“The Forgotten Creeks” recalls the history of Alabama’s Mvskoke Creek Indians from Spanish contact in the 1500’s through the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The documentary explores what happened to those Mvskoke Creeks who remained in Alabama following the Trail of Tears and documents those ensuing years of poverty, assimilation, and discrimination that nearly destroyed their Indigenous identity.
It also traces how, finally, in 1984, after more than 40 years of unwavering advocacy by Tribal Leaders, the federal government recognized the Tribe as a sovereign, or independent, Indian nation with ancestral lands in Atmore, Alabama, and elsewhere in the state. Federal recognition was the beginning of a new chapter in the Tribe’s history. Economic development brought self-sufficiency, and the Tribe’s focus on educational opportunities, family values, and faith guided its transition to prosperity.
More than two years in the making, this documentary was produced by Jacksonville State University’s Longleaf Studios. The trailer and the full documentary are available below. If you are interested in hosting a screening of “The Forgotten Creeks”, please fill out our screening request form, and a member of our team will follow up with you soon.
