National Trail of Tears Association
OUTREACH
- Awards — Cherokee Trail of Tears trailhead and interpretive wayside in Rhodes Ferry Park in Decatur, AL won Award of Excellence in Historic Preservation by Main Street Alabama; Trail of Tears memorial showing removal story of the Five Civilized Tribes etched in stone on banks of Arkansas River in Ozark, AR named Best Downtown Cultural Project by Main Street Arkansas (pedestal display spearheaded by Association volunteer Dusty Helbling and created and maintained through grants and volunteer labor).
- Grants — Missouri Humanities Council funded a $24,000 grant to support research along the northern route, which will be used to create interpretive materials such as signage, digital media, and brochures to enhance cultural and historic tourism.
PROTECTION
- Cabin — Missouri Chapter is leading the effort to assess needs and develop plan for securing remains of the Snelson-Brinker Cabin, a certified site and former county courthouse along the northern route, which was destroyed by a fire in 2017.
CAPACITY
- Communications — Association implemented communications tool to facilitate collaboration within and among different committees and created online training materials.
- Membership — New gift membership package focused on grandparents who wish to involve children early in life in the trail’s preservation and interpretation efforts, with materials designed to change seasonally and be disseminated electronically.
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