Tribal citizens from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma will present cultural programs, September 12-13, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Cherokee War of 1776.

In conjunction with the "Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation" exhibition, join us for traditional Cherokee dance, crafts and storytelling programs, blowgun demonstrations, 18th-century living-history and scholarly lectures.

Gallery tours throughout the weekend will focus on the historical importance of the Cherokee leader Dragging Canoe (Tsiyu Gunsini), whose resistance against the United States lasted nearly 20 years.

Cultural Living History 

^{From left to right: John Standingdeer, Jr., Matt Tooni and Kody Grant (Photo by Nina Wilder/Virginia Humanities)}

John Standingdeer, Jr. presents 18th-century Cherokee living history as an elder and Cultural Ambassador for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Kody Grant (Pueblo of Isleta and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) is a tribal liaison for the University of Virginia and a cultural educator focusing on the lifeways and culture of historic Cherokee people. He helps connect people with modern American Indian communities and explores how their relationships with the United States have shaped their present-day experiences.

Matt Tooni, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, will offer traditional Cherokee storytelling and demonstrate finger-weaving crafts. He is a fluent Cherokee speaker and teaches the Cherokee language at New Kituwah Academy.

Lectures

Saturday, September 12 • 'We Will Hold Our Lands'

Cherokee Nation citizen Brandon Dillard will present "'We Will Hold Our Lands': Cherokee Independence and the American Revolution," an overview of the 18th-century conflict in Cherokee Country. Dillard will encourage reflection on the Cherokee-American War and discuss "Unrelenting: Cherokee People and the American Revolution," an exhibit on display at the Museum of the Cherokee People.

Brandon Dillard, director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Monticello, focuses on the practice and technique of public history, especially on the interpretation of slavery and Indigenous histories and perspectives.

An interdisciplinary scholar with degrees in philosophy and anthropology, Dillard is a Royster Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is pursuing a doctorate in American Studies.

Sunday September 13 • 'My Thoughts and My Heart are for War'

Travis Henline, curator of Indigenous History & Culture for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, will present "'My Thoughts and My Heart are for War': The Cherokee War of 1776," examining the causes and consequences of the first war of the newly formed United States against an Indigenous nation.

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About the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days) and located on Route 1020 near the Colonial Parkway in Yorktown.

A commemorative partner of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown tells the story of the nation’s founding. Comprehensive indoor exhibits and outdoor living-history areas capture the transformational nature and epic scale of the Revolution and its relevance today.

Admission tickets can be purchased online or in person. Plan your visit today or call (757) 253-4838 for more information. Parking at the museum is free for museum visitors. A free shuttle service is available to Historic Yorktown on the Yorktown Trolley.