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Education
traditions Alabama-Quassarte According to the Oklahoma State Department of Education guide, the Alabama and the Quassarte entered documentary history in the colonial period as two closely related tribes living on the Alabama River north of present Mobile, Alabama. Both the river and the state are named after the Alabama Indians. Alabama or Alibamu, also written Alabamo, Allibamous, Alibami, Albámu, or Alibamon, had close trade, work, and family relationships with the Quassarte. (Access Geneology) The Quassarte have also lent their name to history, either in the form “Quassarte” or as Koasati, Coosauda, Coushatta, and many other spellings. The languages have been written as closely related within the Muskogean family. (Oklahoma State Department of Education) After a brief confrontation with the French in the early eighteenth century, the Alabama and Quassarte strengthened their trade relationship by becoming allies. Although the Alabama and Quassarte were occasional allies of the Creeks, once the French withdrew from North America in 1763 they became firm members of the Creek Confederacy. The Alabama and Quassarte constituted six to eight towns and were a strong addition to the confederacy. (Oklahoma State Department of Education) In the early nineteenth century, the threat of removal and continuing encroachment by Americans encouraged the two tribes began to move west, town by town. One group, predominantly Alabama, ended up with a reservation near Livingston, Texas, while other bands and families settled in central Louisiana. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced those remaining with the Creeks to be removed to Indian Territory in 1835. They were settled in Southeastern Oklahoma. The AlabamaQuassarte came to live in the area between Weleetka and Wetumka, Oklahoma.
(Oklahoma State Department of Education) The Alabama-Quassarte were allotted individual parcels of land under the Dawes Act, beginning in 1899, and were offered separate federal recognition under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act in 1936. Although members of the Creek Confederacy, the Alabama-Quassarte are ethnically and linguistically different and accepted a separate federal charter in 1936. (Oklahoma State Department of Education) Their constitution was ratified January 10, 1939 and their corporate charter May 24, 1939 Prior to the removal of the Confederacy from their Southeastern homelands in the 1820’s and 30’s, the Alabama and Quassarte people each had a distinct identity as a Tribal Town (or Tribe) of the Confederacy. The Confederacy consisted of more than 44 of these “Towns” scattered throughout the Southeastern woodlands. Due to the logistics (or locations) of their towns which were in near proximity to one another in what is now known as the State of Alabama, they shared many similar cultural characteristics such as certain aspects of their language, religious practices and social/familial structures. With the advancement of European settlers into the region, many members of these two groups, in an attempt to avoid contact with the “invaders”, migrated Southwest into Louisiana and Texas in the 1790’s and early 1800’s where they remain today (Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana & AlabamaCoushatta Tribe of Texas). Those members who did not leave formed an alliance and became the AlabamaQuassarte Tribal Town. Pre-removal tribal government was traditional and its leaders were the ceremonial leaders. Since this body participated in the old Muscogee Nation Confederacy government they were subsequently
included in the Removal Act of 1830. The group settled into Indian Territory (I.T.) in what is now Hughes, Okfuskee, McIntosh and a portion of Seminole Counties of Oklahoma. Following the Dawes Act of 1888 and the consequent individual Allotment Act, the old Muscogee Con2015-2016 Alabama-Quassarte Tribal federacy and Town Royalty. Little Miss Alabama-QuasCreek Nation sarte Princess- Brea Berryhill, 6 years old constitutional and Miss Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town government Princess- Denise Barnett, 18 years old. was disbanded. Elections were no longer was a lull in the activity of held and the President of the Tribal Town during the the United States appointed 1950’s, 60’s and into the 70’s. a Chief for the Creeks every Because of new opportunifour years. The ceremonial ties under the Indian Self government, however, con- Determination Act of 1975, tinued through the Alabama the Tribal Town renewed Ceremonial Grounds near its efforts to be a viable and self-sufficient government Wetumka, OK. Congress passed the 1936 for its members. Today the government Oklahoma Indian Welfare stands as a beacon with a Act which contained provisions for Indian Tribes to clear direction of forward reestablish their legal identi- progress into the 21st centies through federal recogni- tury. The AQTT governtion by the Secretary of the ment operates several fedDepartment of Interior. In erally contracted programs addition lands were allocat- and grants projects and has ed to be placed in trust for acquired more lands and facilities than ever before. The those Tribes. Tribe owns enterprises and Visionary members of the generates substantial revTribal Town saw the oppor- enues for itself. Economic tunity, organized themselves and Social Development in and adopted a constitutional several forms are being purform of government. The sued which will assure the Department of Interior ap- long term growth needed for proved the Constitution in its members and future genApril of 1939 and the Tribal erations. Town federal recognition is a government that stands today. As a component of the original Creek Confederacy, AQTT’s members enjoy dual citizenship as Muscogee (Creek) Tribal members as well. Due partially to the International conflicts and World War II as well as complacency by tribal members, there
Miss Indian Oklahoma 2014-2015 Jordan Harmon Creek
Lindsey Harjo
Applications can be picked up from the KTO EDU Office or can be found online at tinyurl.com/ KTOHESCHOLARSHIP
Access Geneology. “http:// www.accessgenealogy.com/native/alibamu-indian-tribe.htm.” 20 February 2015. Access Geneology. 20 February 2015. Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town. www.alabama-quassarte. org. 20 February 2015. website. 20 February 2015. Oklahoma State Department of Education. “http://ok.gov/ sde/oier.” 20 February 2015. Oklahoma State Department of Education. 20 February 2015.
EVENTS Indian Taco Sale Saturday, May 23 — 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sac and Fox Multi-Purpose Building 215 N. Harrison, Shawnee Funds for Atchico Family Reunion
28th Anniversary Pow Wow
Jr. Miss Indian Oklahoma 2014-2015
The Deadline for the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma Higher Education Scholarship for the Fall 2015 Semester is June 30, 2015
Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 Thunderbird Casino Hwy 9, Norman
Please contact the KTO EDU Office at
Red Earth Festival
(405) 964-5002 ext 8 or 9
June 5 - June 7 Oklahoma City, OK
Seminole & Creek
for more information
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