10,000 Years of History: A Field Trip on the American Indians of North Georgia and East Tennessee

A park ranger leads a field trip on American Indians at Moccasin Bend National Archeological District

NPS/C. Barr

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park preserves the landscapes in around Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Union and Confederate Armies clashed during the summer and fall of 1863 during the American Civil War. The vast majority of students who visit Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park do so in support of their curriculum related to the Civil War and Reconstruction. However, people have lived in this area for thousands of years, and the park preserves many resources associated with American Indian groups in the region. A field trip to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park can be a valuable asset in supporting your curriculum in studying the American Indian stories of northwest Georgia and East Tennessee.

Curriculum Standards
An American Indians Field Trip to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Support can reinforce the following topics with your students:

- The cultures of the Cherokee people
- How geography shaped the lives of the people who lived here
- The lives and cultures of people who lived in this region prior to European conquest.
- How contact with Europeans affected the people of the region.
- The effect of exploration and settlement by the Spanish and the British in the region.
- The causes, course, and consequence of the Indian Removal Act and subsequent Trail of Tears (part of which passed through the park).

Rangers will tailor the specific topics covered based on the grade level and state standards for your individual class, as well as the location you chose to visit.

Field Trip Location

Most American Indian themed field trips to the park involve visiting Moccasin Bend National Archeological District. Moccasin Bend preserves sites associated with people living here during the Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian Periods, as well an original route of the Trail of Tears undertaken by the Cherokee in the 1830s. Archeology done on the site has also uncovered evidence of Spanish explorers in the 1500s. We recommend Moccasin Bend as the best location for this field trip.

If you are unable to schedule a physical field trip to the park, check out some of our educational videos on Early American Indians, Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears, Causes of the Civil War, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Geography.

Scheduling a Field Trip

To schedule a field trip, please fill out the Field Trip Reservation form. A park ranger will follow up with you to confirm your reservation and finalize your field trip. Please note that you are not scheduled until you receive this confirmation, which can take a few days.

There are no fees for field trips with Moccasin Bend National Archeological District.

Things to Do During Your Field Trip

In addition to a ranger-guided program on American Indians, there are other things for you to do as well.

If you are visiting Moccasin Bend, please note that there are no picnic areas, restrooms, or other visitor services at the site. Please plan your visit accordingly. There are two hiking trails, the Blue Blazes Trail and the Browns Ferry Federal Road Trace, that your students might hike.

 

Schedule a Field Trip

In order to request a field trip to Moccasin Bend, please download and complete the following sections on the attached "Request a Field Trip" form 

• If you wish to visit Moccasin Bend National Archeological District, please complete the following:
  • Section 1: Contact Information
  • Section 2: Group Details - Park Visit/Field Trip

REQUEST A FIELD TRIP FORM - MOCCASIN BEND

Once you have completed the REQUEST A FIELD TRIP FORM, be sure to save it to your computer. Please email the attached form to [e-mail]. You will receive a reply concerning your potential field trip to the park.