Ye Old Council House
By Eagle Eye Thompson (Mvskoke)[1]
Annotations by Jessica Cory
'Neath the sheltering shades I linger, Where cool summer breezes blow, And list to the chirp of the song-birds As my sires did moons ago. I long to hear the bell’s loud note From thy towers on high, And feel again a joyous content, As I felt in days gone by. But now when I hear its music, Pouring forth its tuneful lay, It spreads o’er my heart a sadness Which I can scarcely drive away. Many summers have come and vanished, Many suns passed o’er thy head, Hands that carved thy towering walls, Are numbered with the dead. Within thy hallowed walls have gathered, Many, many warriors bold, Chieftains mighty—statesmen fearless, Gift with wisdom—from nature’s fold. Within thy walls there echoed voices Raised for truth that ne’er will cease, From thy halls spoke law and order, From thy towers echoed peace. There were recounted dear traditions, Handed down from many ages; There was worshipped the Great Spirit, There preached the honored sages. All has ceased where life once blossomed, Like unto a fading flower; Our nation’s grandeur has departed, Thou but speak of bygone power. Where once echoed voices eloquent, Where wisdom’s voice did thrill, All is now but gloomy silence, Yet tender memory hangs there still. Live on, oh dear old structure, You have done your duty well, For what once a noble race accomplished, You alone must live to tell.
Eagle Eye Thompson. “Ye old council house.” Sturm’s oklahoma magazine. January 1909, 86.
[1] According to the publication, Eagle Eye Thompson was described as “a young Creek who seems to have inherited the love and pride of race which have ever been a leading trait of the Indian.” Unfortunately, no additional biographical info on Eagle Eye Thompson was found. “Creek” was the term frequently used in 1909 for what is now known as the Muscogee Creek Nation. The spelling of their name is Mvskoke in their language.
Contexts
The Council House described in the poem and pictured above was built in 1878 after the previous Council House suffered a fire. The structure is now a museum of the Nation’s culture and history called the Muscogee Creek Council House Museum and is a tourist attraction in the Okmulgee, Oklahoma area. The Council House was the seat of the Tribe and where it handled all of its governmental affairs. While issues of government may not have directly involved very young children, older children would have been aware of such goings-on, as Eagle Eye Thompson, described as “a young Creek,” clearly was.
The Oklahoma Historical Society provides additional context and background on Sturm’s Oklahoma Magazine.
Resources for Further Study
- The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Cultural Center’s website explores the history of the Nation’s Council House.
- The Nation’s website provides an excellent history of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
- This page on the Nation’s website has tabs that explore the different levels of the Nation’s governmental entities.
Pedagogy
- The STEP program has lots of lessons plans for all grades that focus on Mvskoke history and culture, as well as broader Native American history. As a bonus, Oklahoma educators can even check out the educational trunk!
- In teaching about Council Houses, it would be helpful to also explain the role that Native American governments played in shaping contemporary U.S. democracy. Terri Hansen (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) for PBS provides an excellent overview and several helpful comparison between the current U.S. Constitution and the Iroquois (now commonly called Haudenosaunee) Confederacy.
