March 22, 2004

Muskogee Creek lore topic of first TSU mythology symposium

The legends and lore of one of the primary native American tribes of southeast Alabama—the Muskogee Creeks—will be examined at Troy State University's first Southeast Mythology Symposium scheduled for Monday, April 5.

The symposium will feature presentations of academic papers, a panel discussion and a session where descendants of Muskogee Creeks tell fables and myths from their ancestors' culture.

“We hope to make this an annual event and involve as many different academic disciplines as possible,” said Dr. Robert Pullen , Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at TSU. “Myths and legends are an important part of our culture. Understanding them helps us gain greater insight into our history and traditions.”

The symposium is co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Communication and Fine Arts at TSU. All events will be held in Room 326 of McCall Hall, the Mathematics and Science Complex, and the public is encouraged to attend. There is no charge for the symposium.

The presentation of academic papers will begin at 2 p.m. Presenters are:
   

• McDonald Brooms, Associate Professor of Anthropology at TSU; who will speak on the topic “The Demise of the Mississippian Culture;”
• Dr. Bill Grantham, Associate Professor of Anthropology at TSU, who will speak on the topic of “Evidence of Heterogeneous Cultural Origins in Creek Mythology;” and
• Jason Mann, Instructor of Anthropology, on the topic of “Chronology of Creek Material Culture During the Historic Period.”

At 4 p.m. , there will be a story-telling session featuring Charles R. Daniels of Tallahassee , Fla. , and Kate Taluga of Havana , Fla. At 3:30 p.m. , Daniels and Taluga will join the three TSU faculty members in a panel discussion.

“We hope to plan a program each year that will have some academic value to the members of our faculty and our student body, but we also want to plan events that the general public can enjoy,” Dr. Pullen said.