Agriculture    Back to Top

Many centuries before the arrival of the Europeans, ancestors of the Creek people had migrated from the west and settled into a stable agrarian life in what is now the Southeastern United States.  While it is true that the Indians did eventually put to use new ideas and techniques brought by the Europeans, it should be pointed out that long before the introduction of metal tools, domesticated food animals and beasts of burden, Indian farming was thriving. Much to their credit, Indian farmers were successfully cultivating and domesticating wild plant foods with much improvement in quality and quantity. The Indians also had extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and their various uses and took advantage of abundant wild edible plants, fruits, berries, seeds and nuts.

In historical times, the primary crops were what many Indians refer to as the ‘three sisters’ -- corn, beans and squash -- planted together in a technique called ‘hilling.’ When grown together in one mound of soil, the corn serves as a support for the bean vines to grow up on. The large leaves of the low-growing squash plant discourage grass and weeds from growing on the hill.  So, a garden ‘row’ would be made up of many planted hills.

Of the seed crops developed by the ancients, the sunflower is the only one to be continuously grown for its oily seeds. The Creeks also cultivated a wide variety of other fruits, melons and vegetables such as tomatoes, okra and sweet potatoes. Corn was by far the most important crop. It was easily stored and adaptable for use in a wide variety of ways, both fresh and dried.  After the men had cleared land by girdling the trees and  burning the underbrush, crops were planted in community fields and family gardens to be tended primarily by the women.  Household gardens were kept near the home. In addition every family had responsibility for designated portions of the community cornfields.  The work of planting and weeding was done by hand with tools such as hoes made of deer scapula bones with a handle attached and forked planting sticks. The work was hard, but one can well imagine in this community effort a festive atmosphere with much joking and laughter. 

Hunting and Fishing   Back to Top

Creek men hunted and fished for much of the family’s food and other needs. Using blow guns, bow & arrows and spears, men and boys hunted deer and a variety of small game which would be a delight to all when roasted over a hickory fire -- the first Barbeque in America. While deer was the primary meat source, bear was also prized, not only for the meat, but for the fat which was used as a seasoning for food and for a variety of other purposes.

 Blow guns were used primarily for bringing down small birds.  Our Chief, Bobby Johns Bearheart had many hunting and fishing experiences as a boy which were little different than those of  his ancestors. He tells of going out at night in late fall during the bird migrations to hunt the tired, roosting birds. He and his brother and elders picked their way through the briar thickets around the swamps to the places where the birds were known to roost. Using  blow guns to knock the birds off their perches, they gathered them into bags to take home for his mother to prepare.  

Fish and turtle were an important part of the diet also. Still today there are remnants of ancient V-shaped stone weirs along the rivers and creeks of the deep south where the Creeks once caught fish in large woven traps.  Trapping a winter supply of fish during the annual red-horse sucker run is another experience of his Creek heritage Bearheart remembers as a boy. The Indians understood the habits of the various fish and animals and had many ways of outsmarting them. Every year at a certain time, the red-horse suckers would travel upstream to spawn much as salmon do. The point of the v-shaped weir was open so that it acted like a funnel for the fish. On the night of the migration, a group of men and boys would go to the site of the weir. They would get back away from the bank and build a large campfire, then sit around, tell stories, and wait for the fish. One person was selected to be the watcher. He would sit beside the weir and listen for the sucker's run upstream which made a loud noise. Just as the fish were about to enter the wide opening of the "V," the watcher would shout to the others, then jump in behind the fish splashing and shouting to drive them through the small opening. All the others came running and jumped in too. The largest and strongest held the large basket traps in place as the fish swam through the weir. Before long their baskets were filled and the fishermen all dashed  for the warmth of the fire to shed their wet clothes and dry off.

 Note: In modern times, the red-horse sucker fish has nearly reached extinction in the Southeast due to pollution and damming of rivers and streams. Strong efforts are being made to re-establish the fish in healthier conditions.

Another  fishing method was ‘grappling.’  The Indians knew just where the big old catfish liked to hang out up under the banks of the creeks.   Moving ever so slowly, the fisher would lie on his belly and ease a hand back under the bank. Then with lightening skill he would grab the fish with his bare hand.  Another trick was to take a hollow log and lay it in the water. This provided an attractive hiding place for fish and turtles. Several men and boys would work together to plug the opening at each end of the log. Then they would lift the log onto the bank and dump the fish out.  Returning to these same places over and over, the Indians made many successful catches.

The Creeks were a closely bonded people.  Most of the work they did, from tending the gardens to hunting and fishing was done as a cooperative effort.  The performance of these tasks was  serious work: that of providing food and other needs for the family, but in addition the shared work also served as social events which could be fun and enjoyable.

Industry & Tools For Living   Back to Top

By the 1700's, the Creek people had been associated with Europeans for many years and were already acquiring metal tools  through trade. These metal tools were more durable, but also much heavier so many of the people still preferred to rely on the old bone tools for farming. The Indians used a notched  planting stick  for setting out young plants -- a practice reintroduced to today's onion growers to avoid some of the stresses of stoop labor.  Knives which the Indians made from stone (flint / chert) and bone were important to many tasks. Trade knives were always a real prize. 

Deer were extremely important in native industry.  The Indians used nearly every part of the deer for things they needed.  The leather, of course, served a variety of purposes:  to make winter clothing, moccasins, bags, pouches and leggings to name a few.  Strips of rawhide and sinew were used in tool making to bind things together as we might use rope or string. The antlers and bone were used to make various items such as hoes and other digging tools, fish hooks, needles, and scraping tools for preparing hides. The hooves were boiled to make a strong glue and some were used to make ceremonial rattles which honored the deer.

When the gun arrived, it proved superior to the bow.  Since deer skins were much sought after by the Europeans, the Indians began hunting to trade for guns and other useful items such as iron pots, glass beads and cotton fabrics. This eventually led to the near demise of the deer.  As the deer populations became depleted, the people also became much more dependent on European goods, agriculture and the tools of farming. It took many generations for the deer population  to recover and the Indian way of life was forever changed.