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Chota Memorial

July 4, 2014 by Christina Berry

Chota MemorialAlong with Tanasi, Chota was one of the two Overhill towns recognized as a “capital” of the Cherokee Nation throughout the 1700s. For many years Chota was known as a beloved peace town because it was home to the uku, Old Hop, the foremost priest-chief of the Nation. Unfortunately, the sanctuary of the town could not stand against the tide of change affecting the Cherokees in the late 1700s. During the American Revolution, Chota, as well as much of the Overhill towns, was destroyed by continental forces and the Cherokee capital was moved.

In 1979, the site of Chota, as well as several other historic Cherokee towns, was inundated by the creation of Tellico Lake. Unlike the surrounding villages, however, the site of Chota was raised above the lake level and connected via causeway to the mainland. A monument, situated directly above the ancient council house location, represents the Cherokee clans and the Nation as a whole.

As the TVA prepared the area for inundation, a series of archeological digs unearthed the foundation for the council house as well as 91 burials. One of these burials was identified (by a pair of spectacles) to be that of the well-known warrior Oconostota. He was reinterred at the Chota site with a grave marker. The other burials were reinterred in 1986 at Sequoyah’s Birthplace Museum a few miles away.


Photos Copyright Christina Berry, All Things Cherokee

Chota Memorial Travel Details

This site is open year-round.

Directions: From Vonore travel east on highway 360. Just past Sequoyah’s Birthplace Museum is a sign leading to Tanasi & Chota. Follow the signs to the site. For specific directions, click the “Directions” link in the location bubble of the map above and enter your starting location on the left.

GPS & Map: 35.55471414719927,-84.13106918334961



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Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: tennessee, travel

About Christina Berry

I am a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation, a member of the Cherokee Artists Association, a charter member of the First Families of the Cherokee Nation, and a member of the Indian Women’s Pocahontas Club. I have a BA in History from the University of Texas at Austin and have been working with Cherokee genealogy and history records for over 20 years. When I’m not working on All Things Cherokee, I keep busy with writing, photography, beadwork, and a massive home renovation project.

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