Native American Heritage

Itinerary

Day 1

Drive to Natchez, Mississippi, the oldest permanent settlement on the Mississippi River, and tour the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. These people were once the rulers of the area, but are now lost to extinction. Impressive mounds and a museum tell the story of the original Natchez society. You may wish to tour some of the many splendid antebellum mansions in Natchez and later explore Natchez Under-the-Hill, a historic district of shops, restaurants and riverboat casinos.

Day 2

Travel northeast on the historic Natchez Trace Parkway and stop at Emerald Mound, built in 1400 A.D. by ancestors of the Natchez. Another short drive takes you to Mangum Mound. Artifacts found here reveal much about prehistoric Mississippians. Continuing on this scenic parkway, you'll find many historical markers - at least 19 that pertain to Native American history - and roadside parks. Discover the rich and varied heritage of the Trace, once a buffalo trail along a watershed, later a trail for Native Americans, settlers, flat- boatmen and highway robbers. Now it is a peaceful drive from Natchez to Nashville, Tennessee.

The parkway is interrupted by Jackson, the capital of Mississippi. Here, the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi operates the Chimneyville Crafts Gallery at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry/National Agricultural Aviation Museum. Authentic Choctaw swamp- cane baskets and beaded jewelry are for sale. Near the gallery is the Fitzgerald Collection Building, which houses a large exhibit of arrowheads. Tour the Old State Capitol Historical Museum, which contains interpretive displays of prehistoric lifestyles of the area.

Day 3

Pick up the Natchez Trace north of Jackson and stop by the Mississippi Crafts Center in Ridgeland, housed in a typical "dogtrot" cabin at the edge of the woods.

After a beautiful drive alongside an eight-mile section of the Ross Barnett Reservoir, leave the Trace and drive east to Philadelphia, where the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians have made their home since before recorded time. The reservation offers a crafts shop and a museum that provide a look at tribal life. In addition, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians operates the Silver Star Resort and Casino near Philadelphia, offering fine dining, thrilling casino action and two championship golf courses. A tour of the Choctaw Reservation also gives you a look at the prosperity and advancement of the Choctaws. Northeast of Philadelphia is Nanih Waiya, considered to be the "mother mound" of the Choctaw creation legend.

Return to the Trace via Louisville. There are several marked historical sites to see before arriving in Tupelo. "Tupelo" is from the Chickasaw word for "lodging place." It is also the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

Day 4

See the Tupelo Visitors Center/ Natchez Trace Parkway Headquarters museum and a 12-minute audiovisual program on the history of the Trace. Continue on to the Marshall County Historical Museum in Holly Springs to see displays of Chickasaw artifacts and prehistoric fossils.

Your journey now turns southwest to Greenwood in the Mississippi Delta. The city was named for Greenwood Leflore, a principal mediator for the Choctaws in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830.

Day 5

At Cottonlandia Museum, learn about Native American history and the story of cotton farming in the rich land of the Mississippi Delta. Drive west to Greenville and north to the Winterville Mounds Museum State Park, one of the largest mound groups in the Mississippi Valley. Here you will see fascinating displays of artifacts found in the area.

Up Highway 61 in Cleveland, you'll find the museum of Natural History on the campus of Delta State University. There you'll make your way through many fossils, skeletal remains and native Mississippi artifacts.