According to a new report from The Oregonian, Georgia might be getting its first ever National Park. The proposed park is the Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve, which is in Macon, Georgia.
The Oregonian reports, “The proposed park and preserve would include many more miles (kilometers) of land along the river, much of it already under some level of government protection, and add cultural and historical interpretation in consultation with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, whose people were forcibly removed to Oklahoma roughly 200 years ago. It would be the first national park co-managed by a removed tribe.”
This would be an important step forwards for the United States, to have a national park co-managed by a removed tribe.
The Oregonian includes a quote from Georgia Democratic representative, Sanford Bishop: “This bill reflects the voice of a multitude of Georgians who wish to elevate the Ocmulgee Mounds to its proper place as one of America’s National Parks.”
Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve
This iconic park has a ton of history. Due to the advocacy of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI), which consists of a community-based group of both Middle Georgia and Muscogee (Creek) citizens working together, we could see it becoming a National Park sooner rather than later. The ONPPI says, “We hope to see the Park and Preserve become a national park, available to future generations for recreational kayaking and canoeing, fishing, hunting, bird-watching, outdoor pursuits, historical enrichment, and cultural appreciation. This exemplary Muscogee (Creek) traditional cultural property can become the anchor for a park that brings in tourism, increasing revenue to the Macon and Middle Georgia communities, and would provide unique and previously unavailable recreational opportunities to the area.”
The mounds, including Earth Lodge, on Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve, have been a huge cultural center for the Muscogee people for more than 1,000 years, before their forced removal in the early 1800s. The mounds have been a protected monument since President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office.
We’re excited to see any updates about Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve becoming Georgia’s first national park! As soon as we know, you’ll know too!