The Indian Removal Act of 1830, in the words of Dan “Sky Horse” Helms, ‘made it illegal to be an Indian east of the Mississippi River’, and those Native Americans who were caught practicing any aspect of their culture faced deportation or death.
Helms, who is now chief of the Santa Rosa Band of Lower Muscogee, said his ancestors were forced to strive in secret to preserve what parts of their heritage they could.
But as of Thursday, with help from a $70,000 grant from the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council, Helm’s generation will be able to proudly display what they’ve held onto at a Cultural Center near Milton.
The Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council agreed last week to fund development of a Native American cultural gallery in Milton.
Tribal leaders are confident that constructing a center inside its 3,000-square-foot building on Willard Norris Road near Milton will allow the Muscogee Creek to educate the public, and in particular school age children, about the heritage, language and culture of the Santa Rosa Band, which has called the county home for more than 200 years.
Before voting unanimously to provide the funding, board members questioned Tourist Development President Julie White about the legality of the expenditure, which would not be considered a traditional expenditure designed to lure tourists to the county.
White confirmed the grant would be legal, as the Cultural Center would be available to tourists, and Colten Wright, the TDC Board Chairman, explained his rationale for supporting the center.
The grant request must still be brought before the Santa Rosa County Commission for final approval, but Wright, who also chairs the commission, said he is confident there will be little or no opposition.
Commissioners have already debated the project at length and considered funding it themselves with a $100,000 federal grant. It was ultimately decided to try to secure tourist bed tax dollars first.
