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MUSCOGEE (CREEK) NATION
Justice Amos
McNac
Justice Amos McNac is a resident of Bristow,
Oklahoma. He  attended Olive Public School, Technical School in
Amarillo, Texas and Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. He
was appointed and confirmed to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme
Court on July 25, 1992. He is now in his seventh year as a Supreme
Court Justice, during which he served one year as Chief Justice
and served on the Lighthorse Commission. Mr. McNac brought to
the Supreme Court an understanding of traditional customary law
of the Muscogee and Yuchi people which is absolutely necessary
for the courts. With Justice McNac on the Supreme Court, the customs
and traditions, important parts of native law, cannot be presented
to the courts by the people but also can be explained and discussed
properly in the chamber of the Supreme Court. A judge must have
knowledge of the complex, elaborate kinship and clan of those
who come before them. He served as special counselor for the District
Court in hearing of a tribal town dispute, which was conducted
in our native language. The Courts of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation
are required to apply the tradition and customs of the Muscogee
people. He has been active in Indian causes, Indian tradition
and Indian justice. The rights of the native people to use the
religious symbols and to practice and participate in traditional
ceremonies and rituals. He as an active participant in the Harjo
v. Kleppe Civil Action 74-189, 420 F. Supp. 110 (D.D.C. 1976)
lawsuit and was instrumental in the development of the 1979 Constitution,
including explanation to traditional citizens in Mvskoke throughout
the Nation. Justice McNac reads, writes and speaks the Mvskoke
language. He was a faculty member and panelist on the Preservation
of Native American Languages panel for the Sovereignty Symposium
XI. Justice McNac served in the United States Air Force from 1963
to 1967 and is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is
a member of the National American Indian Court Judges Association
and charter member of the Oklahoma Indian Judges Association. |
