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DKos Asheville Open Thread: Welcome Kuwahi (Mulberry Place) [1]

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Date: 2022-07-16

Pictured: Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. JULY 7, 2022 - In its upcoming meeting on July 14, 2022, the Cherokee Tribal Council will consider a resolution that calls for Clingmans Dome to revert to its original name of "Kuwahi," which means "mulberry place."

Good day and welcome to DKos Asheville. This is the weekly DKos Asheville Open Thread for Saturday, July 16th, 2022.

We offer this space every weekend to share what we're up to in Western North Carolina and to give readers a variety of links to local and regional news of interest.

DKos Asheville and other local and state groups can give us all a better sense of connection, a better understanding of who we stand with, work with and share with. We hope this local and wider community can help leverage our orange passion for progressive politics.

Daily Kos fights for a progressive America by empowering its community and allies with information and tools to directly impact the political process.

Today we celebrate a big and rightful name change!

WATE, Hannah Moore, 7/14/2022

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council passed the resolution to rename Clingmans Dome Thursday morning. The vote was unanimous, which means that the tribe can begin the process of petitioning the federal government to restore the name, “Kuwahi” to Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The summit is a sacred place for the Cherokee and in the resolution, the tribal council described it as holding “a special significance to us as Cherokees, as it was visited by medicine people who prayed and sought guidance from the Creator regarding important matters facing our people, and then returned to our towns to give guidance and advice.”

Kuwahi is a Cherokee word meaning “mulberry place.”

Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Tennessee and the observation tower offers visitors to the summit 360° views of the Smokies. It was renamed after Confederate General Thomas Clingman, who was said to be the first person to accurately measure the peak’s elevation.

Lavita Hill, who filed the regulation to change the name, hopes this resolution with help give her people back their voice.

WLOS, Staff, 7/7/2022

The Cherokee Tribal Council will consider a name change for Clingmans Dome at its next meeting on Thursday, July 14. The resolution calls for the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to revert to its traditional Cherokee name of "Kuwahi," which means "mulberry place."

Tribal members who introduced the resolution say it's a sacred place to the Cherokee people and that its current name pays homage to a racist figure in American history.

“The history of the renaming of Kuwahi to ‘Clingmans Dome’ shows that the name of Clingman was designated by a proponent of scientific racism (Guyot) on behalf of an avowed racist (Clingman), in an action that was disrespectful to Cherokee people, culture, history and tradition,” the resolution states.

The resolution says Kuwahi was visited by medicine people to pray and seek guidance and was also used a refuge by Cherokee seeking to evade removal during the Trail of Tears.

Thanks for reading and contributing, I hope your weekend is safe.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/7/16/2110745/-DKos-Asheville-Open-Thread-Welcome-Kuwahi-Mulberry-Place

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