Despite the forced
removal of Creek Indians from
Georgia and
Alabama in 1836, some Creeks in the
Tensaw district of Alabama maintained a distinct community around the small town of Poarch, with segregated schools established by 1908. The federal government held a tract of land at Poarch in trust for the Indians until 1924. In the 1940s the community began to organize politically in its own interest, and from 1950 to 1970 tribal leader Calvin McGhee spearheaded a campaign for recognition of Creek land claims in the southeastern states. The Poarch Band raised funds largely through an annual Thanksgiving Day
Pow Wow. Established as a federal reservation in 1984, the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation is governed by a nine-member tribal council and provides police, fire, judicial, and social services. A "
bingo hall" has been wholly owned by the tribal government since 1990, along with some small industrial plants and a restaurant and motel. ==External links==