Noquisi Initiative release
(Editor’s Note: In the July 31 edition of the Smoky Mountain News, an opinion letter was published, written by Mr. Bob Scott, former mayor of Franklin, N.C.
In Mr. Scott’s letter, he said, “Is anyone questioning Cherokee’s Chief Hicks who demanded the town turn over the deed to the Nikwasi Foundation?” In an April 7, 2014, article in the Cherokee Phoenix, reporter Brittney Parker provided an excerpt of Ugvwiyuhi (Chief) Michell Hicks’s remarks during a March 3, 2014, in front of the Franklin Town Alderman. He said, “I make a simple request. Obviously, the Eastern Band feels, for many reasons, that the mound should be back in the name of the Eastern Band. I understand that may not be a simple task as it relates to the history of the mound and the responsibility of the town. One of the things that is important to us as a tribe is to make sure that we are at least part of the process of protecting these lands, these areas that are so rich from a spiritual and cultural perspective. I feel a true responsibility as a tribal leader. As requested by many of our tribal leaders, we want to do our best to do the right thing.”
At that meeting, Mr. Scott praised Ugvwiyuhi Hicks at that time for his position on mound preservation. “It was a productive meeting. Chief Hicks was most gracious, and I felt that after the meeting the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Franklin recognized that we each have a strong kinship to the mound.”
It was near this time (2012-2014) that a separate group assembled for the preservation of the mound which would eventually become the Noquisi Initiative.
The One Feather reached out to the Initiative leadership for a response to other statements by Mr. Scott in his letter, primarily his feeling that projected upgrades, projected by the Noquisi Initiative, to the mound site had not been delivered, referring to a “scalped mound and an empty building on the property” when “a museum” and other amenities had been “promised”. Mr. Scott’s full letter to the editor is available at SMN.)
Noquisiyi Mound in Franklin radiates the life of people who once farmed around its roots, resolved questions at its crest, and celebrated community in its shadow.
Noquisiyi is more than a place. It is a spirit. It is a pathway of continuity from past to present, and on to the future. If you stand quietly beside the Mound, you will feel it. If you are Kituwah (Cherokee), you are part of it.
Noquisi Initiative embraces its responsibility to this place. The Organization has made great advances in developing a leadership team that really represents the Mound. The Board of Directors represents a balance of Kituwah and non-indigenous people. The staff, too, is mixed. This gives the collective a chance to discuss activities and responsibilities from a balanced perspective. This year, the Organization was fortunate to hire an enrolled EBCI member to take on the landscape management of the mound. At long last, a descendant is fostering the dreams of the ancestors at Noquisiyi.
Currently, Noquisi Initiative has developed a new Mound Stewardship Plan. It is in the process of being reviewed by Tribal Historic Preservation and the Town of Franklin. The new plan includes some additional protections and interpretive signs for people coming to the mound wanting to learn a lot more about the heritage and history of Noquisiyi.
In 2019, EBCI purchased a building adjacent to the Mound. It was spruced up and used for the Trail of Tears conference in 2023. Now, Noquisi Initiative is working with EBCI to help fulfill the dream of converting that building into a learning center named: “Gaduni Kanohesgi” by the EBCI Speakers Council.
It takes patience and persistence to design, secure approvals, fund, and construct a brand-new facility. Noquisi Initiative has maintained an unwavering effort toward that end.
Building intercultural awareness goes well beyond the Mound and so does Noquisi Initiative. The long-ago imagined, Cherokee Heritage Apple Orchard was installed along the greenway. There, young Junaluska, Cullasaga, and Horse apple trees along with Indian Cling Peach trees are growing strong to one day produce the same fresh fruits that have long been grown by Kituwah farmers.
A Cherokee Blueway trail is in development to help educate paddlers and fisher people about the Cherokee relationship to local rivers. The signs to be installed have been beautifully designed by Buffalotown Designs with an emphasis on maintaining Cherokee culture while informing non-indigenous people.
Two new graduates of Dadiwonisi, the Robbinsville Cherokee language program, who work with Noquisi Initiative are diligently planning a celebration of Cherokee and Appalachian culture for the Strawberry Gap trail in Gerton. The “Ani & Wanei Cultural Fest” will be held on September 22nd from 12:00 until 4:00 at the Big Barn Venue of Hickory Nut Gap Farm. Cherokee entertainers and vendors there will include Igali Puppets, Warriors of Anikituhwa, Jarrett Wildcat, and the EBCI Royalty. More information can be found at: www.noquisiinitiative.org.
All in all, Noquisi Initiative has grown well beyond the founders’ original dreams, and it has done so with care and sensitivity. The Board and Staff take time to observe the needs of building and maintaining a cultural bridge and then they initiate projects to keep that bridge firm and always open. It’s not always an easy task, but the commitment is relentless.
Enrolled member Gina Myers shares, “As a new employee to the Noquisi Initiative team, I have been inspired by the heart behind Noquisi Initiative (NI). NI has several projects underway and we’re striving for even more. I see the true desire to fulfill our mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting Cherokee culture and heritage in each of them. As a second language learner I’m excited to have found a place where I can stay in the culture and be a part of uplifting our community.”
The Noquisi Initiative preserves, protects, and promotes culture and heritage in the original homelands of the Cherokee.
