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Ocmulgee Rising: A Celebration of Muscogee Creativity with Joy Harjo

Indigenous American History; Poetry; Local History; Music; Public Humanities — A group of participants gathered for an immersive tour in Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, a site of continuous human habitation sacred to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photo by Jessica Whitley.

Location: Macon, Georgia
Date: April 24, 2025
Organizers: Georgia Humanities, Middle Georgia State University, Ocmulgee Mounds Association, and Georgia Council for the Arts
Being Human Festival (US)

Ocmulgee Mound National Historical Park, in Macon, Georgia, is a site of immense cultural and historical significance representing over 17,000 years of continuous human habitation. The site is sacred to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, whose ancestors flourished there before their forced removal in the nineteenth century. “Ocmulgee Rising,” featuring the first Indigenous US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Muscogee), explored themes of displacement, grief, resilience, and reconciliation.

The program advanced local and national efforts to designate the Ocmulgee Mounds—ancestral homeland of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation—as Georgia’s first National Park. Led by the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI), this campaign represents a historic opportunity to establish the country’s first National Park and Preserve co-managed by the Muscogee Nation and the National Park Service.

“Events honoring the indigenous people of this area are so important in helping us be better stewards of the land and life here in Georgia.”

–Festival attendee

Joy Harjo gave a powerful poetry reading at Middle Georgia State University. Approximately 500 people attended, including K–12 students, college students, senior citizens, local residents, educators, civic leaders, and staff from Senator Jon Ossoff’s office. Following the reading, Harjo engaged in a vibrant Q&A session, fielding thoughtful questions from students, seniors, and community members. The conversation deepened the audience’s understanding of Muscogee history, creative practice, and the enduring cultural significance of the Ocmulgee site.

Joy Harjo delivers a poetry reading at Middle Georgia State University. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photo by Jessica Whitley.

Joy Harjo fielded an extensive Q&A at Middle Georgia State University. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photo by Jessica Whitley.

Joy Harjo delivers a poetry reading and fields an extensive Q&A at Middle Georgia State University. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photos by Jessica Whitley.

Joy Harjo reciting one of her poems in Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Video by Michael Pannell.

A smaller group representing the diverse festival audience gathered at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park for an immersive tour led by Dr. Matt Jennings, historian and president of the Ocmulgee Mounds Association, Owen “Chopoksa” Sapulpa, a Muscogee cultural leader, and Joy Harjo. The tour centered Indigenous voices and highlighted the cultural and historical significance of Ocmulgee Mounds, combining scholarly insight, lived heritage, flute music, and poetry.

“To hear [Joy Harjo’s] amazing voice high atop those ancient hand-made hills—which that day seemed more prehistoric pulpits than mounds—was an incredible experience.”

—Festival attendee

Joy Harjo plays the flute during a walking tour in Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photo by Jessica Whitley.

Tour participants gather on a sunny day for an immersive tour led by Joy Harjo, Dr. Matt Jennings, and Owen “Chopoksa” Sapulpa. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photo by Jessica Whitley.

The Ocmulgee tour group pose for a group photo.

Tour participants gather on a sunny day for an immersive tour led by Joy Harjo, Dr. Matt Jennings, and Owen “Chopoksa” Sapulpa. Courtesy of Georgia Humanities, photos by Jessica Whitley.

As Georgia Humanities—as well as state humanities councils across the country—contend with the cancellation of National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) funding, events like “Ocmulgee Rising” highlight the vital importance of honoring the land, people, and animals who compose our vibrant ecosystems and resilient histories.

Ocmulgee is home to a diverse ecosystem that includes over 170 bird species.

“The program amplified Ocmulgee’s role as a living landmark—a site of memory, reconciliation, and renewal—and affirmed the power of the humanities to connect people across generations, identities, and geographies.”

—Festival event organizers