Indigenous People and Archaeology

Welcome to the Indigenous Peoples and Archaeology driving tour on Nashville Sites. I’m Patrick Cummins, an enrolled member of the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia. This tour is divided into two parts—North and South—with a perfect intermission at the Tennessee State Museum. Each route covers about 30 miles. The southern tour ends at the museum, and the northern tour begins there. You can take them together or separately—just start at the museum and pick a direction! Just remember, if you take the South tour, you’ll need to do the stops in reverse order.

Before we begin, let me offer some background and context. Then, I’ll turn things over to your tour guides, Trenton Wheeler and Savannah Willow McNabb.

Nashville is home to a vibrant and diverse Indigenous community, representing hundreds of tribes from across the country. While our traditions vary, we share a sacred reverence for the ancient sites where Indigenous peoples lived, worked, and were buried. On this tour, you’ll visit several of these places, from an ancient fishweir used to catch fish, to village sites that date back thousands of years. Many of them are located along rivers. For Indigenous peoples, water wasn’t just a source of food and trade—it symbolized life, community, and spirituality.

As Metro Nashville expanded in the late 20th century, many of these ancient sites were threatened by development. In response, Indigenous advocates—myself among them—fought to protect them. Thanks to those efforts, some of Davidson County’s most important Indigenous sites still remain. I’m honored to have worked alongside the local Native community to help preserve these sacred places—efforts that now include this tour. Thank you to the Nashville Historical Foundation and everyone who made this resource possible. Now, let’s begin our journey through the past. 

Hello, I’m Trenton Wheeler. I am Amskapi Piikani or Blackfeet, and I’m a Northern Plains grass dancer and founder of Nashville’s first multi-arts indigenous festival called IndigeNash. 

You’re about to take a tour of Nashville like no other. Long before the city was founded, Indigenous peoples were living, farming, hunting, and building here. Archaeologists call this “prehistory,” meaning before written records. You’ll learn about four major periods of Indigenous history, and as you explore each stop, remember: these were people who lived full lives—who laughed, worked, gathered, and cared for one another.

This tour was written by Dr. Adam Fracchia and students from the Public History program at Middle Tennessee State University. Be safe: don’t use your phone while driving. At each stop, you may listen from your car, walk around, or enter buildings when open to the public. Directions and parking are provided at each stop. If you take pictures, tag us on social media @NashvilleSites. Buckle up—let’s go!

Begin the tour at Aaittafama’ Archaeological Park at the intersection of Old Hickory Boulevard and Hillsboro Pike. You can park at Forest Hills Baptist Church and look across the street to view the park.