Historical markers can be erected, history books can be written, but retracing the steps of ancestors is an emotional experience for those who walk the path. Each summer, the Chickasaw Explorers program takes a group of young Chickasaws to the Homeland for a two-week, immersive archaeological experience to visit the places where stories of Chickasaw ancestors have been documented and kept for generations, stories shared by elders and history. In 2019, the program focused on the Natchez Trace and Chickasaw Presbyterian Mission, where two centuries separate these Chickasaw students from the Chickasaw students who lived there in 1820. There is much to be learned and experienced in the Homeland of the Chickasaw people, and here, new stories are created that connect young people to their elders and each other, strengthening their bonds to their Chickasaw roots and home.