We are a museum in transition! Founded in 1948, we are proud to be one of the oldest tribal museums in the country. Our Museum has always been on the cusp of innovation, and it is time again for an update.

The Museum is actively working to gather feedback from our community and visitors to imagine what a new museum might look like. We are excited to invite you on this journey with us. The last renovation to our main gallery was in 1998, but we have made some changes based on new museum best practices:

• We have taken ceremonial and funerary objects off view because we must be respectful of Cherokee protocol.
• We have added interpretation that invites our visitors to put on their We ask questions: why do some of our labels talk about Cherokee people in the past tense? Why do we have labels that use “they/them” instead of “we/us?”

We are also asking questions about using a timeline through the whole Museum. Many museums use a timeline, starting in the Paleo period, to talk about Native people. When we talk about ourselves, however, we know that we have been in this place since time immemorial. A Cherokee methodology highlights stories rather than a timeline to explain Cherokee ideas and worldviews.

There are three exhibitions currently open at the Museum of the Cherokee People:

• sov·er·eign·ty: Expressions in Sovereignty of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the changing exhibition space. This exhibition is a model for how we are hoping to tell more stories in the future. It is organized by theme, rather than a timeline.
• We also currently have an exhibition called ᏗᏓᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎦᏓᏆᏟ Didanesisgi Gadagwatli – Mud Dauber Pottery that showcases the work from students of Tara McCoy’s (EBCI) intensive pottery class. This is the third iteration of her class, designed to uplift pottery as a long-time Cherokee artform that will be perpetuated for generations to come.
• The main galleries are refreshed with new interpretation that includes both the original 1976 exhibit and the 1998 renovation.

• Our goal is to begin construction by 2029. In the meantime, we are researching topics and questions that have come from our community and interactions with visitors.
• We need your help! We want to hear from you, so please come to our programs, sign up for our newsletter, and continue to let us know what you think: motcp.org/contact

All exhibits, restrooms, Museum Store, and Education Wing are ADA accessible. Service animals are permitted. Handicapped parking is available in front of the entrance.

Learn more about MotCP’s History.