The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians is a National Historic Landmark
administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Natchez, Mississippi.
The site was the main ceremonial mound center for the Natchez Indian tribe during the
French colonial period in the Natchez area (1682 - 1730). Today, the Natchez Indians are
known through archaeology and through the wealth of colonial documents written by French
priests, explorers, merchants, and military personnel.
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French trade items on exhibit at the Grand Village
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The Grand Village museum, accredited by the American Association
of Museums, interprets the interaction between the Natchez Indians and the French.
Museum exhibits include French and Native American artifacts. Museum educational
programs for school and adult groups explore the Natchez Indians history, culture, and
archaeology. The programs also focus on the French colonial experience.
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The site presents a number of educational public events during the year,
including storytellings, living history reenactments, a Museum Discovery Week for children,
Summer Film Series, and the annual Natchez Powwow.
The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians is a popular destination for French and Canadian
tourists. During 1997, approximately two thousand French tourists visited the site.
Experienced tour guides who speak French are available through local organizations
such as the Natchez Convention and Visitor Bureau (1-800-647-6724). The Grand Village
museum also offers a French language version of its information brochure.
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Archaeological remains indicate that the Grand Village was occupied from around A.D.
1200 until 1730. The site was not a "village". Instead, the mound center served as a
ceremonial place. The Natchez chief, called "The Great Sun", lived in a house on top
of one of the mounds. The majority of the Natchez tribe lived scattered around the
countryside on family farms. The people gathered periodically at the Grand Village for
religious and social events. Because the Grand Village was the home of the chief, the
French colonial leaders often visited the site to conduct business with the tribe.
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Drawing of the Natchez Great Sun by Antoine Simon Le Page du Pratz
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The first well-documented French contact with the Natchez Indians occurred
on March 26, 1682, when the La Salle Expedition met members of the tribe along the
banks of the Mississippi River in the vicinity of the modern city of Natchez, Mississippi.
After La Salle, French traders and soldiers traveling the Mississippi River began stopping
at the Natchez landing to trade with the tribe. In 1698, the celebrated French-Canadian
naval officer Pierre Le Moyne dIberville established an alliance with the Natchez Indians.
The French built Fort Rosalie, named in honor of the Countess of Pontchartrain, in 1716
on the Mississippi River bluff at Natchez. The fort served as the nucleus of a colony that
helped secure Frances hold on the Lower Mississippi River Valley.
During the 1720s, the French colony at Natchez, backed by the Company of the Indies,
experienced a period of growth. However, misunderstandings between the French and the
Indians led to a series of conflicts. Another problem for the French was the continued
presence of English agents in the Natchez area. England and France were at war in Europe
and the two countries competed for Native American allies in the Mississippi River Valley.
The Natchez tribe was soon divided into pro-French and pro-English factions. The French
colony lost its most influential Indian ally when the Great Sun died of old age in 1728. The
pro-English faction of the tribe gained control and led the Natchez Indians in a revolt against
the French in November 1729. In the war that followed, the French forced the Natchez Indians
to leave their homeland. By the mid-1730s, members of the tribe that escaped capture by the
French were adopted by other tribes, including the Chickasaw, Cherokee, and Creek.
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Map of the French colony at Natchez, circa 1720
Following the war, the French were unable to rebuild the colony at Natchez.
However, France maintained a small military garrison at Fort Rosalie until 1763, when
the English took control of the Natchez area under the terms of the Treaty of Paris.
Today, the Fort Rosalie site is owned by the National Park Service. The fort site is not
developed; however, an interpretive center is planned as part of the development of the
Natchez National Historical Park.
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The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians
administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History
400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard
Natchez, Mississippi
USA 39120
Free Admission
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday; Sundays 1:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day
For information call: 601-446-6502; Fax: 601-446-6503
e-mail: gvni@bkbank.com
© 1998, Museum of New-France Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation,
Grand Village of the Natchez Indians, Mississippi,
administré par le Mississippi Department of Archives and History
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