Chattanooga, Tennessee

Doors as Metaphors:  Do you see a headstone or an arched doorway? The traditional headstone took the shape of a door in the form of an arch, perhaps to symbolize triumphal passage from one world to the next. The Brainerd Mission was established to bring 'civilization' to the Cherokees, but one of the most uncivilized policies of the U.S. government was enacted exactly six months after this missionary couple's little boy died. The Indian Removal Act was signed into law and most of the Cherokees living in eastern Tennessee were moved out to the 'Great American Desert.' Brainerd Mission Cemetery. [2013]