Steelville MO Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee
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Category: Profile

Dr. Erin Whitson

This episode introduces Archaeologist Erin Whitson, the first in her field to focus on finding and interpreting historic encampment sites along the Trail of Tears to learn what the experience was like for people walking the path westward.

Dr. Erin Whitson’s most recent work centers on uncovering the physical traces of one of America’s most consequential and painful migrations—the Trail of Tears. As a doctoral researcher at the Binghamton University Department of Anthropology, she has led an archaeological investigation into Cherokee encampments in Crawford County, Missouri, focusing on identifying and interpreting the temporary sites used along the northern route.