Broken Arrow first to fly Muscogee flag
(BROKEN ARROW, Okla.) While Oklahoma has been a state for more than a century, the Tribal Nations that have been here before statehood continue to define its identity and amplify its strength.
On September 2, the Broken Arrow City Council amended Ordinance 3890, Section 2-15 to allow the city to fly the flag of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in an effort to acknowledge its tribal co-existence.
Prior to the change, the ordinance allowed only the flags for the State of Oklahoma, the National League of Families Prisoners of War-Missing in Action (POW-MIA), the City of Broken Arrow, and the U.S. Armed forces to fly on city grounds.
City councilor Lisa Ford led efforts to fly the Muscogee flag. Ford said the City of Broken Arrow and the Muscogee Nation had conversations for about a year before the ordinance was amended to fly the MCN flag in Broken Arrow.
“It was important to me because recognizing the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is part of honoring our history and the people who have been here long before Broken Arrow became a city,” Ford said.
Part of that history includes the U.S. government’s forcible removal of tribal nations, including the Muscogee people, from the southeastern United States with the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, after which the tribe was forced to make a new home in the territory now known as Oklahoma.
In 2020, the Muscogee Nation’s presence and jurisdiction in northeast Oklahoma were reaffirmed in the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt vs. Oklahoma.
By extension, the court’s decision has been interpreted to affirm that much of northeast Oklahoma, including Tulsa County, remains reservation land under the jurisdiction of various tribes, as Congress never disestablished them.
“Tulsa County — including Broken Arrow — is on Muscogee (Creek) reservation land,” Ford said. “Raising the flag is a simple but powerful act of recognition. It says, ‘We understand that history matters and that we’re committed to working together in mutual respect moving forward.’”
The Muscogee flag that now flies at Broken Arrow City Hall was presented to city leaders by Principal Chief David Hill and other Muscogee officials on September 16.
Hill told city leaders that Broken Arrow is the first city in Oklahoma to fly the Muscogee flag.
“It’s always good to have that partnership, and that’s how we want to grow together,” Hill said. “I am Muscogee by blood and also an Oklahoman. In the decisions we make, we want what is best for us and for the state of Oklahoma.”
Ford echoed Hill’s comments about partnership. “I wanted to make sure we did our part in showing that Broken Arrow values that relationship and the contributions of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation,” Ford said.
The City of Bixby has announced it will also fly the Muscogee Nation Flag in November. The flag-raising will take place on Monday, November 10, at 4:45 pm during the city council meeting. All community members are invited to attend.
In Georgia, the tribe’s ancestral homeland, the city of Macon flies the MCN flag, and tribal leaders have spoken with city leaders in Columbus about flying it there as well.
Ford says the feedback she has received from the Broken Arrow community has been positive.
“I’ve had several Native residents and leaders express how meaningful it is to see their flag flying alongside the others,” Ford said. “It’s more than just a symbol — it’s recognition. It tells our Native community that they are seen, respected, and that their history is part of who we are as a city.”
