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Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall
Florence, Alabama
Her journey began when she and her sister Whana-le were sent to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma as part of the removal of native peoples from the southeast. But, that was only the beginning of her journey. Her tribe called the Tennessee River the Singing River because they believed a woman who lived in the river sang to them. When Te-lah-nay arrived in Oklahoma she said the streams and rivers did not sing to her and she longed for home. After spending one winter in Oklahoma she decides to head home. Even though she is alone the lessons that her grandmother taught her as a little girl help her overcome every peril and obstacle along the way. After enough adventure to literally fill a book she returns home and to the Singing River.
Fortunately, Tom's grandmother (Teh-la-nay's granddaughter) told him the stories about his great-great-grandmother when he was a little boy. Later in life Tom knew he needed to do something to honor her memory. During a conversation with an elder of the Yuchi tribe he was told "All things shall pass. Only the stones will remain." It was then that he knew what he needed to do.
After walking the length of the wall, Charlie Two Moons, a spiritual person, said:
"The wall does not belong to you, Brother Tom. It belongs to all people. You are just the keeper. I will tell you that it is wichahpi, which means 'like the stars'. When they come, some will ask, 'Why does it bend, and why is it higher and wider in some places than in others?' Tell them it is like your great-great-grandmother's journey, and their journey through life--it is never straight."
And, because the wall belongs to all people, Tom Hendrix welcomes all to come and see how he has honored his ancestors. Fortunately, for those traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway the wall sits near the Trace a few miles south of the Tennessee-Alabama state line.
Tom has written a book about Te-lah-nay's journey titled "If The Legends Fade". For more information about the book, its author and a "contact us" link where you can let him know when you wish to visit and to ask directions, please see: www.ifthelegendsfade.com.
1 Miss Monetta's Country Cottage
2 the Dragonfly - an Emporium
3 Collinwood, Tennessee
4 Shiloh National Military Park
5 McGlamery Stand
6 Sunken Trace
7 Holly
8 Cypress Creek
9 Tennessee-Alabama state line
* Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall
10 Rock Spring
11 Lauderdale
12 Tennessee River
13 Colbert Ferry
14 Buzzard Roost Spring
15 Helen Keller Birthplace & Home
16 Riverside Cottage Bed and Breakfast
17 Tuscumbia, Alabama
18 Freedom Hills Overlook
19 Bear Creek
Color Key:
* Wichahpi Commemorative Stone Wall
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