A proposed memorial in Rome would honor the Cherokee Nation and commemorate the forced removal of the Cherokee people from North Georgia.

Former Rome Rotary President Doug Walker presented the proposal Tuesday to Rome’s General Administration Committee, asking for permission to locate the Rotary project at Ridge Ferry Park near the Chieftains Museum.

Plans call for a 25-square-foot plaza with a statue at its center. Walker said the project is intended specifically to remember the removal of the Cherokee Nation while also recognizing the history of the Cherokee people who once lived throughout North Georgia.

The project is being funded through private contributions. According to information presented to the committee, the memorial fund has received about $33,000 in donations with another $10,000 pledged. Walker also plans to seek grants. No government funding has been requested, and organizers currently do not plan to seek taxpayer funding.

If the memorial is placed at Ridge Ferry Park, Rome Rotary would be responsible for its upkeep.

Walker described the proposed memorial as a “living educational space,” with hopes that area schools will use the site to help students learn more about Cherokee history and the removal of the Cherokee people from their ancestral homeland.

The goal is to complete the project sometime in 2027, a significant year in Cherokee history as it will mark the 200th anniversary of the Cherokee Nation’s adoption of its constitution.

The proposal remains in its preliminary stages, with the request presented to the committee concerning the location of the memorial.