"Terrorist Threat" Wayland Gray Free on Bond

Heads Back to Oklahoma with Principal Chief George Tiger

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Challenges. Discussion »

WETUMPKA, ALABAMA – Muscogee, Creek, Nation's Principal Chief, George Tiger, flew to his ancestral homeland Tuesday to secure the release of Wayland Gray who was arrested last Friday for trespassing and a more serious charge of making a "terrorist threat."

Wayland Gray walks out of Jail into the setting sun

Last Friday around noon, Gray and two other Muscogee, Creek, members were arrested as they entered the Hickory Ground ancestral ceremonial ground that is now part of a construction site on the property where the construction site of the expansion of Wind Creek Wetumpka Casino.

They went there to pray for the disruption of 57 graves of their ancestors.

At the time of his arrest, Gray allegedly told the Poarch Creek tribal officers he would be back to burn the place down. This led to the Poarch Creek tribal police charging Gray with making a terrorist threat. The other men arrested were released last Friday afternoon.

Gray spent the long holiday weekend incarcerated at the Elmore County Jail.

“It's great to be out of jail. I would not change a thing. If nothing, else it has brought life how Natives feel about sacred site,”

said Gray to the Native News Network.

“It's not just about Hickory Ground, it's about all sacred sites.”

Muscogee, Creek, Nation's Principal Chief Tiger
Waits in Wetumpka for Gray

Principal Chief Tiger was instrumental in getting the $30,000 cash bond set last Friday cut in half. On Tuesday, the bond was lowered to $15,000 bond. Gray is due back an Alabama court on April 11 for the trespassing charge and May 9 on the terrorist threat charge.

Principal Chief Tiger and Gray flew back from Alabama to Oklahoma late Tuesday, as Gray was not released from jail until approximately 6:00 pm est.

A press conference set for 3:00 pm in Wetumpka, Alabama has been rescheduled for today in Tulsa, Oklahoma at 11:00 am. In a statement, Principal Tiger expressed he does not know all the details as to why the terrorist threat charge, but he said it is for the court to figure out.

posted February 20, 2013 6:30 am est