Partnerships, Preservation, and Public Archaeology: Working together to retrace the Trail of Tears across the Mark Twain National Forest

Summary

The Mark Twain National Forest manages slightly less than 1.5 million acres, accounting for approximately 5% of the landmass in the state of Missouri. As a variety of factors continue to influence, and sometimes complicate, the Forest’s land management practices, it has become increasingly important to work with other agencies and organizations in order to accomplish the shared goals of identifying, protecting and interpreting the significant cultural resources held in the public trust. As the largest public landowner in the state, it is no surprise that all three of the major land routes of the Missouri portion of the Cherokee Trail of Tears cross Forest Service land. However, the exact locations of several segments of the Trail of Tears have yet to be identified in the field, and many other questions regarding the history of the trail remain unanswered. In recent years, the Forest has sought to develop innovative strategies to manage this important historic resource. This poster examines the ways in which the Mark Twain National Forest has had success working with other federal and state agencies, as well as educational and non-profit institutions to leverage funds, personnel, and volunteer hours to retrace the Trail of Tears across Missouri.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Celebrating the Contributions of a Community of Preservation: Forest Service Partners and Volunteers

Keywords

Spatial Coverage