A Place Called Poarch: Recent Episodes
Poarch Creek Indians
Welcome to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians podcast - A Place Called Poarch. We invite you to kick back, relax, and enjoy the friendship, history, and stories of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
A Place Called Poarch - The Churches that Made Poarch
From Baptist to Pentecostal to Episcopal, The Tribe has always had a strong connection to Christianity. Though the Poarch community was so small when all of these denominations got their start, they were still able to thrive. Their success was due, in part, to each denomination leader's willingness to allow the religion to adapt to the Poarch community's way of life.
Today, we hear interviews from the 1970s between Reverend Mace McGhee and Dr. Anthony Paredes. Mace tells about the vibrant history of Christianity within the Poarch community.
Time Stamps:
[1:35] - We learn a brief history of Reverend Mace McGhee.
[4:16] - The first Christian Church was Mars Hills Baptist Church in the 1800s.
[10:00] - Baptist Churches came to Bell Creek first.
[13:00] - We hear an old interview clip from 1972 where Mace talks about the Baptist Church.
[15:00] - There were two Episcopal Churches brought to The Poarch community.
[19:00] - Mace tells a story about being raised in the Episcopal Church.
[23:45] - In the 1920s, the Holiness Church came to The Tribe when Brother Raymond Coon came.
[28:50] - A Company owned land that they allowed the Episcopal Church to use.
[32:00] - Mace tells us about some of the past Holiness Church pastors.
[35:20] - There were many different denominations of the Holiness Church.
[39:00] - The New Home Church has a long history. We hear Mace tell us.
[42:23] - In the 1950s, The Poarch Community Church began as a Mennonite Church.
[47:30] - Within the Mennonite Community, women were typically required to dress a certain way. But women in the Poarch Community didn't have resources to dress that way.
[52:45] - Churches quickly learned they needed to adapt to the Indian way of life.
Links:
Website
A Place Called Poarch - Interview with April Sells
Everybody has the right to be respected. That's what today's guest EMA Director, April Sells believes. This belief is what has made Emergency Services so successful over the years.
April has been at Poarch for 35 years -- as long as some people have been here on this Earth. Through those years she has been selfless with her time and has given so much of herself to The Tribe. Today, she discusses her family history, the Princess Contest, her various jobs through the years and how she has navigated life not looking like a "stereotypical Indian".
Time Stamps:
[2:00] - We're introduced to April Sell and learn how she came back to The Tribe.
[5:00] - April explains the evolution of The Princess Contest.
[7:00] - The Sugar Shack was where all the young couples lived until they migrated to different homes.
[9:00] - We learn about April's family history.
[10:45] - April doesn't meet many people's stereotypical expectations of what an Indian looks like, she discusses how that affects her interactions with people.
[14:30] - Throughout history, April's family thought they were the only Indians in the world.
[17:30] - April was never ashamed of who she is and where she came from.
[19:23] - Genetics don't care what you're supposed to be or what you're supposed to classify yourself as.
[21:26] - Playing the role she did in the Princess Contest, April was a role model to many.
[24:34] - Through the years, April has had a lot of different jobs.
[28:15] - During Hurricane Ivan the Emergency Management System was developed.
[29:14] - At one point, the Fire Department was made up of all women volunteers.
[31:24] - Hurricane Ivan was devastating for many Native American tribes.
[33:30] - We hear about some of the services the Fire Department has been able to provide that weren't always available.
[40:00] - The pandemic had a huge impact on the Tribe.
[43:18] - The Gym has been an invaluable place for children.
[46:30] - April discusses how she was able to raise money for various youth sporting events.
[50:19] - Being selfless and giving herself to The Tribe is a lesson April learned from her grandmother.
[54:40] - We learn the origin of April's name.
Links:
Website
This week on A Place Called Poarch, we interview Sandra Day and Nancy Smith. Nancy is the Director of Nursing for the PBCI Health Clinic and has been nursing for 40 years. Sandra is the Community Health and Education Director for the PBCI Health and has been nursing for over 40 years.
In this episode, we discuss the time period after Creeks were removed from Alabama. Our Poarch Creek ancestors were able to utilize the land, which provided everything they needed for survival. We dive into how the cattle and timber industry gave our ancestors a glimpse into the outside world.
This episode features Family Services Director, Amanda Montgomery. Amanda is a Poarch Creek Tribal Member and has been working for the Tribe since 2009. During the interview she helps shed some light on the serious of domestic violence and how difficult it can be for victims to come forward.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of any type of abuse, please contact your local law enforcement agencies to report it.
This week on A Place Called Poarch, our host, Megan Zamora, sat down with Museum Coordinator, Brandy Chunn, and Gift Shop Clerk, Blake Crook. They talk about their current and past exhibits, and share the story of how Chief Calvin McGhee's original headdress made its way back home to Poarch.
Welcome back to A Place Called Poarch. This week I sat down with Sandra Hiebert, Director of Education for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Sandra has been with the Tribe for 30 years now, and has watched the Tribe go from using typewriters and beepers to using top notch laptops and smart phones.
Welcome back to A Place Called Poarch. This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Assistant CFO, Dominic Cromartie. Dom is from Tallahassee, FL and has been working with the Tribe for 11 years now. His positivity are laughter are infectious and makes him such an awesome person to be around.
This week I had the opportunity to interview the man who was my very first boss, Jay Dorris, the CEO for Wind Creek Hospitality. Jay grew up in a small town with a strong sense of community, just like the Poarch Creek Indians. We reminisced about the Wind Creek Atmore grand opening and how the Wind Creek Hospitality brand started out as a small bingo hall in Atmore, Alabama.
This week we interviewed Cody Williamson, CEO for Creek Indian Enterprises development authority. Cody is an attorney by trade and has a background in finance. He shared with us the importance of delegation, and just how much employees with positive attitudes can affect everyone around them.
This week we interview Brent Pinkston, COO for Wind Creek Hospitality. Brent was born in Chicago, IL but over the years he made his way to Poarch which he now calls home. During our interview, Brent tells us how he made his way from working in cornfields to becoming the Chief Operating Officer for Wind Creek Hospitality.
This week our host, Megan Zamora, interview Chad Klinck, CFO for the Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority (CIEDA). Chad has been the CFO for 7 years, has an extensive background in public accounting, and was even an Ironman! We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we did!
Lori Stinson is the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Attorney General and Chief Legal Officer. She is not only an incredible advocate for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, she's an all around wonderful person.
Welcome back to A Place Called Poarch. This week we interviewed Mr. Terry Sweat, who is the Chief of Staff for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Government. He works closely with our Tribal Council and other executive team members. Terry is really passionate about the work he does for the Tribe, and he truly cares about his employees, Tribal Members, and our community.
This month on Poarch Stories our Tribal Historic Preservation Office interview Dr. Alex Colvin who is the Public Programs Curator for the Alabama Department of Archives and History. We discussed the strong nature of Creek society and the importance of the Creek mother and her side of the family's role in teaching the children how to be valuable members of the Tribe.
For this episode, the PBCI Tribal Historic Preservation Office interviewed Dr. Gregory Waselkov, a retired professor of archeology for the University of South Alabama. He shared his knowledge on Creek history from first contact with Europeans up to the Creek War, primarily focusing on trade between the Creeks and the Europeans.
Stephanie Bryan is the first female to hold the highest leadership position for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. In this episode you will hear about her childhood and how she transformed from a shy little girl to the Tribal Chair of one of the most successful Tribes in the nation.
Tribal Councilwoman, Sandy Hollinger, is a remarkable person who has overcome a lot of adversity in her life. She’s a songbird with a heart of gold and during this interview she shares her heart, prayers, thoughts and testimony.
For the first episode of Poarch Stories, the Poarch Band of Creek Indian's Tribal Historic Preservation Office interviewed Dr. Erin Nelson. Dr. Nelson is the Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of South Alabama. Her research focus is Southeastern Archeology with an emphasis on Mississippian culture. During the interview, she shared information about the Mississippian ways of life before European contact.
This episode of A Place Called Poarch features Tribal Council Secretary, Charlotte Meckel. Ms. Meckel is a vivacious and entertaining woman, and she was kind enough to sit down and share her story.
This week on A Place Called Poarch our host, Megan Zamora, interview Candace Fayard. Candace is the newest member of Tribal Council, a lifelong learner, and an advocate for cultural awareness. Listen in as she shares her experiences so far.
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On this episode of A Place Called Poarch, our host, Megan Zamora, interviewed Tribal Council Vice Chair Robbie McGhee. Robbie is also the Chief Government and Public Affairs officer for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
Now you'll notice that there's some audio playing in the background. During the interview, Robbie had the opportunity to take part in a virtual tribal consultation, where he was able to share the Tribe’s views on some pertinent issues.
Tribal Council Member, Arthur Mothershed, is also Wind Creek Hospitality's Vice President of Business Development and Government Relations. He's a very busy man, and I caught him at his office at Wind Creek in between meetings. He was really open with me and shared a lot about his upbringing and his family and how he came to be where he is today.
In this episode of A Place Called Poarch, Dewitt Carter shares what it was like growing up in the Poarch Community, as well as voicing his concerns for the future of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
In this episode of A Place Called Poarch, I conducted my first interview with Tribal Council Member Keith Martin. We discuss what it was like for him growing up in the Poarch Community, how it's changed over time, and so much more. It is my pleasure to share this with you, and I will tell you that I enjoyed my time with Keith immensely, and I think you will too.