STOLEN LANDS, STOLEN STORIES: COLONIZING AND DECOLONIZING CHEROKEE HISTORIC SITES IN GEORGIA

Euro-Americans have historically marginalized Native Americans at historic sites and museums. This research explores the extent of Native American authority and inclusion at historic sites, with a focus on two Cherokee sites in Georgia – New Echota State Historic Site and the Vann House State Historic Site. This thesis considers the current historic interpretation at each site in the context of the Cherokee history of the sites as well as the mid-twentieth century restoration by the Georgia Historical Commission which minimally involved the Cherokee. The effectiveness of Cherokee inclusion in the interpretive process at each site is measured through a set of consultation and collaboration criteria established through lessons learned from the broader historical institutional treatment of Native American historic sites and museums. Using this framework, this thesis proposes changes to shift authority from a traditional curatorial model to a process inclusive of Cherokee voices and knowledge.