Description
The Eufaula people were a tribe of Native Americans in the United States, located in the Southeast. They possibly broke off from the Kealedji or Hilibi tribe. They were part of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy. Some Eufaula lived along the Chattahoochee River in what became the state of Georgia. The Lower Creek Eufaula settled there by 1733, and quite possibly earlier than that. In 1832, theirs was the only Upper Creek town listed on the census. In 1836 they were forced further west again, during the Trail of Tears. Their people were one of the Upper Creek towns that moved to Indian Territory; they settled near what developed as Eufaula, Oklahoma, named for them and their towns.
Language
Muskogean (also Muskhogean, Muskogee) is a Native American language family spoken in different areas of the Southeastern United States.
Culture
With more frequent contact with Europeans and later Americans, they had trade and adopted some European-style customs. While families include people who are directly related to each other, clans are composed of all people who are descendants of the same ancestral clan grouping. Like many Native American nations, each person belongs to the clan of their mother, who belongs to the clan of her mother. Inheritance and property are passed through the maternal line. Hereditary chiefs were born into certain clans. They wore clothing made of woven plant materials or animal hides, depending upon the climate. During the summer, they preferred lightweight fabrics woven from tree bark, grasses, or reeds. During the harsh winters, they used animal skins and fur for warmth.