Grand Village of the Natchez Indians

Stickball and Social Dancing

Join us for Stickball and Social Dancing at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 24, at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. Stickball is a traditional game of the native people of the Eastern Woodlands and is played by such tribes as the Natchez, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee, and Cherokee. Music and dance are important forms of expression for some native peoples, and these living traditions serve to ensure that cultural heritage continues to thrive for future generations. This program is free and open to the public.

Banaha Bread Cooking Demonstration

Join us for Banaha Bread Cooking Demonstration at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians on Saturday, February 18, at noon. Tamela Solomon of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will lead the cooking demonstration. Banaha bread is a traditional food from the Choctaw people made with corn meal and served at traditional gatherings. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, visit info@natchezgrandvillage.com, or call 601-446-6502.

Stories By The Fire

Join us for Stories By The Fire on Saturday, January 21, at 4:30 p.m. at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. Emceed by Grand Village's historian Becky Anderson, this program will feature storytelling by Eli Langley of the Coushatta Tribe and Dan Isaac, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw. A bonfire will also accompany this storytelling. For more information, email info@natchezgrandvillage.com, or call 601-446-6502.

Grand Village of the Natchez Indians Hosts Native American Fashion Designer

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians will host Native American Influence on Modern Design at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 2. This program will feature Indigenous textile artist and fashion designer Tina Benavente. 

“Tina’s presentation will be a fascinating look at the intersection of Native American heritage and fashion,” said Lance Harris, director of the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.  

Not only will Tina Benavente discuss how her heritage influences her work, she will also share design examples at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. 

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians was the main ceremonial mound center of the Natchez people from 1682 until 1730. The 128-acre National Historic Landmark features three mounds, a plaza, nature trail, museum, and store. Administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Grand Village is located at 400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard and is open free of charge to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Sundays 1:30 to 5 p.m.    

For more information, visit info@natchezgrandvillage.com, or call 601-446-6502. 

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Grand Sale at the Grand Village

Join us for an open house at 9 am. on Saturday, December 3, at the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians. This open house will kick-start the three week long holiday sale at the Grand Village and will include Native American artisans demonstrating their products and a children's grab-and-go area focused on Native American style arts and crafts. Refreshments will be served.

Eleventh Moon Storytelling at Grand Village

Gather around the fire at Grand Village of the Natchez Indians and hear storytellers share centuries-old stories about Native people and the natural world on Saturday, January 29, 4:30–5:30 p.m.

This outdoor storytelling program will feature Eli Langley, member of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, and Dan Isaac, member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, along with local storytellers Marianne Raley and Brandon McCranie, emceed by Becky Anderson. 

“We are excited to bring Eleventh Moon Storytelling back to the Grand Village,” said Lance Harris, director of the site.  “This program has entertained families for decades with some of the biggest attendance seen the last several times.  This year’s event will be special due to our excellent guest storytellers.”

The Natchez Indians followed a lunar calendar that was measured by thirteen moons, or months. The month of January was referred to as Eleventh Moon or Cold Meal Moon.

Admission is free, and refreshments will be provided. For more information call 601-446-6502 or email info@natchezgrandvillage.com.

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians will also offer a storytelling workshop earlier that day from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Storytellers Eli Langley and Dan Isaac will discuss and demonstrate the art of storytelling. Registration is limited to twenty people. The deadline is January 21, 2022. For more information or to register, call 601-446-6502, or email info@natchezgrandvillage.com.

Eli Langley is a storyteller who grew up in southern Louisiana surrounded by Coushatta culture and language. In 2021 he was the first Coushatta Tribe member to graduate from Harvard University, where he received credit for knowledge of his own tribal language—Koasati, the Coushatta language.

Dan Isaac is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and a veteran of the United States Air Force. He works with young people teaching the Chahta Social Dances as well as other aspects of Choctaw culture including language, spiritual practices, traditions, and values.

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians was the main ceremonial mound center of the Natchez people from 1682 until 1730. The 128-acre National Historic Landmark features three mounds, a plaza, nature trail, museum, and store. Administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Grand Village is located at 400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard and is open free of charge to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sundays 1:30 to 5 p.m. 

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MDAH 2021 Holiday Closures

In observance of New Year’s Day, The Two Mississippi Museums, Eudora Welty House & Garden, and Grand Village of the Natchez Indians will close early at 3 p.m. on Friday, December 31, and be closed on Saturday, January 1. The Nissan Cafe by Nick Wallace Culinary at the Two Mississippi Museums will be closed through Sunday, January 2.

The archives library will be closed Friday, December 31–Saturday, January 1.

Visit www.mdah.ms.gov/explore-mississippi for more information about each site.

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