News and Videos

Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee Awarded Midwest Memory Grant

The Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee has been named one of the recipients of the inaugural Midwest Memory Grant from Forecast Public Art, an initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation. This grant program supports rural Midwest communities in creating and preserving monuments that honor untold local histories.

Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the Steelville project stands alongside seven other grantees committed to storytelling through public art. Each recipient receives $75,000 to bring their vision to life, along with $25,000 for capacity building, $10,000 for cultural advisors, and 80 hours of technical assistance from Forecast’s team.

The Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee is working to raise $200,000 for a permanent monument at a historic encampment site, commemorating the forced removal of the Cherokee people through Missouri. Acclaimed Cherokee and Pawnee artist Daniel HorseChief has designed a striking bronze sculpture titled “The Trail.” The piece features a falcon rising from tears and flames, evoking resilience and transformation, with figures symbolizing the diverse human experiences along the Trail of Tears.

“This monument will serve as a lasting tribute to the strength and survival of those who endured the Trail of Tears,” said Jennifer Whitson, a representative of the committee. “With this grant and the community’s support, we are one step closer to ensuring this history is remembered and honored.”

For more information, to contribute to the project, or to get involved, please visit https://trailoftears.steelvillehistoricalsociety.com/.

Steelville Area Historical Society's Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee receives a Missouri Humanities Council Grant!

The Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) has awarded a grant of $25,000 to the Steelville Area Historical Society’s Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee in support of the project titled “The Trail Remembered: Steelville’s Journey to Honor the Past “. The MHC is the only statewide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971.

This project will create a short documentary film showcasing how the small town of Steelville, Missouri, is working to honor the memories of thousands of Native people who encamped there during their forced removal along the Northern Trail of Tears. Produced in collaboration with Indigenous filmmakers, the documentary will follow the Steelville Trail of Tears Remembrance Committee’s efforts to implement “The Trail,” a 10-foot bronze sculpture by renowned Cherokee and Pawnee artist Daniel HorseChief which reflects the hardship and loss of the forced removal and the resilience of the Cherokee people. This piece is symbolically connected to another sculpture by the same artist, “Ascendant” which will be placed in Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, to symbolize the Cherokee people’s resurgence in Indian Territory. Together, these monuments, positioned over 300 miles apart in the Ozark Plateau, connect Steelville and Tahlequah through shared history and remembrance.

The documentary will feature interviews with Steelville community members, artist Daniel HorseChief, and descendants of those forced to walk the Trail of Tears through Steelville. These perspectives will highlight the community-driven efforts to preserve this history and underscore the importance of memorialization through art, research, and remembrance. Through vivid storytelling and compelling visuals, the film will connect Missouri’s role in this national story to broader themes of resilience, cultural preservation, and self-determination. It will educate audiences on the enduring impact of the Trail of Tears while emphasizing the importance of honoring Indigenous history in shaping America’s identity. By collaborating with Native filmmakers, the documentary embraces authentic storytelling, highlighting the importance of Indigenous voices in preserving and interpreting Native history.

This film, to be completed by 2026, will be shared with the community in conjunction with the 250th birthday of the United States, helping to tell share the history of our nation.

Videos

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