The designers of this progressive Cherokee National Museum exhibit wanted the visitor to empathize on a human level with the Cherokee who endured the Trail of Tears. Visitors can view historically and culturally significant artifacts and artwork as well as learn about the journey of the Cherokee and four other tribes through the Trail of Tears exhibit permanently housed in the National Museum. It begins with the social sophistication of the Cherokee, then leads to the brutal injustice of their banishment and "death march 1000" to where the museum stands today. Through special effects lighting, videos, audio recordings, artwork, life-cast figures and holograms, this exhibit gives a detailed account of the Trail of Tears, a tragedy that has become a symbol for the suffering of all American Indian people.
This award-winning, permanent, and fully ADA compliant exhibit features digital graphic and text panels, 3D textured maps, braille plaques that correspond to specific sections of a self-guided audio tour, artifact cases, and A/V interactives.
