Rooted in Resistance:

The Legacy of Junaluska and the Snowbird People

This exhibit explores how cultural resilience, ancestral memory, and the legacies of the Indian Removal Act shape identity, language, place, and power within the Snowbird Cherokee community.

It highlights the strength of the Snowbird people through acts of resistance, survival, and revival—a narrative that continues unfolding today.

From forced removal to assimilation, Snowbird families have navigated generations of disruption. In this small, mountainous community, residents have held steadfast to their language, land, kinship, and culture.

The exhibit traces a journey of remembrance and resistance, beginning with the origins of the Kituwah People to ᏧᏄᎸᎲᏍᎩ (Junaluska), who reclaimed his homeland, and extending to today’s Fading Voices Festival and the mission of the ᏧᏄᎸᎲᏍᎩ ᎤᏪᏘ ᏧᏂᏍᏆᏂᎪᏙᏘᏱ (Junaluska Museum).