Press Releases

Natchez Trace Rangers will have additional patrols and conduct checkpoints during the Labor Day Weekend, starting on August 31, 2017, and continuing until September 4, 2017, as part of a national effort to promote traffic safety. 

TUPELO, MS: The Natchez Trace Parkway and the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation (CIF) will host a program to celebrate Chickasaw cultural history on Tuesday, September 12, 2017, from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. The Chickasaw Dance Troupe will perform traditional dances, and experts will speak about Chickasaw cultural history.

“We are honored to partner with the CIF and provide a venue where scholars of Chickasaw history can share their knowledge. We look forward to hearing more about the culture of the Chickasaw people and seeing how talented Chickasaw dancers are keeping their traditions alive,” said Superintendent Mary Risser.

Guest speakers will be the Chickasaw Nation’s Director of Research and Cultural Interpretation LaDonna Brown, who will speak on Historical Findings on the Chickasaw Village Site, and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Mississippi Dr. Robbie Ethridge, who will speak on From Chicaza to Chickasaw: Hernando de Soto and the Transformation of the Chickasaws. The dance troupe will perform after each speaker.

CIF Chairperson Hank (H.T.) Holmes stated, “We are excited to partner with the Natchez Trace Parkway as part of our 2017 Celebrations series. Forming lasting partnerships is critical to CIF’s mission to preserve, protect, and interpret Chickasaw history and culture in the Homeland. The Chickasaw Nation Dance Troupe and the exceptional scholar guest speakers will provide attendees with an opportunity to develop a greater appreciation for the region’s Chickasaw heritage.”

This event is part of the 2017 Mini-Celebration program series sponsored by the CIF. The final program in the series will be held in Holly Springs, Mississippi on September 14, 2017.

This program is free to the public. Indoor auditorium seating for the lectures is limited to 55. Weather permitting; the dance troupe will perform outside with no audience size limit. The Visitor Center is located at milepost 266 on the Natchez Trace Parkway, near Tupelo, Mississippi. For additional information, please call (662) 680-4027 or (800) 305-7417.

The Natchez Trace Parkway invites visitors to enjoy the talents and sounds of local musicians at the Parkway Information Cabin on Saturday, September 16, 2017, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.

The Natchez Trace Parkway invites children and their families to “Beak Knows Best,” a Junior Ranger program to be held at the Parkway Visitor Center on Saturday, September 16, 2017, at 10:00 am.

The Tombigbee Pioneer Group will demonstrate pioneer era crafts and skills at the Parkway Visitor Center, from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm on August 26, 2017.