OKMULGEE, OK – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN) National Library and Archives will go live with a new digital archive on June 14, 2023. The digital archive will be available to Mvskoke citizens and the public, and will feature historical documents and resources pertaining to Mvskoke history, culture, and language. In January 2021, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Historic and Cultural Preservation Department a $100,000 community-based archives grant to fund a COVID-19 oral history project and the creation of a new digital archive.
Supported by Mukurtu (Mook-oo-too), the Indigenous archival platform created in Australia was selected for its ability to provide a safe space to store and share heritage items, stories, and knowledge. Interactive features of the archive include a comment section to share information or ask questions. Visitors can also set up an account and create a personal “collection” from items found within the digital archive. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation National Library and Archives will continue to digitize archival collections and make them accessible on the digital archive.
As the new digital archive is launched, visitors can listen to stories of Mvskoke sharing experiences of hardship, grief, resilience, and survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. The oral histories can also be accessed at the library’s new Oral History Research Station.
“The digital archive is a game changer in how Mvskoke people can now access library resources online,” said Midge Dellinger, MCN Oral Historian. “I hope people engage with the archives as learners and teachers; it belongs to all of us, and we all have much knowledge to share.”
The digital archive is available at mvskokenationallibraryarchive.org.