By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
The Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) approved legislation authorizing EBCI Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks to finalize a recent conveyance of Fort Butler Park to the EBCI from the Town of Murphy, N.C. Dinilawigi approved Res. No. 275 (2026), submitted by Ugvwiyuhi Hicks, by a vote of 11-0 {Dinilawigi Gahvsgi (Chairman) Jim Owle absent} during its regular session on Thursday, Aug. 6 granting that authorization.
The Town of Murphy Board of Commissioners passed a resolution on July 6 to convey the Fort Butler Park to the EBCI.
Res. No. 275 states, “Fort Butler served as the military headquarters of the Eastern Division of the U.S. Army when that Division was instructed to carry out the forcible removal of the Cherokee people in 1838, and it was at Fort Butler that the Cherokee people were detained before being forcibly removed from their ancestral homeslands on the Trail of Tears. During the early summer of 1838, over 3,000 Cherokees were marched from Fort Butler on the Unicoi Turnpike to Fort Armistead in Tennessee and from there to camps near presdent-day Charleston, Tenn.”
During Thursday’s meeting, Ugviwyuhi Hicks said he is very thankful to the Town of Murphy for the conveyance of the property to the EBCI. “This parcel does not represent the entire Ft. Butler parcel, historically. It is a portion of it…There’s additional work to be done. But, this is a start to hopefully correcting some historical wrongs. So, I’m in full support, of course, of this legislation and I do appreciate all the research that our staff has done, and Dr. (Brett) Riggs and Robin Swayney as it relates to this particular parcel of land.”
Tutiyi/Tsalagi Gadugi (Snowbird/Cherokee Co.) Rep. Adam Wachacha commented, “Ft. Butler is more than a military site. It symbolizes the federal government’s enforcement of the removal policy while also reminding us that Cherokee culture and community survived in these mountains despite those efforts.”
Res. No. 275 further states, “The resolution (Town of Murphy) states that the land should be conveyed to the EBCI without consideration for the use by the EBCI as it may deem proper. On July 15, 2026, the Town of Murphy recorded a warranty deed at Book 1805, Page 941, Cherokee County Register of Deeds, conveying the property to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.”
This occurred at no cost to the EBCI.
Following the Town of Murphy’s resolution last month, Murphy Mayor Tim Radford said in a statement, “This is an important step for our community. Fort Butler is tied to a painful chapter in Cherokee history. While the park is located in Murphy, I believe the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians should have the opportunity to care for this site and share its history in their own voice.
The more I thought and prayed about it, the more it made sense. This is not Murphy stepping away from its history. It is about recognizing that history honestly, showing respect, and placing stewardship of this important place with the people most directly connected to its story.”
According to the Town of Murphy’s resolution, the land was conveyed to the Town of Murphy from the Tarheel Investment Company, Inc. on Sept. 1, 1925.
Originally named Camp Huntington, it was renamed Fort Butler in 1837 after Benjamin Butler, U.S. Attorney General under President Andrew Jackson.
