See the Cherokee Heritage Center, Tahlequah, OK
Oklahoma Museum Depicts Trail of Tears, Cherokee History and Culture
Sep 8, 2008
From ancient Stone Age villages in the Appalachian Mountains to the foothills of the Ozarks, the history of the Cherokee Indians covers much of America. In the 1830s, when American expansion called for the removal of the eastern Indians to the west, these resilient Native Americans survived the forced march known as the Trail of Tears to begin a new life in a new land.
Today, the Cherokee people reside in both North Carolina and the former Indian Territory of Oklahoma, with the seat of government for the Cherokee Nation located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. In 1963, a group of concerned citizens formed the Cherokee National Historical Society whose purpose was to preserve and promote Cherokee culture. This mission became the Cherokee Heritage Center.
Cherokee Heritage Center
The Cherokee Heritage Center and Cherokee National Museum are located on 44 wooded acres three miles south of Tahlequah in the Oklahoma foothills of the Ozark Mountains, on land that resembles the North Carolina homeland. The Center includes a living history museum with costumed interpreters, an outdoor drama venue and genealogy research facilities.
The Cherokee Heritage Center was built on the site of the circa 1850 Cherokee Female Seminary, the first institution of higher learning for women west of the Mississippi. All that remains of the seminary are three tall columns which mark the entry to the museum.
Cherokee National Museum Trail of Tears Exhibit
Along with artifacts, tools and art, the museum houses a permanent exhibit of the Trail of Tears. Six galleries with special effects, lighting, video, audio and life-cast figures depict pre-removal life, court battles to keep their eastern lands, imprisonment, forced removal, and the rebuilding of Cherokee lives in the new Territory.
The museum also showcases Cherokee art and hosts two major exhibitions each year where artists can show and sell their work. The museum shop carries a collection of handcrafted Cherokee clothing, pottery, jewelry, baskets and weavings and the Cherokee Family Research Center houses an extensive archive of documents, historical records, photographs and genealogical materials for anyone wishing to research family ancestry or Cherokee history.
Ancient Village and Territorial Town
Visitors can experience living history at the Tsa La Gi Ancient Village and the Adams Corner Rural Village, a reconstruction of a 19th Century Cherokee Territorial community. Costumed guides tell the stories and history as they walk visitors through the village.
In Tsa La Gi, visitors experience life in a Cherokee village before European contact. Such arts and skills as flint knapping, the Stone Age art of making tools and weapons, blow gun shooting, pottery and basket making, canoe hulling and the deadly “game” of stick ball are all demonstrated. Guided tours through the village run every hour.
Visitors are invited to explore Adams Corner on their own and see how residents lived in the late 1800s. The authentic structures were all moved to Adams Corner from locations around Tahlequah and include a one-room school, a general store, a church, a log cabin and a frontier home.
Outdoor Theater
The Cherokee Heritage Center has one of the most beautiful outdoor theaters in the country in which Cherokee history-based dramas are staged during the summer months.
Since 2007, they have offered a unique opportunity to be part of an interactive dinner theater, staging Under the Cherokee Moon, not in the amphitheater, but in both Adams Corner Rural Village and in Tsa La Gi Ancient Village. The drama has drawn much acclaim for its historical accuracy and inventiveness.
Admission to all attractions at the Cherokee Heritage Center, excluding the outdoor drama, is $8.50 for adults, $5 for children and $7.50 for seniors and students with ID. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM. The Center is open year-round except January.
For more information about the museum, art shows and outdoor theater tickets, contact the Cherokee Heritage Center, (888) 999-6007.
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