A small group of citizens attended an informational meeting about the proposed American Indian museum — to be located on court square in downtown Kosciusko — on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Mayor Jimmy Cockroft welcomed the small crowd, emphasizing that the project needs community support so that it can be realized as a driver of economic development.
“The community needs an avenue to get travelers off the Trace, as well as from around the state and country,” Cockroft said. “If we don’t do anything, we get further behind.”
Darren Milner of the Kosciusko-Attala Partnership (KAP) then delivered a Powerpoint presentation focusing on the impact of museums on local economies elsewhere.
“Museums are economic engines. Statistics show that 86% of American citizens support museums, and there are 850 million visits each year to American museums,” he said.
The proposed American Indian museum would be a part of heritage tourism, a type of tourism that focuses on the local flavor of a particular place.
“Each community has a unique story to tell. Our story is the Natchez Trace and its early inhabitants,” said Milner.
Of the 15 million people who visited the Parkway in 2018, 6.4 million were recreational visitors, according to Milner, and they spent about $93 million in communities along the Trace.
“How many realize that Kosciusko is the closest and largest city to the Parkway? In 2018, 9,900 visitors from all 50 states and eight countries signed the book at the visitor center,” he said, adding that the goal of an American Indian museum would be to pull some of those visitors off the Trace and into Kosciusko.
“We have to be smart about our planning. The museum is for the community and the world, as well,” he said. “It takes a positive commitment from the community for projects that make a difference now and for our future.”
While the state of Mississippi has provided $1 million toward the project, proponents are asking the public to pledge another $1 million by July 2020.
“There is currently a little over $1 million in the bank. The new facility, at $4.8 million, is considerably cheaper than the estimated $8 million to restore the old Leonard’s building,” Cockroft said following the presentation.
Cockroft and Milner then fielded a few questions from the audience, including one about the exhibits that will be contained in the museum.
“The museum should be interactive, hold demonstrations and be constantly changing,” Milner said, adding that exhibits would be rented or bought as budget allows.
Operating costs for the proposed museum are estimated to be $100,000 per year, which includes exhibits, artifacts, and salaries for as many as three full time employees. Volunteers would also be used to assist with day-to-day running of the museum.
“At a $12.00 entrance fee and about 11,000 visitors a year, the museum could make slightly over $130,000 a year,” Milner told an audience member who questioned ongoing support for the museum’s operational costs.
For more detailed information about the museum, visit msmuseumoftheamericanindian.org.
