Several gentes, with their families, united into _one_ town or
settlement, live under one chief, and thus constitute a _tribe_. The
tribe, as far as constituting a politic body governing itself, is
called in Creek itálua, which could also be rendered by: community or
civil district. Amitáluadshi is "my own town, where I belong,"
amitálua "my own country." Itálua also signifies _nation_. Another
term, talófa, means _town_ or _village, city_ as a collection of
houses without any reference to its inhabitants.
The executive officer of each town is the _míko_ or _chief_, formerly
called "king" by the whites. His duty is to superintend all public and
domestic concerns, to receive public characters, to listen to their
speeches, the contents of which were referred to the town, and to
"deliver the talks" of his community. The town elects him for life
from a certain gens. When he becomes sick or old he chooses an
assistant, who is subject to the approval of the counsellors and head
men. When the míko dies the next of kin in the maternal line succeeds
him, usually his nephew, if he is fit for office.
Next in authority after the míko are the míkalgi and the counsellors,
both of whom form the _council_ of the town. The council appoints the
Great Warrior, approves or rejects the nominations for a míko's
assistant, and gives advice in law, war or peace questions.
Next in authority after the council is the body of the _hinihálgi_,
old men and advisers, presided over by the híniha `láko. They are in
charge of public buildings, supervise the erection of houses for new
settlers, direct the agricultural pursuits and prepare the black
drink. They are the "masters of ceremonies," and the name híniha,
íniha, which is no longer understood by the present generation, is
said to signify "self-adorner," in the sense of "warrior embellished
with body paint." Hiniha `láko, abbreviated into Nia`láko, is now in
use as a personal name, and recalls the name of the celebrated
Seminole chief Neamáthla (híniha imá`la). In the Hitchiti towns they
were comprised among the class of the beloved men. Before the broken
days, níta χátska, they consulted about the time of the busk, and
during the busk directed the performances.
_Beloved men_ or _isti-tchákalgi_ follow next in rank after the above.
They are the men who have distinguished themselves by long public
service, especially as war leaders, and the majority of them were
advanced in age. C. Swan states that the beloved men were formerly
called míkalgi in white towns.
Then follows the common people. For the tustĕnúggi `láko or Great
Warrior, cf. "Warrior Class" and "Creek Confederacy."
Since Indian character expresses itself in the most pronounced,
self-willed independence, the power of the authorities was more of a
persuasive than of a constraining or commanding nature. This will
appear still better when we speak of the warrior class; and it may be
appropriate to remember that no man felt himself bound by decrees of a
popular assembly, by edicts of chiefs and their counsellors, or by
treaties concluded by these with alien tribes or governments. The law
exercised by the gens was more powerful than all these temporary
rulings, and, in fact, was the real motive power in the Indian
community.
The distinction between red and white towns is not clearly remembered
now, and there are very few Creeks living who are able to tell whether
such or such a town was red or white. As soon as the agricultural
interests began to prevail over the military, through the approach of
the colonial settlements, this feature had to disappear, and the
social order also changed from the _gens_ or φύλη into that
of _civitas_. Adair, Hist., p. 159, seems inclined to identify the
white (or "ancient, holy, old beloved, peaceable towns") with the
"towns of refuge," one of which was Kúsa.