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DKos Asheville Open Thread [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-06-21
This space appears on most weekends with links to news and opinion from Asheville and Western North Carolina, and the floor is open for comment and discussion. Wishing all a good day from this still beautiful part of the world.
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KITUWAH – A light, constant breeze blew through the area as Cherokee songs were sung, anetso (stickball) was played, and Cherokee people came together to celebrate at Kituwah – the Mother Town of the Cherokee.
The Kituwah Celebration of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), held annually to mark the return of the site to the Tribe, was held this year on the evening of Friday, June 6.
Kituwah, located just outside of Cherokee, N.C., near Bryson City, N.C., was placed into trust for the EBCI by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Dept. of the Interior in 2021. The property was purchased by the EBCI in 1996, and according to the Public Notice to Acquire Land into Trust, the site totals 307.03 acres.
“Kituwah is not just a plot of land, or a quiet field, it is one of the most sacred places in Cherokee history,” Renissa McLaughlin, EBCI Youth & Adult Education director, told the crowd. “It is our Mother Town, the regional village where our ancestors first gathered as people, where the first fire was lit, and where Cherokee life, government, and traditions began.”
She spoke of the importance of Kituwah, “In 1996, the Tribe, our people, reclaimed and protected this sacred land. That moment was more than a land purchase. It was a homecoming. It was a return of something that could never truly be lost – our connection to our roots, our ancestors, and our identity. Today, Kituwah is alive – not with buildings or development, but with culture, ceremony, and community. Songs are sung. Seeds are planted, and prayers are offered. Kituwah Mound has become a living classroom and a place where everyone, young and old, can come to learn, remember, and celebrate.”
McLaughlin added, “Let this place continue to bring us together to teach, to heal, to celebrate, and to remind us all that the Cherokee people are still here. We are strong, we are sovereign, and we are home.”
EBCI Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks commented, “It’s very exciting that we’re recognizing, through this celebration, who we are as a people, our culture, our heritage, and especially the language. <More>
PHOTO ALBUM
COCKE COUNTY, TN (WLOS) — New images from the Interstate 40 rockslide show the aftermath of the slide now that flood waters have receded. Mark Nagi, of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), said cleanup and repair efforts continue Friday, June 20, two days after the slide closed the road on June 18.
I-40 ROCKSLIDE MAY TAKE AT LEAST 2 WEEKS TO REPAIR, TENNESSEE OFFICIALS SAY
The incident happened near Exit 451 (Waterville Road) in Cocke County. The road is closed in North Carolina between Exit 20 and the Tennessee state line. Drivers in Tennessee must exit at Hartford Road (Exit 447).
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