Community Lens for March 1

Dusty Haverty of Waleska submitted a photo of what she called a “trail tree” on her property. “Early Native Americans fashioned and used to point in a direction or maybe a fork in the trail or maybe pointing towards water,” she wrote. “The Creeks and Cherokeeslived in this area and this specific tree is probably more than 200 years old, one of the largest in the area.” Before Georgia had roads, it was laced with Indian trails or paths, according to Georgia Encyclopedia. These trails served the needs of Georgia’s native populations by connecting their villages with one another and allowing them to travel great distances in quest of game, fish, shellfish, and pearls, as well as such mineral resources as salt, flint, pipestone, steatite, hematite, and ochre. Many groups followed an annual economic cycle that saw them undertake seasonal migrations in pursuit of plants and animals needed for their existence.