National Park Partners presents three unique events each fall with fascinating speakers and topics related to National Parks and conservation; Indigenous culture and history; and Chattanooga’s place in the U.S. Civil War. The Rita Vital Memorial Moccasin Bend Lecture Series was founded in 2006 by Tennessee Representative Greg A. Vital and has been sustained into our 19th year through his generous sponsorship.

Our series takes place on Monday evenings at 7:00 pm at the Tennessee Aquarium facilities. All lectures are free and open to the public. Recordings of previous lectures are available on-demand on our YouTube Channel.

2024 MBLS EVENTS

Monday, September 16 @ 7:00 pm - TN AQUARIUM RIVER JOURNEY AUDITORIUM

“From Shiloh to Fort Pillow: Preserving Tennessee’s Civil War History”

SPEAKER: Dr. Timothy Smith, University of Tennessee at Martin

The 2024 Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series begins on Monday, September 16th at 7 p.m. with a focus on the preserving Tennessee's Civil War stories and battlefields with Dr. Timothy Smith. Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University in 2001 and currently teaches history at the University of Tennessee at Martin. He is a veteran of the National Park Service and, in addition to numerous articles and essays, he is the author, editor, or co-editor of more than twenty books with several university and commercial presses. His books have won numerous book awards, his trilogy on the American Civil War’s Tennessee River campaign (Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and Corinth) winning a total of nine book awards. Dr. Smith recently finished a five-volume study of the Vicksburg Campaign for the University Press of Kansas and a new study of Albert Sidney Johnston for LSU Press. He resides with his wife Kelly and daughters Mary Kate and Leah Grace in Adamsville, Tennessee.

Many thanks to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Department of History for partnering with NPP to bring Dr. Smith to Chattanooga!

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Monday, October 14 @ 7:00 pm - TN AQUARIUM IMAX THEATER

National Trail of Tears Association Conference Keynote Address

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation

The 2024 Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series continues on Monday, October 14th at 7 p.m. as we welcome Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., delivering the keynote address for the annual Trail of Tears Association Conference and Symposium being held in Chattanooga. Chuck Hoskin Jr. serves as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest tribe in the United States with more than 450,000 citizens. Prior to being elected in 2019, and re-elected in 2023, he was Cherokee Nation’s Secretary of State and also served as a member and Deputy Speaker of the Council of the Cherokee Nation. As Principal Chief, he increased minimum wage at Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses and secured the largest language investment in the tribe's history to expand Cherokee cultural preservation. He appointed the tribe's first delegate to the U.S. Congress. He prioritized health and wellness initiatives, including record investments in behavioral health and addiction treatment. Chief Hoskin has also expanded tribal workforce training programs, sustainable housing, protections for natural resources, and educational opportunities for Cherokees of all ages. He, along with First Lady January Hoskin, has elevated the voices of women and children, and their safety, within the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

We are honored to partner with the National Trail of Tears Association for this special program.

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Monday, November 4 @ 7:00 pm - TN Aquarium river journey auditorium

Victorian Christmas Tradition

Kelly Hancock, American Civil War Museum

The 2024 Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series wraps up at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 4th with Kelly Hancock, Director of Programs at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, VA. Christmas today is far removed from what it was in the mid-19th century, yet it was during that period that many of our current-day traditions developed. Discover the origin of some of the most beloved elements of Christmas and hear accounts of Civil War Christmases. 

As director of programs, Kelly Hancock oversees educational programs and historic site interpretation at the American Civil War Museum for the general public, students, teachers, and senior adults, initiating the research, development, and implementation of programs for audiences both on- and off-site. A museum professional for over twenty years, she has a passion for uncovering history and bringing to light lesser-known stories from the past. Kelly is a graduate of Eastern New Mexico University.

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