bones that have turned brown in the sun.

Creeks who died in New Orleans.

Creeks who worked on tobacco plantations.

teeth stained with tobacco juice.

related to a bloody battle.

about someone who drowned.

part of his or her cultural heritage.

too painful to talk about.

children born after the Creek removal to Oklahoma.

children who will die in future hurricanes and floods.

Creeks who return to their childhood home to be buried.

unborn children of Creeks who died in New Orleans.

"a blue horse"

"golden treasure"

"magic stones"

"a drink on Bourbon Street"

violent

sophisticated

ambitious

creative

"This is the south. I look for evidence / of other Creeks."

“stale rooms, the sun behind thick and moist / clouds”

"He is buried somewhere in / this river."

“Creeks knew of him for miles / before he came into town”

"earth towns"

"gold cities"

"pleasure boats"

"silk buildings"

have no families of their own.

rescue white children in a flood.

have a vision of racial harmony.

care for white people's children.

violence against Creeks, the memory of a culture

the Mississippi River, fighting between cultures

dangers faced by explorers, the speaker’s heartbeat

nourishment for the spirit, a desire for conquest

It’s better to leave the past dead and buried.

It’s important to keep cultural memories alive.

People of many races have memories of New Orleans.

Remembering the past leads to personal happiness.