Martin Methodist will present “Stories of the Cherokee” August 26

Martin Methodist College (MMC) was awarded a $1,300 Arts Building Communities (ABC) grant on August 5 by officials from the South Central Tennessee Development District for its proposed community art project “Stories of the Cherokee.” The event will be a free, public storytelling demonstration by Chief Justice of the Cherokee Nation Troy Poteete that will celebrate Giles County’s deep roots in Native American history.

Justice Poteete will speak on MMC’s campus, sharing the rich tradition of the Cherokee people with Giles County students and residents of all ages through oral history and storytelling. He will also speak at the Trail of Tears Interpretive Center in Pulaski, Tenn., which was erected at the only site in the United States where two major routes of the trail intersect.

“I was thrilled to write this grant and have the opportunity to bring Justice Poteete to Martin Methodist and Giles County,” said MMC’s Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Shanna Hanes. “It’s so important to bridge gaps in understanding, and to achieve that, we must embrace our shared connections to the past. We must educate others so that they may see how Native American culture continues to shape our communities even today.”

Justice Poteete will perform at MMC on Friday, August 26 from 11:00-11:50 a.m. in Martin Hall Auditorium, and the public is encouraged to attend.