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Tahlequah, Oklahoma - On the first Saturday of every month members of all federally recognized Cherokee tribes, which includes the Cherokee Nation, The United Keetoowah Band and the Eastern Band of Cherokee, are admitted free to the Cherokee Heritage Center. Each tribal member can bring a guest. A Tribal membership card must be presented. On these days all of the regular attractions are free. Workshops and other special events are not included.

The next Cherokee Saturday is March 1. Visitors can take advantage of the many cultural experiences offered at the Cherokee Heritage Center like the Ancient Village, Adams Corner Rural Village, The Trail of Tears Exhibit, the current traveling exhibit, Native Lands: Indians & Georgia and the museum shop.

The Ancient Village offers guided tours through a replica of a Cherokee village, as it would have appeared before European contact. Visitors can witness Cherokee people performing the daily activities of their ancestors.

Adams Corner Rural Village represents the lifestyles of the Cherokee people in the late 1800's. Visitors can take a self-guided tour through the seven historical buildings that make up this replica of a Cherokee village.

Through the Trail of Tears Exhibit visitors can learn about the tragic journey known as the Trail of Tears traveled by the Cherokees and four of the other "Five Civilized Tribes." Through special effects lighting, videos, audio recordings, art work, life cast figures and holograms, this exhibit gives a detailed account of the Trail of Tears, a tragedy that has become a symbol of the suffering for all Indian people.

The Cherokee Heritage Center currently houses the traveling component of the award-winning exhibition, on loan from the Atlanta History Center. Native Lands: Indians & Georgia exhibition, explores 500 years of Native American history in Georgia through images, texts, narratives, audio tapes and videos. The exhibition celebrates Georgia's original inhabitants, beginning with the Mississippian peoples and continuing with their descendents, the Creeks and the Cherokees. Long before the first European settlers came to what is now called Georgia, the Mississippian Indians developed complex societies on these lands- complete with art, music, ceremony, agriculture, architecture and trade industries.

The Museum Shop offers a wide variety of books, apparel, jewelry, and other native arts and crafts. The Cherokee Heritage Center hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. For more information, call 918-456-6007 or visit the web site.