Senator Reverend Warnock returned to Macon to tour Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
The Senator previewed forthcoming bicameral, bipartisan legislation to establish the area as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve
Senator Reverend Warnock remains committed to working with Senator Ossoff and Congressmen Bishop and Austin Scott to make this a reality for Georgia
Senator Warnock to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “To spend time on this land is to take seriously the complicated American story. So much rich culture. So many stories of a resilient people […] We’re standing on holy ground”
Senator Warnock to 41 NBC: “Ocmulgee is not just an expanse of land, it is a living testament to our intertwined histories, and a source of economic and cultural vitality”
Macon, GA — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), returned to Macon to tour Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park to learn about its history and significance to the region as he and a bipartisan group from Georgia’s Congressional delegation prepare to draft legislation aimed at designating the area as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve.
Senator Warnock was led on a tour by Tracie Revis, a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation and visited the park’s Visitors Center to learn about the park’s up to 12,000-17,000 years of history. The Senator also visited the Earth Lodge and the Great Temple Mound. Following the tour, Senator Warnock reaffirmed his commitment to working across the aisle to establish the location as a National Park and Preserve.
See below coverage of Senator Reverend Warnock’s stop in Macon:
Atlanta Journal Constitution: ‘On holy ground.’ Ocmulgee park a new test of Georgia’s clout in Congress
November 21, 2023
- On Monday, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock visited the historic grounds on the east bank of the Ocmulgee River to see for himself. After a mile-long hike to the towering mound, which rises nine stories high, the Democrat took stock of what he called a “living testament to our intertwined histories.”
- “To spend time on this land is to take seriously the complicated American story. So much rich culture. So many stories of a resilient people,” Warnock said. “We’re standing on holy ground.”
- Warnock seemed particularly moved.
- “This has been 100 years coming. It’s part of a long journey,” Warnock said. “And the only way it gets done is if there’s bipartisan work to make it happen.”
Georgia Public Broadcasting: Sen. Warnock, Rep. Bishop visit Ocmulgee site as progress stalls for National Park status
November 21, 2023
- As U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock visited the Ocmulgee National Historic Park on Monday and received a tour of the museum and grounds, he showed his support for the ongoing effort to ensure the Muscogee Creek Nation’s homeland receives federal protection.
- “After hiking the grounds and learning more about its history, today, it is clear Ocmulgee is not just an expanse of land, it is a living testament to our intertwined histories,” Warnock said.
- “This represents the latest plateau in our climb to achieve a space that is appropriately designated and sized given its significance,” Warnock said.
- “I’m proud to support the bipartisan efforts to establish Ocmulgee as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve,” Warnock said. “I look forward to championing continued efforts in Congress to make this a reality for Macon.”
- According to Warnock, the official designation of the park would bring valuable resources and recognition to the area and community.
- “Getting this done would be great news for Georgia. We’re talking about tourism dollars, we’re talking about jobs and the preservation of an important story that needs to be told,” Warnock said. “We need to bring our children here.”
November 20, 2023
- Sen. Raphael Warnock, Rep. Sanford Bishop, and other leaders are still backing the effort to make the Ocmulgee River Corridor into a national park.
- “In the end, the decision to name these grounds a national park is within the domain of Congress,” Warnock said.
- “The study is one step in the process,” he said. “The good news is that this is a bipartisan effort, and we’re continuing to grow allies and commitment to this. We’re working on the legislation.”
WMGT: Sen. Warnock tours Ocmulgee Mounds, pushes for National Park status
November 20, 2023
- Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock toured the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon on Monday, recognizing the importance of the park in the broader Ocmulgee River Corridor with an announcement of a bipartisan effort to make the park Georgia’s first national park and preserve.
- “It is a living testament to our intertwined histories,” Warnock said.
- The senator toured the museum and Ocmulgee Mounds as part of his visit.
- Warnock says no legislation has been introduced as of now, but the time is soon coming.
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