The Marietta History Center is scheduled to host a three-day symposium on Indigenous history in Georgia from Nov. 13 to Nov. 15, bringing together scholars, a Cherokee elder and a painting discussion spread across three different venues in Cobb County and beyond. The event, titled “Before, At, and Beyond 250: Indigenous Cultural History in Georgia,” is planned as part of the center's programming tied to America's 250th anniversary.
According to Cobb County Courier, the symposium opens Friday, Nov. 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Marietta History Center, located at 1 Depot St. That evening's program is set to include a reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres in the galleries, paired with a participatory discussion of William Verelst's 18th-century painting, Audience Given by the Trustees of Georgia to a Delegation of Creek Indians, according to the same outlet. A Facebook post from the City of Marietta, Ga., Government, published Tuesday, describes the Friday session similarly, noting the hors d'oeuvres and the interactive discussion of the painting depicting Georgia's trustees meeting Creek leaders.
Saturday Speakers Include a Cherokee Elder and a College Historian
The symposium's second day shifts to the Marietta City Schools Meeting Room at 250 Howard St., where four speakers are scheduled to present from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 14, with a light breakfast and lunch included, per the Courier's report. Among the scheduled presenters is Tony Harris, a Cherokee Nation citizen and Cherokee elder, whose talk is billed as “Ethnobotany: If Plants Could Talk-A Cherokee Relationship,” focused on Cherokee relationships with plants. Dr. Tammy Byron of Young Harris College is also scheduled to speak, presenting on Southeastern Indians of the Revolutionary Era, the outlet reports.
The Facebook announcement from the city adds that Saturday's four guest speakers are expected to cover historical events, ethnobotany and Cherokee language revitalization. Marietta History Center director Amy Reed framed the broader purpose of the symposium in comments to the Courier, saying, “The land that would become Marietta and Cobb County was home to Indigenous peoples at the time of our nation's founding.”
Weekend Wraps Up With Outdoor Tour at Etowah Mounds
The symposium is scheduled to close on Sunday, Nov. 15, with a guided outdoor tour and weapons demonstration from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site, 813 Indian Mounds Road SE in Cartersville. The tour is planned to proceed outdoors rain or shine, according to the Courier's reporting.
Admission for the full three-day symposium is listed at $20, with individual daily tickets priced at $10 for Friday, $10 for Saturday and $5 for Sunday, per the same report. The Marietta History Center notes on its website that the symposium is one of several programs it is running in connection with the nation's 250th anniversary.
