Rose Jefferson and Suzanne Russell pose by memorial markers near the site of the first modern day repatriation of Chickasaw remains near the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. Joann Ellis stops on a bridge at Tishomingo State Park in Mississippi.

HOMELANDS AREA, Miss. -Gathered in a rather ordinary looking pavilion along the Arkansas River, members of the Chickasaw Committee of Elders and the Language Committee sang a hymn in Choctaw.

Those in attendance sang solemnly, as if they were commemorating the loss of a loved one. In a sense, they were.

That pavilion sat on the location where the first group of Chickasaws crossed the river July 4, 1837 as they were removed from their beloved homeland.

“It was sad,” said Pauline Brown as she reflected on the experience. She noted that others at the time were celebrating their independence.

“But our people weren’t celebrating, they were sad.”

Many of those on the trip echoed those sentiments.

That stop at the Removal site was the first of many members of the Chickasaw Elders Committee and the Language Committee made during a recent trip to the homelands.

The group also visited sites in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Ancient mounds and a nature trail at the Chucalissa Museum gave visitors an insight into how Chickasaws lived hundred of years ago, prior to European arrival on the continent.

Stanley Smith said he made the trip because he was curious after hearing so many stories about what had happened in the past.

“I just kind of wanted to see how the lay of the land is and get a better feel of how they lived and how they traveled,” said Smith. “It’s kind of hard to imagine how they lived way back there, because everything was harder.”

He added that it was obvious his Chickasaw ancestors must have been highly skilled people to flourish before they had access to modern tools.

“That’s why I’m proud to be Chickasaw,” he said. “If you look back at our ancestors to see what they went through to be where we are today, it’s awesome.”

During a stop at Cedarscape, near Tupelo, Mississippi, many members of the tour were able to view and touch pieces of pottery used by Chickasaws hundreds of years earlier.

Many Chickasaw villages have been located on the Cedarscape site since before European contact until the early 1800s. The Chickasaw Nation and the Archeological Conservancy are managing the site to preserve it for future generations.

Because of shallow soil and erosion, many pieces of pottery are simply lying on the top of the ground, where they can be easily examined.

Suzanne Russell said she enjoyed Cedarscape.

“It felt like home, I guess I could say, because it was really peaceful,” she said.

Cedarscape was one of the highlights of the trip for Rose Jefferson as well.

“I enjoyed seeing the pottery that was left behind,” she said. “I enjoyed looking down on the valley where they had their farms.”

Members of the tour also stopped at Tishomingo State Park in Mississippi.

Vickie Penner said while she had read and studied about the homeland, it was her first time to actually visit.

“I really enjoy looking and imagining where our ancestors may have lived and may have walked,” she said. “That’s been very memorable to me.

“I was really surprised to see how much this Tishomingo looks like the Tishomingo back home,” she added. “The rocks and all the water and everything reminds me of Tishomingo. I really love the way the land looks and this reminds me a lot of the land.”

Joann Ellis said she loved being in the homeland.

“You can just feel that our ancestors walked these grounds,” she said. “That’s where they came from and I feel like this is our homeland. Seeing all these trees I think about how they built canoes out of these tall trees and how they hunted here. I just love it here.”