Chickasaw Village Site
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Chickasaw Village Site is located on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a historic trail stretching from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi. The area around the city of Tupelo used to be the home of the Chickasaw people. The location of the village site is believed to be the historic location of a Chickasaw fort and village that was inhabited through the 1700s. During their time in the Tupelo area, the Chickasaw had a population of about 2000. The Chickasaw tribe ceded their land to the United States and moved to Oklahoma between 1837 and 1847.
Images
The Chickasaw Indian exhibit shelter
The exhibits describe the history of the site and show visual depictions of what it could have looked like
The archaeological site at the Chickasaw Village
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Chickasaw Village Site is believed to be a historic home of the Chickasaw people. With a population of around 2000, the Chickasaw tribe inhabited a prairie near Tupelo, Mississippi. The village site itself was the location of a fort and several homes, but the buildings do not remain today. The site has several archaeological sites and marked locations of home foundations as well as drawings that depict what the village could have looked like when the Chickasaw inhabited it.
The Chickasaw tribe has a very rich history of conflict. During the English-French Conflict from 1700 to 1763, the Chickasaw tribe allied with the British and fought against French expansion. With British help, the Chickasaw managed to both remain independent and threaten French use of the Mississippi for shipping. The Chickasaw tribe was the only tribe along the Mississippi not conquered by or allied with the French. Although the French attempted to destroy the Chickasaw, they fought back and resisted until the war was over.
The English-French Conflict sparked a smaller battle between the French and the Chickasaw, the French-Chickasaw War of 1736. Bienville wanted the Chickasaw tribe destroyed, so he led an army to the fortified Chickasaw village of Ackia. The Chickasaw defeated Bienville and his army, forcing them to retreat.
Today, the Chickasaw Village Site focuses on conservation and education, helping others understand the rich history of the Chickasaw people. In 2017, unused power lines and poles were removed from the site and the surrounding areas, reducing the impact of modern society on the historical location. The removal of the power lines allows visitors to get a more accurate glimpse of what the site could have looked like during its days as a Chickasaw village.
The Chickasaw tribe has a very rich history of conflict. During the English-French Conflict from 1700 to 1763, the Chickasaw tribe allied with the British and fought against French expansion. With British help, the Chickasaw managed to both remain independent and threaten French use of the Mississippi for shipping. The Chickasaw tribe was the only tribe along the Mississippi not conquered by or allied with the French. Although the French attempted to destroy the Chickasaw, they fought back and resisted until the war was over.
The English-French Conflict sparked a smaller battle between the French and the Chickasaw, the French-Chickasaw War of 1736. Bienville wanted the Chickasaw tribe destroyed, so he led an army to the fortified Chickasaw village of Ackia. The Chickasaw defeated Bienville and his army, forcing them to retreat.
Today, the Chickasaw Village Site focuses on conservation and education, helping others understand the rich history of the Chickasaw people. In 2017, unused power lines and poles were removed from the site and the surrounding areas, reducing the impact of modern society on the historical location. The removal of the power lines allows visitors to get a more accurate glimpse of what the site could have looked like during its days as a Chickasaw village.
Sources
1. Chickasaw Village Site. Natchez Trace Travel. Accessed June 12, 2019. https://www.natcheztracetravel.com/natchez-trace-mississippi/tupelo-ms/141-chickasaw-village-site.html.
2. Chickasaw Village Viewshed Improvement. National Park Service. October 05, 2017. Accessed June 12, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/natr/learn/news/chickasaw-village-viewshed-improvement.htm.
2. Chickasaw Village Viewshed Improvement. National Park Service. October 05, 2017. Accessed June 12, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/natr/learn/news/chickasaw-village-viewshed-improvement.htm.