Image: The honors section of Natives & Newcomers in the Transformation of North America (HIST 3055H) took academic analysis into the field this semester, with a trip to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, guided by Dr.s James Owens (Institute of Native American Studies) and James F. Brooks (History). Our class explored Eastern Band history through visits to Nikwasi and Kituwah Mounds, Judaculla Rock, the Museum of the Cherokee People, the Snowbird Mountains, and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. The museum offered an exhibit, Sov∙er∙eign∙ty, with artwork and photographs reflecting the Eastern Band’s resilience, self-determination and vast reach past the reservation. Miranda Panther, the tribe’s Native American Grave and Protection Repatriation Act officer, provided an on-site lecture about her work and the cultural significance of the Kituwah Mound, which holds the original fire brought by Mother Spider. The exploration into modern cultural practices continued into a visit to the Qualla Arts/Crafts Center that sold traditional works by Native artists in the area, where the employees spoke in a mix of English and the Cherokee languages. Dinner at the casino encouraged fruitful discussion about native sovereignty, economics, and the ambiguous multi billion dollar effects of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act on the Eastern Band and indigenous nations around the country. This field study trip was Sponsored by the Gable Distinguished Chair in Southern Colonial American History.
