On September 13, 2026, more than 40 Mvskoke paddlers set out on the Ocmulgee River in Macon, Georgia, returning to the waters of our ancestors on a historic 10-mile journey. It was the first time in over 200 years, since our removal from our homelands, that our people had paddled this river together. That day was the culmination of a summer of training, teaching, and preparation that began months earlier in Oklahoma.
We first want to acknowledge and thank Native Voices Rising for the grant that funded the Cultural Canoe Camp. Their investment made it possible for our youth and mentors to learn the skills, history, and confidence they carried onto the river. We also recognize Georgia Rivers as a contributing partner. They provided our river training, supplied the kayaks for the Ocmulgee River, and served as our river guides. This journey would not have happened without the support of both partners.
Building Strength: Creek Fit and Partnerships
The journey began in March with a Creek Fit session led by the SONS of Mvskoke. Creek Fit introduced participants to the movements used in paddling and to the importance of being physically fit for time on the water. Strong bodies, steady breathing, and endurance would all be needed for a 10-mile paddle.
From there, we began planning a series of events with Muscogee (Creek) Nation Youth Services, led by James Bender, and Georgia Rivers. Each partner brought something essential: youth participants and mentors, river expertise, and a shared commitment to getting our young people back on ancestral waters.
Carving Our Own Paddles: The July Workshop
In July, the College of the Muscogee Nation hosted a canoe paddle making workshop. Participants carved decorative paddles as well as working paddles built for the water, connecting hands-on craftsmanship to the long tradition of Mvskoke river travel. Two months later, one of those working paddles would carry us down the Ocmulgee.
The Cultural Canoe Camp at Camp Loughridge
On August 7 and 8, about 25 youth and adult mentors from the SONS of Mvskoke, MCN Youth Services, and the College of the Muscogee Nation gathered at Camp Loughridge in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Cultural Canoe Camp. The camp brought together physical training, river safety, and cultural knowledge in two full days.
Each partner led a part of the experience:
- Georgia Rivers, led by Andrew Kraft and Kendon Townsel, provided training on proper gear and equipment, paddling techniques, water rescue, and how to read and understand river conditions.
- The SONS of Mvskoke led Creek Fit sessions to keep participants strong and ready for the water.
- Mvskoke Youth Council provided youth leadership and positive energy for the long training days.
- The College of the Muscogee Nation, led by Kent Sanman shared the history and cultural significance of Mvskoke canoeing and traditional fishing practices.
By the end of the camp, participants understood not only how to paddle, but why paddling matters to who we are as Mvskoke people.
Swim Test at the Okmulgee YMCA
On August 30, MCN Youth Services held a swim test at the Okmulgee YMCA pool. Water safety came first, and every paddler needed to show they were prepared before heading to Georgia. The Mvskoke Youth Council, SONS of Mvskoke, and adult mentors all participated and passed the swim test. The group continued our bonding through a day at the pool swimming and going down the water slides.
Homecoming at the Ocmulgee Mounds
The SONS of Mvskoke, the Mvskoke Youth Council, and our adult mentors traveled to Macon, Georgia, for the Ocmulgee Mounds Indigenous Celebration on September 12 and 13. On the evening of the 11th, we took part in a special night tour of the mounds, walking the grounds where our ancestors lived, gathered, and prayed.
On the 12th, we joined the celebration itself. Our youth took part in stomp dance, stickball, and other activities throughout the day, sharing Mvskoke culture on the very land it grew from. During our visit, we toured the mounds and the museum and talked together about the history of our people at this site.
The Paddle Journey on the Ocmulgee River
On September 13, we set out on our historic paddle journey, reclaiming our ancestral right to commune with the waterways of our ancestors. More than 40 paddlers took part, including youth and adults from the SONS of Mvskoke, the Mvskoke Youth Council, the College of the Muscogee Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Cultural Preservation, and Georgia Rivers.
We began with a blessing from Mvskoke Elder Ben Yahola. Then, with Joe Cook of Georgia Rivers leading our river guides, we pushed off for the 10-mile journey, ready to put our newly acquired skills to work on the river.
Along the way, we stopped at a traditional fish weir, possibly built by our ancestors to catch fish using their own technology and craftsmanship. We gathered muscadine, mussel shells, and bamboo, just as our ancestors did on this same river more than 200 years ago. And among the paddles pulling our canoes downstream was one carved during the summer workshop in Oklahoma.
We also stopped to swim at the shoals, where rocks rise out of the water and once served as natural crossings over the river. These stretches of rapids were both fun and challenging, and everyone in the group got in the water together. We continued our paddle into the calm waters north of Macon before landing in our designated location.
We concluded the journey with a song and a prayer, as we do in our Mvskoke community. Members of the Ocmulgee River Water Trail association and residents along the river welcomed us warmly.
More Than a River Float
This was more than a float trip. It was an exercise in tribal sovereignty, created by community members and supported by partners including Native Voices Rising, Georgia Rivers, MCN Youth Services, and the College of the Muscogee Nation.
Our youth and mentors did not simply visit the homelands. They trained for them, carved tools for them, learned their history, and then returned to them on the water, the way our people traveled for generations.
The bonds we formed at the Cultural Canoe Camp grew stronger on this journey to the homelands. Together we engaged with the land at the mounds and then with the water on the river, not as separate programs, but as a tribe.
“This journey was two years in the making, and we learned a great deal of history and culture along the way,” said Dr. Monte Randall, CEO of the SONS of Mvskoke and President of the College of the Muscogee Nation. “We learned our traditional methods of canoe and paddle making. We learned that the Mvskoke had several types of canoes for travel, trade, everyday use, and war, and that we had vessels with sails to travel upstream and out into the ocean. Every aspect of sovereignty we talk about today was experienced and asserted by our ancestors. That is what made this journey special for us, and it is why we need to continue these trips so future generations can experience them.”
Looking Ahead
We hope to make the Creek Ancestral Paddle Journey an annual event in partnership with the Ocmulgee Mounds. We are also planning paddle journeys on other rivers throughout our Mvskoke homelands, so that more of our people can return to the waters that shaped our history.
We are continuing our partnership with Georgia Rivers to curate more river trips in the homelands, including the Chattahoochee River, the Etowah River, and the Okefenokee Swamp.
Mvto to everyone who paddled, taught, prayed, and supported this journey.
Photographs courtesy of Joe Cook, Monte Randall, Jody Carter, and Casey Riggs. Creek Ancestral Paddlers logo artwork created by Maddie Sanders.
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