​​Members of the Muscogee Creek Nation memorialized the battle at Horseshoe Bend in Alabama March 22 at the site where 800 of their ancestors died in a struggle against United States forces 211 years ago.

Leaders of the nation laid red wreaths to honor the men, women and children who died. Over three hours, tribal and U.S. flags were raised, tribal leaders gave speeches in the Muscogee language and the tribe presented a blanket to the acting park superintendent as thanks for maintaining the site.

Tribal leaders spoke about memorializing the battle as a story of cultural survival, said RaeLynn Butler, secretary of culture and humanities for the nation.

“Even though so many died that day, many survived,” she said. “It only took one to survive in order for you to be here.”

The battlefield is now part of a national park site in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. A tornado struck the area during severe storms earlier this month causing damage. The annual ceremony could not be held in public as it normally is, said Butler.

At the ceremony on Saturday, tribal leaders laid red wreaths to honor the warriors, known as Red Sticks, who fought at the battle. Six eagle feathers on the wreaths represent the tribal towns that were present at the site in 1814.

On March 27, 1814, Andrew Jackson, not yet a president, led 3,000 soldiers to attack the tribes that had taken refuge on the land. The battle, which caused great loss of life for the tribes, was a turning point in white settler expansion and forced removal of the tribes from the region.

The Muscogee Creek Nation was later forced to walk over 800 miles from Alabama to Oklahoma, as a part of the Trail of Tears, said Butler.

Butler noted that a historical marker at the entrance to the park states that Andrew Jackson broke the Muscogee Nation.

“That’s not true,” she said. “The Muscogee people are here telling our story.”