Indigenous Tourism: Telling the Story of Native Americans in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 2024) - November marks Native American Heritage Month and Tennessee honors the culture and heritage of indigenous tourism. The name "Tennessee" is derived from "Tanasi," a Cherokee village in what is now Monroe County. Today, the state is home to more than 20,000 Native Americans and a rich culture and history waiting to be experienced by travelers. Check out attractions that tell the story of Tennessee’s Native American heritage. Photos for media use only can be found here.

Travel Tip: The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail runs east to west across Tennessee, carving a tragic story of the removal of Cherokee Indians from their ancestral homelands.

EAST TENNESSEE SITES

The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum – Vonore, TN

With the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation at the helm, the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is Tennessee’s only tribally operated historical attraction. The East Tennessee museum telling the amazing story of Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee writing system. Never before, or since, in the history of the world has one man, not literate in any language, perfected a system for reading and writing a language until Sequoyah. Located in the Great Smoky Mountains on the shores of beautiful Tellico Lake, the museum recently added the Max D. Ramsey Shoreline Trail, with 1.5 miles of walking trail, along the shoreline, bridges and boardwalks through the marshy areas.

Red Clay State Historic Park – Cleveland, TN

The tragic Trail of Tears begins at Red Clay State Historic Park. Encompassing 263-acres of narrow valleys formerly used as cotton and pastureland, the park site was the last seat of Cherokee national government before the Indian Removal Act, which resulted in most of the Cherokee people in the area being forced to emigrate west in the 1830s. It was here that the Cherokee learned that they had lost their mountains, streams and valleys forever. On the 263-acre property, you’ll find hiking trails, reconstructed sleeping huts, homesteads, council houses, the Blue Hole Spring, which served as a water supply during council meetings and the Eternal Flame, a memorial for the Cherokee people and those who were lost on the Trail of Tears.

Hiwassee River Heritage Center - Charleston, TN

Learn about the area's Native American heritage at the Hiwassee River Heritage Center - present-day Charleston was once the site of the Indian Agency and eventually Ft. Cass, the military headquarters for the entire Trail of Tears operation. Discover this important story and more at this National Park Service Certified Trail of Tears Interpretive Site.

Museum Center at 5ive Points – Cleveland, TN – This center celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024

The museum and cultural center tell the story of the Ocoee region. See The Cherokee Chieftain, carved from a tree along Parker Street by widely acclaimed sculptor Peter Wolf Toth, was presented to the city as a gift in 1974.The Chieftain is one of the focal points of downtown and stands as a proud reminder of the region’s significant Cherokee Indian heritage.

Cherokee Removal Memorial Park and Museum  - Birchwood, TN

Cherokee Indian Removal Memorial, located on the banks of the Tennessee River in Birchwood, was one of the main staging areas for the Trail of Tears. Thousands of Cherokee Indians camped here before their infamous trip to the west. Lying near the center of the ancestral land of the Cherokee Nation, this area had nine encampments of thousands of Cherokees that waited weeks to be sent across the river here at Blythe Ferry. Today, a History Wall feature offers visitors a detailed visual re-telling of not only the Trail of Tears, but also the centuries-long saga of the literate and highly civilized Cherokee culture in Tennessee. A Memorial Wall, meanwhile, pays tribute to the people who died during the Trail of Tears — a necessary reminder of this tragic episode in our nation’s history.

Ross’s Landing – Chattanooga, TN

Ross’s Landing was established along Chattanooga’s riverfront by John Ross, a Chief of the Cherokee Indians, in 1816. With the organization of Hamilton County in 1819, Ross’s Landing served not only the Cherokee trade center, but also as a business center for the county. In 1838, Cherokee parties left from Ross’s Landing for the West on what became known as the Trail of Tears. Today, the area encompasses four acres surrounding the Tennessee River with green spaces, a playground, a pier, and The Passage, where water cascades down steps alongside six-foot clay medallions set into a wall representing specific aspects of the Cherokee tribes’ history. Explore Chattanooga’s Native American history.

Audubon Acres – Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga's oldest wildlife sanctuary, Audubon Acres, offers more than five miles of hiking trails over 130 acres on South Chickamauga Creek, along with abundant opportunities for picnicking, wildlife viewing, and photography. It’s also a spot steeped in Native American history. The visitor center houses an archeological museum showcasing one of the largest publicly viewable Native artifact collections in Chattanooga, while the Spring Frog Cabin, a Trail of Tears site, is a wonderfully preserved example of Cherokee architecture from the mid-1700s. Going back even further, Little Owl Village at Audubon Acres is believed to be the site of a 16th century Napochie village that the Spanish Tristan DeLuna expedition encountered during their travels north from Florida.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park - TN, KY and VA

As the first great gateway to the American west, Cumberland National Historic Park is a must-visit for anyone with an interest in Tennessee’s Native American history. Located an hour north of Knoxville where the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia converge, the 24,000-acre park features miles of game trails that were originally used by Native Americans, allowing visitors to literally walk in the footsteps of the original stewards of the land. Later, those same trails became the footpaths for more than 300,000 settlers heading west over the Appalachian Mountains.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE SITES

Dunbar Cave State Park in Clarksville, Tennessee

Dunbar Cave State Park includes the only publicly accessible cave in the world with 14th Century Native American Mississippian Art. With guided cave tours on weekends in May and September, and four times daily June – August, visitors journey deep into the underworld held sacred by its Indigenous inhabitants from centuries past. Visitors learn much the Native American connection with the natural and spirit words, along with their belief system, culture and lifestyle. To make the cave accessible for everyone, the park also offers 360-degree virtual reality tours. In addition to the cave, the park also highlights a strong music and African American history, along with hiking, wildlife picnic areas and a dedicated section for Southeastern Grasslands preservation. Some 60,000 visitors enjoy all aspects of the park in the past year.

Mound Bottom State Archaeological Area (only accessible to the public through hikes led by Harpeth River State Park rangers) – Kingston Springs, TN

Head to the seven-acre Mound Bottom State Archaeological Area in Kingston Springs (just west of Nashville), where you’ll find the largest number of Native American ceremonial mounds in Tennessee — more than a dozen. Researchers believe the area was occupied between approximately 1000 and 1300 AD and was an important civic and ceremonial center connected to the Mississippian site of Cahokia, which was located across the river in what is now St. Louis. The Mound Bottom site is only accessible to the public through hikes led by Harpeth River State Park rangers — check the park’s events calendar for upcoming experiences.

Wynnewood State Historic Site – Castalian Springs, TN

This national historic landmark is the largest log structure in Tennessee, at one time a stagecoach inn located at the site of a salt lick and mineral springs. Wynnewood State Historic Site sits as a rare example of the early tourism and hospitality industry. Built around 1830, Alfred and Almira Wynne hoped to entice travelers and capitalize on their proximity to the main road by advertising the healing reputation of their natural mineral spring . Seated on a hill overlooking the spring, the resort fluctuated in popularity over the years and saw a resurgence in 1899. Stop by to see this unique architectural gem and hear stories of the guests and residents. The property also features the perfect hilltop view of a preserved Mississippian mound site, dated to circa 1000 AD and preserved by the Tennessee Historical Commission. The history of the mound site and its creators is included on the guided tour. 

WEST TENNESSEE SITES

CH Nash Museum Chucalissa – Memphis, TN

C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa located in T.O.Fuller State Park in Southwest Memphis. Operated by the University of Memphis, the museum serves as a gateway into understanding the science of archaeology and the interpretation of Native Americans who lived on the site as early as 1500 A.D. as well as traditional cultures of the area. The museum exhibits interpret the prehistory of the Mid-South, contemporary Southeastern Native Americans, and the African American cultural heritage of the Chucalissa site's landscape. During your visit, you may also experience our certified arboretum, half-mile nature trail,  outdoor picnic area and newly built replica house located where prehistoric Native Americans lived in a similarly built construction over 1000 years ago. The museum store offers unique apparel, pottery, jewelry and many other items, much of which has been made by Native American artisans.

Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park – Jackson, TN

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park covers more than 1,200 acres and contains at least 15 Native American mounds, which were both burial and ceremonial in purpose. The park’s archaeological features and wildlife can be viewed along six miles of interconnecting trails, including paved trails, which are wheelchair/bicycle accessible. The park’s Pinson Mounds museum offers further insight into these fascinating structures; it is designed to replicate a Native American mound, offering 4,500 square feet of exhibit space, an archaeological library, an 80-seat theater and a “Discovery Room”' for historical exploration.

Media Contact:

Jill Kilgore, jill.kilgore@tn.gov

About Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) is dedicated to driving economic growth and tourism in all 95 counties. TDTD’s global marketing efforts increase visitation to Tennessee, which boosts tax revenue, creates jobs and attracts new investment across the state. Tennessee is a global destination of choice offering visitors world-class music, live entertainment, family-friendly experiences, charming communities, innovative and classic culinary creations, renowned scenic beauty and outdoor adventure—all centered at the crossroads of rich history and unrivaled hospitality. Vacations “sound perfect” in Tennessee. Visit TNvacation.com and follow @TNvacation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for travel inspiration.