Amy Kostine
The 16th Annual Moccasin Bend Lecture Series concludes with a presentation on Monday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. featuring “Rivers, Rails & Roads: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal.” Guest speaker, Amy Kostine, the National Trails Program coordinator for the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee University, will introduce audiences at the IMAX and via the virtual broadcast, to the role different modes of transportation played in the Chattanooga area and beyond during the Cherokee Removal.
This culminating event in the 2021 series will take place live at the IMAX Theater with an accompanying live broadcast via Zoom, offering all guests the opportunity to participate in the Q&A with Ms. Kostine following her presentation. Register to attend the Nov. 15 lecture in person at the IMAX here. Register for the accompanying virtual broadcast here. Registration is required for each event separately, for either in-person or virtual participation.
For more information, please visit nppcha.org. Organizers will follow all appropriate CDC policy and local health guidelines at the time of the events to provide a safe experience for all guests.
The History Department of UTC will once again co-sponsor the third and final installment of the annual series, a tradition that builds upon the strong relationship between National Park Partners and UTC. "The Moccasin Bend Lecture Series is a wonderful way to introduce our students to the tremendous historical resources of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park," said Dr. Michael Thompson, department head and UC Foundation associate professor of History. "Working with National Park Partners to bring this important series into the community is exactly the type of partnership that deepens UTC's connections to the greater Chattanooga area."
In the summer of 1838, following the Indian Removal Act, three groups of Cherokee left, traveling from present-day Chattanooga by rail, boat, and wagon, primarily on the Water Route. River levels were too low for navigation and, with 15,000 captives still awaiting removal, the Cherokee were granted a postponement until the fall if they voluntarily remove themselves. The delay was granted, provided they remain in internment camps until travel resumed.
Today, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail passes through nine states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee. There are museums, interpretive centers and historic sites along the route that provide information and interpretation for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Additional information, including interpretive maps and resources, can be found online here.
The Moccasin Bend Lecture Series is presented each fall with speakers and topics related to National Parks and conservation; Indigenous culture and history; and Chattanooga’s place in the U.S. Civil War. The series was founded by in 2006 by Tennessee Representative Greg A. Vital and has been sustained into our 16th year through his sponsorship. All installments of the series are on Monday evenings and are free and open to the public. Audiences can enjoy previous events in the lecture series online here.
Ms. Kostine is the National Trails Program coordinator for the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee University, a position she has held since 2012. Over the years, she has worked on a variety of projects, including National Register of Historic Places nominations, architectural surveys and assessments, historic structure reports, preservation plans, exhibits, brochures, and cultural landscape inventories. Most of these projects have been in partnership with the National Trails office of the National Park Service and focused on the Trails of Tears National Historic Trail. More recently, she has worked on projects on the Santa Fe and Mormon Pioneer national historic trails. Ms. Kostine is the recipient of a Tennessee Native American Eagle Award. She received her A.S. in photography from Onondaga Community College, B.A. in history from LeMoyne College, and M.A in history with an emphasis in public history and historic preservation from Middle Tennessee State University.