Shintok (mounds) are located throughout our historic Homeland of present-day western Tennessee, northern Alabama, southwestern Kentucky and northern Mississippi, and serve as physical reminders marking the presence of our ancestors. These sacred sites, created by our ancestors, served as the foundation for minko (leader) houses, temples and other ceremonial buildings. These shintok tell the story of social and political organization, trade routes and daily ways of life in the Southeast.
While the sites shown in the Mounds of the Chickasaw Homeland booklet are not currently owned or maintained by the Chickasaw Nation, we are committed to protecting and preserving these sacred sites out of respect and appreciation for our ancestors. The Chickasaw Nation does not promote or consent to excavation of these sacred sites.
This booklet serves as a tool for self-guided tours throughout parts of our Chickasaw Homeland in Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. As you visit these shintok, we hope you build a connection with our ancestors and their way of life, and share in our respect for these sacred sites. To request a physical copy of the booklet, please contact the culture and humanities office in Ada, Oklahoma, at (580) 272–1285, or the Homeland Affairs Office in Tupelo, Mississippi, at (662) 260–5170.