1. Preparation of the Body:
- The deceased's body was gently washed, painted, and dressed in special clothing or wrapped in a blanket or deerskin.
- The face of the deceased was often covered with ceremonial paint, and personal items or offerings might be placed around or on the body.
2. Scaffold Burial:
- In most Creek communities, the body was initially placed on a raised platform or scaffold.
- This practice symbolized keeping the deceased close to the living while the body decomposed.
- During this time, friends and relatives would gather near the scaffold, share memories, and mourn.
3. Bone Cleaning:
- After a period of mourning and decomposition, the deceased's bones were collected from the scaffold.
- Family members would painstakingly clean the bones using scraping tools and water.
4. Mourning Rituals:
- Throughout this process, the Creek Indians observed several mourning rituals, such as wailing, fasting, and refraining from certain activities.
- Women played a significant role in the mourning process, expressing grief through loud lamentations and gestures of sorrow.
5. Burial in the Ground:
- Once the bones were cleaned, they were placed in a bundle.
- The bone bundle was then covered and carefully lowered into a grave that was dug in a designated burial area or family cemetery.
- The grave site might be marked with stones, shells, or personal belongings of the deceased.
6. Personal Items:
- Some Creek communities buried the deceased with personal belongings that held symbolic value or were considered necessary for their afterlife journey.
- This included hunting tools, weapons, pottery, and other objects reflecting the individual's life and accomplishments.
7. Reburials:
- In certain instances, the Creek practiced secondary reburial.
- This involved exhuming the remains of a deceased individual, cleaning the bones, and reburial with other deceased relatives.
It's important to note that these burial practices might vary based on historical periods and specific Creek subgroups, and they may have evolved over time. It's always best to consult reliable ethnographic accounts and historical sources for more detailed and nuanced information about Creek burial customs.