Grand Village of The Natchez Indians – Natchez, Mississippi

Grand Village of the Natchez Indians – Natchez, Mississippi

The Grand Village of the Natchez Indians was considered the ceremonial center of the tribe.  This tribe was among the last American Indian groups to inhabit the area now known as southwestern Mississippi.  Evidence shows that the Natchez Indian culture began as early as 700 AD and lasted until the 1730′s when the tribe was dispersed in a war with the French and the effects of the white man’s diseases brought over by De Soto to the area.

The Natchez were successful farmers growing corn, beans and squash.  They also hunted and fished along with gathering wild plant foods to sustain their tribes.

The moundbuilding was an expression of the complex tribal religion with the mounds serving as bases for sacred buildings.  The mounds were flat topped memorial mounds.  Only a few high-ranking tribal officials lived at the mound centers on a permanent basis.  The other members of the tribe lived on farms surrounding the area and would gather at the mounds for social and religious activities.

The 128 acre Grand Village site features a museum, a reconstructed Natchez Indian house, and three ceremonial mounds.  Two of the mounds have been excavated and rebuilt with the third being left for future generations in its present manner as a type of time capsule from the Natchez Indian past.

Additional features of the site include a nature trail, Native American crafts, and a place for children to play and learn.

Admission: Free

Hours: Monday – Saturday 9-5
Sunday 1:30-5

Location: 400 Jefferson Davis Boulevard, Natchez, MS 39120
Directions: In Natchez, turn off US Hwy 61, known as Seargent S. Prentiss Drive with the city limits, at Jefferson Davis Blvd. just south of the Natchez Regional Medical Center.  Proceed on Jefferson Davis Blvd. to the entrance gate of the Grand Village.

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