The commission shall cooperate and work with the citizens and elected officials in the various counties where the trail is located and shall promote and publicize the De Soto Trail in this state and abroad. The commission will strive to reconcile local interests with the results of bona fide scholarly research.
The commission shall encourage and support Mississippi's participation in the regional De Soto Trail Commission that is comprised of representatives from the states through which the De Soto Expedition traveled. The commission shall cooperate with the Regional De Soto Trail Commission and the National Park Service in their efforts to establish a National De Soto Trail as part of the National Trails System.
The commission shall support and encourage scholarly research in archaeology and history related to the De Soto Expedition. The Department of Archives and History shall undertake to publish the results of such research in The Journal of Mississippi History or Mississippi Archaeology in order to make the results of the research available to the citizens of Mississippi.
The commission shall plan, promote, and coordinate a statewide commemoration or festival which shall be held in May, 1991 in recognition of the 450th anniversary of Hernando de Soto's Expedition in our state, and may schedule other appropriate ceremonies to commemorate the De Soto Expedition.
The commission shall file with the Legislature and Governor a complete report of its activities by August 30 of each year. The commission's minutes and other permanent records shall be deposited in the Department of Archives and History.