Upcoming Exhibits
An exhibition presenting two vivid mirror images- Cherokee society in 1762, as seen by a British lieutenant and diarist, Henry Timberlake, and British society of the same period, seen through the eyes of three Cherokee leaders who convinced Timberlake to bring them to Britain to meet King George III. "Emissaries of Peace" chronicles a peaceful 1762 encounter: the visit of a British delegation to the Cherokee capitol of Echota in eastern Tennessee, after which Cherokee leaders traveled to Williamsburg and London to meet British officials and King George III. At the time, the Cherokees held the balance of power in the southeastern colonies, and the British Crown was courting them as allies against the French. The exhibit uses these events to explore Cherokee and British perspectives of one another's cultures during the period immediately prior to the American Revolution; the role of the Cherokee in colonial American life; and changes in Cherokee culture that resulted from their interaction with Europeans.
The several hundred artifacts in the exhibit include peace pipes, weapons, eyeglasses, uniforms, clothing, tableware, baskets, jewelry, documents, maps and artwork. The exhibit also is accompanied by a catalog and includes video presentations, interactive displays and small-scale dioramas. “Emissaries of Peace” presents 18th century Cherokee and British life with a fresh sense of discovery that we might have if time travel made our visit possible. "Emissaries of Peace," funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, received a presidential designation as a "We the People" exhibit. The exhibit was produced by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, North Carolina. It is the only currently traveling exhibition that is produced by members of an American Indian tribe.
Exhibition support at the Arboretum provided by our Community Partners
Visit our calendar for the most up-to-date events and exhibits.