Post by cinemo on Aug 15, 2014 12:24:54 GMT -5
Each year in early September a very special Native American gathering takes place in Tuscumbia’s Spring Park ( Alabama ). The gathering is a “coming home” for a number of the Native American Tribes who were forcibly removed from their homes in the Southeast United States. The event is known as Oka Kapassa, Return to Coldwater. Oka Kapassa means cold water in Chickasaw – Tuscumbia is named after the Chickasaw Chief Tuscumbia who welcomed the city’s earliest settlers. There were a couple of reasons Spring Park was chosen for this reunion. Many of the tribes camped in the Spring Park area while they stayed in Tuscumbia. It is their Eastern most council ground.
The primary reason they choose hold this reunion in Tuscumbia has to do with a letter that Creek Indian Chief Chilly McIntosh wrote to a Tuscumbia newspaper after he arrived at the destination in Oklahoma. He spoke of the extreme kindness shown to his people by the residents of Tuscumbia while they were camped in this area. The Indians were very rarely treated well by either those in charge of moving them or the settlers along their route. There is a very symbolic walk from Tuscumbia Landing at the Park west back to Spring Park. Many of the Indians were loaded on to boats to go west at Tuscumbia Landing, so this walk symbolizes them returning to their land.
Some of the elders of the tribes are not able to make the walk so arrangements are made for the local trolley to pick them up. Since many of the Indians were originally transported by the local railroad this is another symbolic reversal. As the walkers pass the corner of 6th Street and Main they will pick up another group of walkers in front of Coldwater bookstore. This group symbolizes the Tuscumbia town’s people and Mr. Pitman Colbert. Mr. Colbert owned the property at that location during the time the removal took place. He stood on that very corner and made a well know speech denouncing the actions being taken against these native peoples.
"On our way to our location west of the mighty river -- passed through many villages, and arrived at Tuscumbia, where we camped for a few days, intending to take boats down the waters of the Tennessee, and so on to the Mighty River. Here we have remained several days, and have received all kind of hospitality and good treatment. The citizens of Tuscumbia have
treated us like brothers and our old helpless women were furnished by the good women of the town with clothing. On Tuesday the 29th of November (1827) the Law of our Great Father above was explained to us; and our people were glad to hear it. As long as our nation remains upon the earth, we will recollect Tuscumbia." ( Chilly McIntosh )
Please, visit this link and enjoy the video slideshow and the accompanying music by Injunuity :
www.okakapassa.org/
www.injunuity.net/
cinemo
The primary reason they choose hold this reunion in Tuscumbia has to do with a letter that Creek Indian Chief Chilly McIntosh wrote to a Tuscumbia newspaper after he arrived at the destination in Oklahoma. He spoke of the extreme kindness shown to his people by the residents of Tuscumbia while they were camped in this area. The Indians were very rarely treated well by either those in charge of moving them or the settlers along their route. There is a very symbolic walk from Tuscumbia Landing at the Park west back to Spring Park. Many of the Indians were loaded on to boats to go west at Tuscumbia Landing, so this walk symbolizes them returning to their land.
Some of the elders of the tribes are not able to make the walk so arrangements are made for the local trolley to pick them up. Since many of the Indians were originally transported by the local railroad this is another symbolic reversal. As the walkers pass the corner of 6th Street and Main they will pick up another group of walkers in front of Coldwater bookstore. This group symbolizes the Tuscumbia town’s people and Mr. Pitman Colbert. Mr. Colbert owned the property at that location during the time the removal took place. He stood on that very corner and made a well know speech denouncing the actions being taken against these native peoples.
"On our way to our location west of the mighty river -- passed through many villages, and arrived at Tuscumbia, where we camped for a few days, intending to take boats down the waters of the Tennessee, and so on to the Mighty River. Here we have remained several days, and have received all kind of hospitality and good treatment. The citizens of Tuscumbia have
treated us like brothers and our old helpless women were furnished by the good women of the town with clothing. On Tuesday the 29th of November (1827) the Law of our Great Father above was explained to us; and our people were glad to hear it. As long as our nation remains upon the earth, we will recollect Tuscumbia." ( Chilly McIntosh )
Please, visit this link and enjoy the video slideshow and the accompanying music by Injunuity :
www.okakapassa.org/
www.injunuity.net/
cinemo