Nikwasi
Encyclopedia
Nikwasi was an important Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...

 town located on the Little Tennessee River
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...

 at the site of present-day Franklin, North Carolina
Franklin, North Carolina
Franklin is a town in Franklin Township, Macon County, North Carolina, United States, within the Nantahala National Forest. The population was 3,490 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Macon County. Franklin is an official Appalachian Trail friendly destination...

.

A large mound is still visible, marking the location of the townhouse. The Nikwasi Mound has remained intact. It has not been excavated, so its age is uncertain, but it is similar to other nearby mounds whose age has been determined to be at least 1,000 years (Duncan 2003:152-153). These were built by the Mississippian mound builder culture, about 1000 CE. Cherokee entered the area sometime later.

History

In 1730, Alexander Cuming called for a council at the town of Nikwasi, which thousands of Cherokee attended. Afterwards, seven Cherokee, including Moytoy of Tellico, went with Cuming to visit England. In 1761, British forces destroyed the houses and fields of Nikwasi and used the townhouse on top of Nikwasi Mound as a field hospital.

After the troops left, the Cherokee returned and rebuilt the town. In 1776 Nikwasi was destroyed by colonial American troops led by Griffith Rutherford
Griffith Rutherford
Griffith Rutherford was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Tennessee....

. The Cherokee rebuilt and reoccupied the town afterward. By treaties in 1817 and 1819, they ceded the land around Nikwasi to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. European-American settlers were granted 4,000 acres (16 km²) at the site of Nikwasi, where they created the town of Franklin, North Carolina (Duncan 2003:153).

While the mound was probably built during the earlier Mississippian Culture, it was the spiritual center of the area. A Council House, or Town House, used for councils, religious ceremonies, and general meetings, was located on top the mound, and the ever-burning sacred fire, which the Cherokee had kept burning since the beginning of their culture, was located there. Thus the mound was a most revered site. The town of Nikwasi was a "white", or peace, town.

It was believed that the Nunne'hi, the spirit people, lived under this mound. When James Mooney was studying the legends of the Cherokee for the Smithsonian in 1887 - 1890, he was told the legend of these Spirit Defenders of Nikwasi by an old medicine man named Swimmer. (You can read the legend available at the website reference)

In 1980, the village site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 as an archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...

.. It stands at near its original height. Though it is only half its original size.

The area around the mound has been filled level for construction, therefore it is nearly impossible for the mound to be appreciated by simply passing by. A person must be standing at the base of the mound to fully appreciate its construction.

Further reading

  • Duncan, Barbara R. and Riggs, Brett H. Cherokee Heritage Trails Guidebook. University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill (2003). ISBN 0-8078-5457-3
  • Mooney, James
    James Mooney
    James Mooney was an American ethnographer who lived for several years among the Cherokee. He did major studies of Southeastern Indians, as well as those on the Great Plains...

    . "Myths of the Cherokee" (1900, reprint 1995).
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