14 ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in Georgia
November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of indigenous cultures and people.
There are plenty of events in metro Atlanta to commemorate the month, and historical sites and state parks offer another way to learn about and honor this important part of our state’s and nation’s history.
Native American Month events
Native American Pow Wow and Festival
Experience dance, music, craft and cooking demonstrations, storytelling, wildlife presentations at the annual Pow Wow and Festival at Stone Mountain Park.
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29-Friday, Oct. 30, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31-Sunday, Nov. 1. $15.99 for festival only or included with $36.99-$39.99 attractions ticket. Parking $25 daily or $40 for a yearly pass. Stone Mountain Park, 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain. 478-478-6686, stonemountainpark.com.
First Voices Festival
The fifth annual First Voices Festival celebrates indigenous cultures with multiple events in November.
The festival starts with Art of Activism, featuring storytelling and music with William Harjo, a Muscogee (Creek) elder. He’ll be joined by singer/songwriter Mitch Walking Elk (Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho) as they converse and make music. A preshow reception includes food by Tina Reyes (Apache) of Rez Juice.
A two-day powwow follows, with music, storytelling and dancing, and the festival concludes with a screening of “The Doctrine.” It follows a group of indigenous teenagers who travel from the U.S. to Rome to meet with Vatican officials and advocate for the repudiation of “The Doctrine of Discovery.” These 15th-century Vatican-issued decrees authorized conquest and colonization and later became international and U.S. law.
Nov. 20-27. Art of Activism. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Free. 7 Stages Theatre, 1105 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta. Powwow. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, and Sunday, Nov. 22. Free. Austin Avenue Field, 1136 Austin Ave., Atlanta. Film screening. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-523-7647. 7stages.org.
Story Time: ‘The Story of the Milky Way: A Cherokee Tale’
This musical story time, recommended for ages 8 and under, celebrates Native American Heritage Month with “The Story of the Milky Way: A Cherokee Tale” by Joseph Bruchac and Gayle Ross.
11:30 a.m.-11:50 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. Included with general admission of $23.95-$25.95, free for children 2 and under. Fernbank Museum of Natural History, 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta. 404-929-6300. fernbankmuseum.org
‘A History of Native People in Southern Appalachia’
Award-winning author and educator Mark Warren, author of “A History of Native People in Southern Appalachia,” presents an educational show-and-tell at the Dunwoody Nature Center. The program reveals how the land of Southern Appalachia dictated the lifestyle of its first inhabitants, and attendees will learn about early crafts, weapons, hunting techniques, clothing foods and games.
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. Free. Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody. 770-394-3322. eventbrite.com
Gwinnett County Native American Heritage Month celebration
Experience the vibrant cultures and traditions of tribal nations through food, art and history in this event of reflection, respect and celebration.
6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. Free. Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center parking deck lawn, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. 770-822-8000. gwinnettcounty.com
American Indian Heritage Symposium
The Georgia Archives hostsits annual symposium with this year’s theme of “Beyond the Founding Story: Indigenous Histories, Archives and Memory.” Presenters include Hannah Jancosko and Desiree Billie from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida’s Archives, Libraries & Museums Department, as well as Matthew Sparacio from Georgia State University, who will explore how early American almanacs shaped perceptions of Native Americans and westward expansion and how Native nations later used these publications to tell their own stories.
Noon-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. Free. Georgia Archives, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow. 678-364-3710. georgiaarchives.org
Sandy Springs Library presentation
The Friends of the Sandy Springs Library will sponsor a presentation on Native American culture, a craft activity and a traditional round dance performance by the Metrolanta Native American Organization.
2-3:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7. Free. Sandy Springs Library, 395 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. 404-612-7000. fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com
‘Exile from Georgia: The Cherokee and Muscogee Trails of Tears’
This Atlanta History Center exhibition is the first in the state to bring the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) removal stories together in a single place. It was developed in close collaboration with tribe leaders, artists, scholars and advisers.
Opening Thursday, Nov. 19. Atlanta History Center Buckhead Campus, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta. 404-814-4000. atlantahistorycenter.com.
Georgia historic sites and state parks
Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site
Home to several thousand Native Americans from 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D., the Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site is the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast. Its 54 acres includes a 63-foot earthen knoll that was likely used as a platform for the home of the priest-chief.
813 Indian Mounds Road SE, Cartersville. 770-387-3747. gastateparks.org/etowahindianmounds.
New Echota State Historic Site
The site became the capital of the Cherokee Nation in 1825, was home to the first newspaper published in a Native American language and was also the place where the Trail of Tears officially began. Visitors can explore original and reconstructed buildings such as the Supreme Courthouse and the print shop.
1211 Chatsworth Highway NE, Calhoun. 706-624-1321. gastateparks.org/newechota.
Chief Vann House State Historic Site
Once known as the “Showplace of the Cherokee Nation,” an elegant, 2½-story brick mansion was built by Cherokee leader James Vann on the site in 1904 and is now the state’s best-preserved Cherokee home. Visitors can tour it and also see a 19th century Cherokee farmstead and seasonal gardens.
82 Ga. 225 N., Chatsworth. 706-695-2598. gastateparks.org/chiefvannhouse.
Kolomoki Mounds State Park
Occupied by Native Americans from 350-900 C.E., Kolomoki is the oldest and largest Woodland Indian site in the Southeast. It has seven preserved earthen mounds, including one that, at 57 feet high, is the largest Woodland-period platform mound in the U.S.
205 Indian Mounds Road, Blakely. 229-724-2150. gastateparks.org/kolomokimounds.
Hardman Farm Historic Site
The site, located just south of Helen, is home to the Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound, which is topped with a gazebo and cow pasture. It served as a burial site and was probably used before the Cherokee inhabited the area. And the tree-lined road leading from the Visitor Center to the house is a remaining part of the historic Unicoi Turnpike, a 200-mile road that began as a buffalo trail and then served as a Native American trading route.
143 Ga. 17, Sautee Nacoochee. 706-878-1077. gastateparks.org/hardmanfarm.
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park
The Macon park, whose ceremonial mounds mark the ancestral homeland of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, was named one of the world’s 100 top destinations by Time in 2025. The site, which holds seven ancient mounds built around 900 C.E. on land that has been occupied for over 12,000 years, has supporters pushing for it to become Georgia’s first national park.
1207 Emery Highway, Macon. 478-752-8257. nps.gov/ocmu