TUPELO, MS-The Natchez Trace Parkway will host an art exhibit by the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma students and present the Chickasaw Nation’s film First Encounter to commemorate the American Indian Heritage Month throughout the month of November. The exhibit and film will be available free to the public from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm in the Parkway Visitor Center auditorium.
The art exhibit pieces were created by students who were encouraged to explore their talents during special Chickasaw Nation art programs. The Chickasaw Nation chose the pieces based on their artistic merit.
The 25-minute documentary film, produced by the Chickasaw Nation, features reenactments and historical experts’ interpretations of the initial encounter between the Chickasaw people and Hernando de Soto’s exploration party. It gives new insights into life and survival in the Tupelo area in the 1500s.
The visitor center is located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi, is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, and will be closed Thanksgiving Day. For more information about this and other Parkway programs, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/natr, or call 1-800-305-7417.
Media Release/Office of the Superintendent, Natchez Trace Parkway
