10/12/2026
Standing Peachtree!
Today is both Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Columbus Day. The first got its designation by presidential proclamation in 2021, but had already been celebrated in many cities across the nation as a way to acknowledge the people who lived here long before Christopher Columbus set sail.
Atlanta has a rich Indigenous history. Where it sits was Muscogee (Creek) land, and the village of Pakanahuili (meaning “Standing Peach Tree” in the Muscogee language) sat where Peachtree Creek meets the Chattahoochee River. The village gave Atlanta its most famous street name: Peachtree Street.
In honor of this holiday, we’re bringing back two stories. The first, by Xavier Stevens, is about Ocmulgee Mounds in Macon and Tracie Revis, a citizen of the Yuchi and Muscogee tribes who is leading the effort to make it Georgia’s first national park. The second maps the remnants of old Atlanta, starting with the Native trails that became Peachtree Road and DeKalb Avenue.
While Indigenous Peoples’ Day is not a federal holiday, Columbus Day is, so for all you lucky folk off the clock today, we hope you enjoy your three-day weekend. If you feel like doing something fitting for the day, consider visiting one of Georgia’s Indigenous historic sites within an easy drive: Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville or Ocmulgee Mounds in Macon.
Photo:
