Rivers of Power: Creek Political Culture in the Native South, 1750-1815

By Steven Peach
University of Oklahoma Press (2024)
225 pages

Review by Mekko Tyner

Uewvt hesaketvt omes, mahokvnts ce. Water is life, it was said. Mvskoke people have understood this since time immemorial. Water is our first medicine. Rivers of Power: Creek Political Culture in the Native South begins by laying the foundation of “riverine power” of waterways at the center of Mvskoke identity and their spiritual and ceremonial way of life. The riparian Mvskoke agri­culture and earthen mound works are tied to the homeland’s sense of place and community along the many rivers of the Southeast. During this period, 1750-1815, author Steven Peach explores Mvskoke political navigation of governance, leadership, and dynamic relationships among the etvlwvlke (tribal towns) culture along the rivers, with other tribes, and with the colonizers.

At the core of Mvskoke culture and identity is the Este Cate em opunvkv (people’s language). The language helps define place and purpose, as Peach highlights, “Muscogee Creek language corrob­orates both the environmental and cultural dimensions of rivers.” In the Mvskoke language, the Chattahoochee River has a specific name, Cvto Hocce Hvcce, and meaning (marked rock river). The impact of the language in the Mvskoke southeastern homelands is still reflected in place names such as Alabama, Tuskegee, Talladega, and Wetumpka. Another aspect of the Mvskoke culture is the significance of the number four when mentioning “the four bold rivers”: the Chattahoochee, Tallapoosa, Coosa, and Alabama Rivers.

The Mvskoke people have been developing relationships for trade, sharing resources, and engaging in ceremonies, including song and dance, with other tribes in the Southeast and beyond. When questioned about what divides Mvskoke and Choctaw country, Long Lieutenant stated, “There is no such thing as a divi­sion.” An important note with the sharing of ceremonies is that the Haudenosaunee tradition of wampum belt diplomacy had an influence on the Mvskoke. In 1770, Mvskoke designed and created a “belt of Whampum” to be presented to the Choctaw, symbolizing a “Clear Path” moving forward.

Colonial expansion, the Revolutionary War, and the United States’ constant want for more land and resources would push Mvskoke leadership and diplomacy to new levels. New alliances needed to be made with the creation of a new nation. In Mvskoke culture and society, tribal towns were either a celokke (red town) or hvthakv (white town). Tribal towns like Cusseta, a hvthakv, would help diplomatically broker peace through agreements. In 1790, the first treaty between the Mvskoke and the new United States was signed in New York. However, it would not be the last treaty.

The author concludes the book with the beginning of the Nene Estemerkv (Road of Misery), or Trail of Tears. “On December 6, 1835, 511 Creeks departed the state of Alabama for a new home in Indian Territory,” Peach writes, adding, “Congress had estab­lished this jurisdiction one year earlier for southern Indians expelled from their homelands in the east.” However, Peach fails to mention that in 1832 Mvskoke leadership negotiated a promise that was not kept by Congress. Article 12 of the Treaty of Cusseta states, “Provided however, that this article shall not be construed so as to compel any Creek Indian to emigrate, but they shall be free to go or stay, as they please.” Today, under the leadership of Principal Chief David Hill, the Muscogee Nation is the fourth largest tribe and has more than 103,926 citizens despite all the atrocious attacks on its sovereignty.

Mekko Tyner, JD (Muscogee [Creek] Nation, Shawnee, and Seneca), is the dean of academics at the College of the Muscogee Nation.