News & Updates
Subhead Here
Local Culture and Ecology on Display at UWF’s New Heritage Roots Garden
September 2025
UWF reached out to Chief Dan Helms, from the Santa Rosa Band of the Lower Muscogee. Together we collaboratively came up with the idea of an ethno-botanical garden, which is now the Heritage Roots Garden. The idea is to feature native plants that have been used by communities of people in this area for thousands of years.”
City of Milton Proclaims
Chief Lloyd Hint Day!
July 2025
Chief Hinote was honored today by the City of Milton for his leadership and selfless service to the city, the community and to his tribe. We are grateful this well-deserved recognition of Chief Lloyd Hinote has been given. Former Chief Lloyd Hinote of the Santa Rosa Band of the Lower Muscogee (also known as the Santa Rosa Creek Band) was described by current Chief Dan Helms as a “hero” to his people and the county, with efforts made to recognize his legacy as a “bridgebuilder”.
Gulf Coast Diplomacy
Student from Brazil
January 2025
Students from Brazil visited our Educational Cultural Center as part of Gulf Coast Diplomacy. One of the students said, “I live at the edge of the Amazon Rainforest. We are not preserving the culture of indigenous people as you are here. When I go back to Brazil, I am going to make it my mission to help save their culture from being lost.”
Olympic Gold Medal Winner Billy Mills and Chief Dan Helms
December 2023
Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota), born in 1938, is a former U.S. Marine and track athlete famous for his stunning 10,000-meter gold medal victory at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. As a virtual unknown, his win is considered one of the greatest Olympic upsets, setting a new record of 28:24.4 and making him the only American to win this event.
Freedoms Foundation at
Valley Forge Award
December 2023
Muscogee Creek Historical Marker – Chief Dan “Sky Horse” Helms and supporters acquired a historical marker in Milton, FL to educate the community about the Lumberton Incident, where Muscogee Creek Indians were attacked and killed by a local mob.
Native American Heritage
Month with Governor DeSantis
December 2022
Indigenous Peoples' Day Ceremony at City of Pensacola
October 2022
Chief Dan “Sky Horse” Helms opened his Indigenous People’s Day ceremony speech at Pensacola Town Hall in his native language.”We have come a long way since our ancestors stood on the shore and watched as the sails came upon the horizon,” Helms said. “Indigenous people have endured much…We are still here.”
EcoHeroes: Chief Dan "Sky Horse" Helms on the true history of the Creek Native Americans
May 2022
Environmental and indigenous rights activist Chief Dan “Sky Horse” Helms of the Santa Rosa Creek Muskogee Tribe discusses the true history of Creek Native Americans, what it means to shoulder the responsibility of Chief and serve his tribe, and building a relationship with mother Earth and with one another.