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.