After the collapse of the Mississippian way of life in the 1500s with the advent of European colonization , copper still retained a place in Native American religious life as a special material . Copper was traditionally regarded as sacred by many historic period Eastern tribes . Copper nuggets are included in medicine bundles among Great Lakes tribes . Among 19th century Muscogee ( Creek ) , a group of copper plates carried along the Trail of Tears are regarded as some of the tribe 's most sacred items
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Mississippian copper plates