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Trail of Tears Through Steelville, Video Links

Here is somed great information about the Trail of Tears and how the small Missouri town of Steelvile is connected.

Archaeologist Erin Whitson

Season Two of My Ozarks continues to Steelville, a town of 1,500 people in Crawford County, Missouri. Steelville is located along the Northern Route of the Trail of Tears where thousands of Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), and their enslaved people camped during the forced removal of Native people from the southeastern United States. 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. A film directed by Gabriel Hunter Sheets, Director of Photography Jesse Bader, filmed on location in Crawford County, Missouri. Presented by Ozark Vitality, in partnership with the Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee. Major funding provided by Missouri Humanities. Learn more at https://www.ozarkvitality.com/my-ozar…

Grantee Spotlight

Missouri Humanities Council Grantee Spotlight

In this grantee spotlight, we go behind the scenes during production of My Ozarks Episode 11, which received grant funding from Missouri Humanities. The episode features archaeologist Erin Whitson and the efforts to preserve stories and places along the Trail of Tears in Missouri. WATCH NOW: https://h-tv.org/programs/ozarks_bts The Missouri Humanities Council requires registration to view the videos.

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Steelville Archeologist Erin Whitson, St. Louis Public Radio (KWMU)

Of all U.S. states, Missouri has more miles of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. A new episode of the film series “My Ozarks” tells the story of Erin Whitson, an archaeologist who researches her hometown’s connections to the brutal history of Cherokee removal. Whitson talks about her intentional approach to uncovering that history in Steelville, Missouri. Sharon Benoit, a member of Cherokee Keetoowah Tribe of Oklahoma, also joins the conversation to explain why she worked with Whitson, and what makes preserving her ancestors’ history so important.

Walking the Trail of Tears, Steelville, MO. December 2, 2023, Steelville Remembrance Committee, Walk, Bike, Trail Ride.

In case you wondered what people were thinking about the 4.6 mile walk along Long Springs Road…Listen to what Jen Tracy, and friends, had to say… Thank you, Rob Brandenburg, for sharing your knowledge with others!! December 2, 2023, Steelville Remembrance Committee, Walk, Bike, Trail Ride.

Finding The Trail of Tears In Missouri, Dr. William Ambrose

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Trail of Tears National Historic Trail

The forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from the southeastern United States reveals one of the darkest chapters in American history. Stories of hardship, endurance, love, and loss come alive as a grandfather experiences removal with his granddaughter. Filmed at many locations along the trail corridor, Trail of Tears commemorates the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians from their homelands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in 1838-1839. Over 4,000 Cherokees died as a result of the removal. The film highlights a tragic chapter in American and Cherokee history and portrays the struggle and determination of the Cherokee people to maintain their dignity and cultural identity. This film is a collaborative effort among the National Parks Service National Trails Intermountain Region, the Cherokee Nation, and Harpers Ferry Center. Executive Produced by Cherokee Nation, Cherokee CRC, LLC An Aperture Films, Ltd. Production