based on Muscogee values, making decisions as a community through accessible community engagement, and helping individuals in the community hone their leadership and activism skills are the most important ways sovereignty can be translated into community planning. Examples of physical elements that support sovereignty in this plan include on-site tribal governance offices, welcoming public meeting spaces, community farms or gardens that support a farmers market, a craft market, sustainable energy infrastructure on- and off-site, and a language immersion school. Examples of programming that support sovereignty consist of inclusive community meetings and community-based decision-making, classes on Muscogee history and governance, classes on leadership and activism, and classes on fiscal independence and entrepreneurship.
Physical elements:
Tribal governance offices
Community farms or gardens
Farmers and craft markets
Sustainable energy infrastructure on- and off-site (solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal, etc.)
A language immersion school for all ages
Programming:
Classes on Muscogee history and governance
Classes on leadership and activism
Classes on fiscal independence and entrepreneurship
Regular community meetings and community-based decision-making
Community meetings that include participatory planning options that do not require public speaking
Physically and mentally accessible community meetings (meeting times outside the work day, food at meetings, community-led discussions, etc.)
Lifelong Learning and Experiences
When asked about the value of education to the Muscogee people, one of the Muscogee representatives hesitated; she described the value as not being centered on education as non-Indigenous people know it but more on learning and having many experiences throughout one’s life. In particular, she emphasized learning from and with others by listening to one’s elders, learning the knowledge passed down from the ancestors, teaching through storytelling, and encouraging fellowship in learning spaces. Coincidingly, cultural and felt knowledge are valued and sought after in lifelong learning and experiences. Therefore, any physical designs and elements meant to support this value should reinforce multi-generational learning and teaching, fellowship, accessibility, self-reflection, and personal growth. Likewise, opportunities for education within a community following this value should be underscored by practical teaching and experiential learning, access for all ages, abilities, and genders, as well as spaces conducive to different ways of learning. Specific examples of physical planning elements that support lifelong learning and experiences include language immersion schools with public libraries, outdoor classrooms, arbors, ceremonial grounds and mounds, spaces fit for traditional Muscogee activities, and spaces conducive to learning and fellowship. Programming for lifelong learning and experiences consist of classes on Muscogee traditions, organized groups for Muscogee activities, guided reflections, free access to information, and the provision of food at events.
Physical elements:
Language immersion schools for all ages that utilize multiple teaching methods for different ways of learning
Public libraries with free computer access
Easily-acquired accommodations
Outdoor classrooms
Arbors for storytelling
Ceremonial grounds and mounds for spiritual learning and fulfillment
Small and more private learning and spiritual spaces specifically designed for neurodiverse experiences (reading nooks, enclosed seating in nature areas, etc.)
Public spaces conducive to learning Muscogee practices (stickball, woodworking, beading, etc.)
Spaces conducive to different levels and ways of learning
Programming:
Classes on Muscogee traditions and activities
Organized groups for storytelling, dancing, crafting, etc.
Provision of food at events (traditional Muscogee food, food for different dietary restrictions, and food accommodations for neurodiverse people, etc.)
Guided reflection walks in the forest
Free access to literature, computers, and study spaces
Nature as Kin
One of the most important aspects of community planning generally is environmental planning and sustainability. In western planning, this is usually done under the view that nature is an object to be controlled or managed to benefit humans, but for the Muscogee, nature is sacred and should be treated as kin. Water is particularly important for the Muscogee, as can be seen by the proximity of Muscogee communities to bodies of water. In order to embody the “nature as kin” value, urban planning in an Indigenous town should emphasize environmental sustainability through green infrastructure, collaboration with nature, and connections with nature. Specifically, physical elements that support this value include natural cleansing systems for streams, ponds, and stormwater, permeable pavement, native plants, energy-efficient buildings, clean energy, multimodal transportation, polyculture and agroforestry, water and tree conservation, bee apiaries and pollinator plants, and accessible outdoor learning, working, recreational, and spiritual spaces. Programming that supports this value consists of classes on Muscogee farming techniques, classes on nature-based arts and crafts, classes on Indigenous science and sustainability, use of natural fertilizers and pesticides, and a tool library.
Physical elements:
Green infrastructure
o Natural cleansing systems in the stream, ponds, and stormwater
o Permeable pavement to encourage stormwater absorption
o Use of native plants in the landscape
o Energy-efficient buildings
o Clean energy infrastructure on- and off-site
o Public transit and multimodal transportation system that deprioritizes cars
Collaboration with nature
o Polyculture and agroforestry
o Natural fertilizers and pesticides
o Underground watering systems
o Rainwater collection
o Bee apiaries and pollinator plants
o Native plants
o Outdoor cooking areas
o Animal and plant processing areas and tools
o Hoop houses for year-round agriculture
Connections with nature
o Courtyards and small yards throughout
o Community farm or gardens
o Conservation of forested areas and trees throughout
o Outdoor classrooms
o Raised garden beds for those with disabilities
Programming:
Classes on Muscogee farming techniques
Use of natural fertilizers and pesticides
Native plants (berries, nuts, wild onions, mushrooms, ect.), bugs, and animals harvesting, processing, and preservation
Classes on Muscogee crafts that require harvesting supplies from nature
Classes on Indigenous science and sustainability
Tool and supplies library
Respect and Empowerment of Women and Transgender and Nonbinary People
The Muscogee culture is fundamentally matriarchal. Women historically filled important leadership roles, such as head of household, and clan designation is matrilineal. Additionally, in the historical Muscogee town, women were recognized for doing much more than just childbearing and caring – though that is extremely important and should not be diminished; they held critical responsibilities regarding food production, healing, sewing, ceremony, knowledge-keeping, and storytelling. Their accomplishments and contributions were celebrated. Coincidingly, relationships between women were also valued, as the women of a family would stay geographically close their whole lives in a traditional Muscogee town. Notably, however, some of this respect and empowerment of women has been lost due to the systemic sexism that colonizers forced on Indigenous nations. Thanks to patriarchal laws and social norms enforced by the colonizing culture, Indigenous women have been targets of gender violence, oppression, objectification, sterilization, and incarceration, at the hands of both strangers and those closest to them.
As tribes are reclaiming sovereignty, it is also critical that Indigenous women regain autonomy as well, which can be aided through applying Indigenous feminism to community planning. In building and operating an Indigenous town, the value of respecting and empowering women as well as transgender and nonbinary people should be consciously incorporated because it is generally ethical but also because doing so would be a major step in decolonizing the Muscogee social system, healing generational trauma, and keeping Indigenous people safe, healthy, and happy. Notably, Indigenous feminism does not consist of garnering equality for just women; it means dismantling the current capitalist, settler-colonial power system, establishing equity for all marginalized peoples, and taking care of human and more-than-human kin. In adhering to this Indignous feminist framework, therefore, it is also critical not to limit the benefits of Indigenous community planning to cisgender women but to extend community support to transgender and nonbinary people as well. Gender minorities may not have been particularly recognized in Muscogee culture in the past, but moving into the future, it is necessary to actively acknowledge, support, and listen to all gender groups that have been discriminated against alongside women as part of the decolonization process (Harjo 27-31).
Physical elements to support this value include spaces dedicated to group activities traditionally done by Muscogee women – such as agriculture, beading, sewing, and healing – to help rebuild relationships between Muscogee women and gender minorities; additionally, public family and non-gendered restrooms, benches, and ramps should be built throughout as women often fill the caretaker role for children and elders. The access to non-gendered bathrooms is also particularly important for nonbinary and transgender people, as they often face issues finding public bathrooms without also encountering gender discrimination. Programming to support women and gender
minorities should include the provision of tools and equipment sized for smaller bodies, social groups and classes specifically for women and transgender people, childcare, gender-inclusive sexual, reproductive, maternal, and mental health resources, womenand transgender-led community safety and advocacy groups, and classes for men and boys on unlearning sexism.
Physical elements:
Benches, sidewalks, and ramps throughout the community to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers
Spaces dedicated to group activities traditionally done by Muscogee women (agriculture, beading, sewing, healing, etc.)
Public family and non-gendered restrooms
Programming:
Tools, equipment, and furniture sized for smaller bodies
Social groups and classes specifically for women and transgender people
Affordable childcare
Gender-inclusive sexual, reproductive, and maternal health resources
Easily accessible mental health resources and therapy
Women- and transgender-led community safety groups
Women and transgender stakeholder groups to advise community decisionmaking and advocate for their groups
Classes for men and boys on unlearning sexism