or Muscogee
A loose and shifting confederation of groups that once occupied much of the Georgia and Alabama flatlands, the Creek comprised two major divisions: the Upper Creeks (living on the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers) and the Lower Creeks (living on the Chatahootchee and Flint rivers). They cultivated corn, beans, and squash. Each Creek town had a plaza or community square, often with a temple, around which were built the rectangular houses. Religious observances included the Busk (Green Corn) ceremony, an annual first-fruits and new-fire rite. In the 18th century a Creek Confederacy
including the Natchez, Yuchi, {{link=Shawnee">Shawnee , and others
was organized to present a united front against both European and Indian enemies. It proved a failure, however, since at no time did all groups contribute warriors to a common battle. The Creek War against the U.S. (1813–14) ended with the defeated Creeks ceding 23 million acres. Most were forcibly removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Some 40,200 individuals claimed sole Creek ancestry in the 2000 U.S. census.
Ben Perryman, a Creek Indian, painting by George Catlin, 1836; in the National Museum of American ...
National Museum of American Art (formerly National Collection of Fine Arts), Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., gift of Mrs. Sarah Harrison