TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — The International Arts Center (IAC) invited leaders from the Mas Chis Lower Creek Indian Tribe to share their culture with Troy Students.

Topics included traditional Creek dances, ceremonies and ceremonial sites, and the Creek Calendar.

“The Creek calendar is a living document,” said James Wright, Chief of the Mas-Chis Lower Creek Indians. “It focuses on the winter solstice and the summer solstice. The summer solstice is the beginning of the new year and that is a time of forgiving people of their wrongs and cleaning house.”

Wright and other Native Americans have not always been able to practice and share their culture and traditions openly. Beginning in the 1800’s, many traditional Native American ceremonies and practices were illegal under federal law. Because of this, many Native Americans had to conduct their ceremonies in secret.

HAPPENING NOW: Troy University welcomes new Artist-in-Residence

“It was almost like you couldn’t understand it as kid, because you couldn’t tell your friends were you were going. It was all very secretive.”

The passing of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978 gave Native Americans the right to freely practice their ceremonies

“It’s a safe practice. It’s a practice of giving thanks to the Creator, whoever your Creator may be, and its order and structure in your life and balance”

Now, Wright is starting a new project to celebrate and pass on those traditions.

“My next project is close to my heart, building a ceremonial ground so we can celebrate green corn in a proper manner, summer solstice in a proper manner and teaching the youth the importance of everything involved in the balance and order of the Creek culture.”

This was the first of a series of four discussions and demonstrations with indigenous leaders and artists at the IAC. The next one will be Feb. 26.