Cherokee Nation to present 'Path of Resilience' exhibit at Anna Mitchell Cultural Center during Route 66 centennial

Karen Shade, a Cherokee historian on the program, described an exhibit titled Path of Resilience that will chronicle a century of Route 66 in the Cherokee Nation and showcase Cherokee craftsmanship and continuity. Shade said the Anna Mitchell Cultural Center will act as a gateway for visitors entering the Nation from the east on Route 66 and I-44 and will display artworks and stories that convey Cherokee resilience.

The exhibit is presented as an interpretive opportunity tied to the centennial: Shade said organizers will "do our best to relay" Cherokee adaptability and make that history visible to travelers. The program positioned the center in Vinita as a practical first stop for visitors and suggested that the exhibit will include examples of basketry, biography (notably Anna Mitchell's work), and local stories such as Andy Payne's 1928 transcontinental foot-race victory.