CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Cleveland's "Cherokee Chieftain" statue is being restored and prepared for relocation.
The statue, by sculptor Peter Toth, is being moved from Johnston Park to the Museum Center at Five Points, said Lisa Simpson Lutts, executive director of the museum.
Melissa Woody, vice president of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Cleveland City Council that the statue's original park placement made it difficult for visitors to find and view.
"Many people drive by it every day and do not even realize it is in the park," she said.
Woody said moving the statue may help protect it from abuse. She said she saw children climbing on the "Chieftain" and that a friend had seen someone urinating on the statue.
The "Chieftain" was removed Aug. 30, Public Works Director Tommy Myers said. A platform is being prepared for the figure at the museum, he said.
Myers said he expects the statue to be installed next week.
When the statue last was restored in 1986, the wood had to be taken apart for treatment, Myers said. This time, he said, that's not an option.
"I don't want to have to take it back apart to treat it and dip it [into chemicals]," he said, so the statue will receive a "basic water treatment" by hand.
Toth carved at least one American Indian statue in each state. Woody said she plans to invite the artist, who lives in Ohio, back to Cleveland for a rededication once the carving reaches its new home.