For the first time in over 200 years, Indigenous Stickball will be played by multiple native nations on traditional Muscogee Land in the heart of Atlanta. Organized by Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI), Addison Karl (Chickasaw/Choctaw member), and Emory University, the Southeast Woodlands Stickball Summit will showcase the history and future of the game to the public. 

The stickball tournament will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, and is free and open to the public. The celebratory event will welcome three Native American delegations from Oklahoma, Mississippi and North Carolina. Following an opening ceremony by the Muscogee Nation, players from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation, the Chickasaw Nation and the Mississippi Choctaw Nation will present three live exhibition games in the Historic Fourth Ward Activity Field.

“The Atlanta BeltLine is situated on the traditional homelands of the Muscogee Creek and Cherokee Peoples and we are committed to respecting and acknowledging those who stewarded this land before us,” said Nonet Sykes, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer for Atlanta BeltLine. Inc. “Through our arts and culture programming, we are demonstrating our dedication to inclusion across all backgrounds.”

Stickball games will take place between 10:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each match will feature commentators calling the game. Spectators will learn the history and evolution of indigenous stickball through the different styles of the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw, who play the game differently.

The Southeast Woodlands Stickball Summit will conclude with an evening panel discussion about the history and future of stickball. This is an in-person event at the Carlos Museum- Ackerman Hall (571 South Kilgo Cir NE, Atlanta, GA 30322) and can be attended virtually through Zoom. Register to attend this panel discussion virtually.