Alabama Tribes Clash Over Casino Built on Sacred Muscogee Land

The Muscogee Nation is appealing a dismissed lawsuit against the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, alleging desecration of ancestral burial sites.

The Wind Creek Casino, built by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, stands on what was once the Muscogee Nation's capital, Hickory Ground.
The Muscogee Nation claims the Poarch Band excavated and relocated 57 sets of ancestral remains without proper consultation.
The Poarch Band acquired the land in 1980 under a historic preservation grant, with a 20-year covenant that expired in 2000.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the Muscogee Nation's appeal against the dismissal of their lawsuit challenging the casino's construction.
Federal laws do not currently address the excavation of ancestral remains on land controlled by one tribe but historically linked to another, complicating the legal battle.