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Junior Curators

Each week on the Junior Curators blog, we travel back in time to a different place in Tennessee history. Stories may be about a famous person, place or event from Tennessee’s past. They will include things like priceless artifacts, pictures, videos, and even some games. Be sure to better understand the story by answering the questions at the end of each post.

After learning the story, be sure to share what you've learned with your parents, family, or friends. Try making your own exhibit about it, shooting a movie, or writing a story about it. Let your creativity run wild!

 

Category: Native American History

4-26-22

Seeing Through the Smoke: The Story of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

by Jennifer Watts Many songs have been written about the Smoky Mountains. Many you might have heard, like “Rocky Top” and “On Top of Old Smokey.” But what is the story behind the songs? Are you ready to learn more? Let’s take a closer look at the story behind the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The mountains we call the Smokies were formed millions of years ago. They changed into what we see today over all that time. Many people have called them home for t... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 4-26-22
Native American History Tennessee History

3-29-22

Dragging Canoe: A Cherokee Warrior

by Philip Staffelli-Suel Welcome back Junior Curators! Here in Tennessee we have a rich Native American history. Today we are going to be talking about the Cherokee tribe and one of their leaders, Dragging Canoe. That may seem like a unique name but think of it more as a nickname. He was the son of Cherokee diplomat, Attakullakulla. Even at a young age, he wanted to be a warrior. So, he asked his father if he could join a war party. His father refused, so he hid in a canoe. After his fa... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 3-29-22
Communities Native American History Southeastern Indian History

11-16-21

Go See Tennessee: The Enduring Gift that will Live Forever

By Emilee Dehmer East Tennessee: Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Vonore There are so many cool and exciting places in Tennessee. So many, that you might not know about them all. That’s what Go See Tennessee is all about. We’re here to tell you about places we think are neat and that you might want to visit too. It might be helpful to make a “Go and See” list, and whenever you read about a place that sounds cool, write it down, to help you remember it for the fu... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 11-16-21
Innovations Native American History Southeastern Indian History Statehood/Early Tennessee

11-2-21

John Ross: Principal Chief of the Cherokee People

By Jennifer Watts There are times when you need a leader. A person to guide you and keep you moving forward. In the early 1800s, the Cherokee people needed such a leader. A man to fight for their Nation and its people.  That man was John Ross, but who was he? How did he become the great leader the Cherokee needed when times were getting tough? John Ross was not born in Tennessee. He was born October 3, 1790 in northern Alabama. He moved to Tennessee when he was seven years old with his... Read More
Posted by Jennifer Watts at 11-2-21
Native American History Southeastern Indian History Statehood/Early Tennessee

10-12-21

Sequoyah and His Syllabary

By Christopher Grisham If you are here, I bet you can read and write in English. The English alphabet that you know and use today developed over hundreds of years. It used words and rules from many other languages. Many people have made it what it is today. But what if one person sat down and created a written language by themselves? What would that language look like? That is exactly what happened once right here in Tennessee. Around 1776, a man named Sequoyah, or George Gist, was born in ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 10-12-21
Communities Innovations Native American History Southeastern Indian History

8-11-21

The Chickasaws and Tennessee Part 3

by Lauren Grizzard Hello Junior Curators and welcome to the latest blog post! This year, 2021, marks the 225th year of Tennessee statehood. That means it has been over two centuries since Tennessee became the 16th state in the United States of America on June 1, 1796. However, while this is an important point in Tennessee’s history, there were groups of people living here long before statehood in 1796. These groups were known as Southeastern Indians. Their histories, languages, and cul... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 8-11-21
Jacksonian Tennessee Native American History Southeastern Indian History

5-11-21

The Chickasaw and Tennessee Part 2

by Matthew Gailani Hello Junior Curators and welcome to the latest blog post! This year, 2021, marks the 225th year of Tennessee statehood. That means it has been over two centuries since Tennessee became the 16th state in the United States of America on June 1, 1796. However, while this is an important point in Tennessee’s history, there were groups of people living here long before statehood in 1796. These groups were known as Southeastern Indians. Their histories, languages, and cul... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-11-21
Native American History Southeastern Indian History

5-4-21

The Chickasaw and Tennessee Part 1

by Matthew Gailani Hello Junior Curators and welcome to the latest blog post! This year, 2021, marks the 225th year of Tennessee statehood. That means it has been over two centuries since Tennessee became the 16th state in the United States of America on June 1, 1796. However, while this is an important point in Tennessee’s history, there were groups of people living here long before statehood in 1796. These groups were known as Southeastern Indians. Their histories, languages, and cul... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-4-21
Native American History Southeastern Indian History

4-6-21

First Peoples of Tennessee: How did they hunt?

by Katie Yenna Thousands of years before members of the historic tribes lived in Tennessee, their ancient ancestors lived here. They were strong people who lived through the Ice Age, the extinction of their main food source, and the encroachment of foreign settlers. They also did not have a written language, so what they left behind tells us a story of how they lived, worked, and celebrated their culture. Today, you are going to read about one important part of their life, hunting. The Pale... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 4-6-21
Innovations Native American History Prehistoric Tennessee

9-25-20

Digging History: Archaeology Month in Tennessee

by Lauren Grizzard Have you ever wondered how we learn about the past? How do we know about the people living before there was a written language? One of the ways we learn about the past is through archaeology. Since September is Archaeology Month in Tennessee, we thought we’d let one of Tennessee’s State Archaeologists explain not only what it is, but how it impacts our history and daily life: Now that you know a little more about archaeology, are you ready to piece together ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 9-25-20
Native American History Prehistoric Tennessee

5-15-20

First Peoples Quiz

by Lauren Grizzard Native Americans were the first people to live in Tennessee before it was even a state! We have learned a lot about Native Americans and their culture through archaeology (are-kee-all-o-gee). That means to carefully dig artifacts out of the ground to study. The four time periods in the quiz today are prehistoric. Prehistoric is a fancy way to say there wasn’t a written language. Since we don’t have writing to study to know about early Native American culture, w... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-15-20
Native American History Prehistoric Tennessee

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