Tulsa transfers ownership of Historic Council Oak and Stickball Parks to Muscogee Nation

The city of Tulsa is transferring ownership of a historic landmark, the ‘Council Oak’ tree, to the Muscogee Creek Nation, who view the site as a sacred reminder of their new home after removal on the Trail of Tears.

Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum and Muscogee Chief David Hill reached an agreement on the transfer, which could be completed by the end of the year.

The city of Tulsa will continue routine maintenance of the site, while MCN will manage it, the city said.

“There has always been a feeling that the right owners of this are the people of Muscogee Creek,” Bynum said. “The decisions about what happens on this sacred land must be made by the Muscogee Creek Nation and that is why we are initiating this transfer. of land.”

Bynum said the city came into possession of the property that is now Council Oak Park in the 1970s, when a developer planned to vacate the property but instead agreed to a land swap. The adjacent “Stick Ball Park” is also part of the transfer.

The tree was on the site in 1836 when a group of Creeks arrived at a hilltop overlooking a river and decided to light their ceremonial fires there.

A tribal town, then Tulsa, grew from the site.

“This is important to us as a community as we continue to find ways to properly honor our city’s roots. “Tulsa would not exist without the Muscogee Creek Nation, and this is one way we can properly recognize that.”