By Suzy Alstrin
The Georgia Archives’ inaugural American Indian Heritage Symposium featured a keynote address by a contingent from Reinhardt University. Jeff Bishop, Director of the Funk Heritage Center and Bennett History Museum (FHC/BHM) led a team of experts in the history of Northwest Georgia’s Indigenous people. Their presentation at the November 8th event in Morrow, Georgia explored the significance of the Cherokees and other Native Americans in the region’s history while emphasizing deep, enduring connections between Indigenous communities and the land.
The team highlighted the FHC’s efforts to build partnerships with tribal communities and enhance the interpretation of their history. “We wanted to discuss the mission of the Funk Heritage Center, which is charged with telling the stories of this area’s original inhabitants and also of the early pioneer settlers in the Appalachians,” explained Bishop. “We couldn’t be prouder to share all of this work, and to talk about the ongoing work with the tribes, both through NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) and through partnerships like the recent Cherokee Nation History Course. We were honored to share the news of these and other efforts with others across the state.”
The following day, on November 9th, representatives from the FHC attended the Georgia Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association’s meeting in Hall County, Georgia, and discussed the National Park Service site certification process. Bishop serves on the organization’s board of directors, as well as the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC).
Simone Cramer-Thorne (RU-2026), a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians contributed to the Georgia Archives panel. She works at the FHC/BHM while studying at Reinhardt. She feels passionate about advocating the facility’s purpose. “Once I got my feet wet and got into that museum, it just melted my heart. I want to do everything that I can to help our Earth and teach and learn about the history and culture,” she explained. “Just walk around and absorb the feeling that you get when you’re in there with the history… the different eras, Paleo to Mississippian to learning about heritage and where you’re from.”
Reinhardt Professor of History Andrew Jones also joined the panel. He serves as the project lead of the Cherokee Voice Project, funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities to transcribe thousands of claim documents filed by citizens of the Cherokee Nation, before the Trail of Tears in the 1830s. Christopher Walker (RU-2024) has been actively involved with the project and accompanied Dr. Jones. The team was rounded out by Steve Mathis of the Cherokee Nation and the Georgia Cherokee Community Alliance, and Ariana Persico, a Chippewa and a University of Alabama NAGPRA coordinator who is doing her Ph.D. thesis on the Funk Heritage Center.
