Archaeologists with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Cultural Resources Office are continuing extensive research at Kituwah, and tribal members may get to vote on the property’s future during the September general election.

The area, known as Ferguson Fields, is located along U.S. 19 in Swain County just west of the Cherokee Reservation.

Kituwah, pronounced Gih-DOO-wah, is believed to be the first permanent settlement of the ancient Cherokee. Ani-kitu-hwagi, or people of Kituwah, is another name for the Cherokee people.

The Cherokee lost control of Kituwah in 1821 when Chief Yonaguska was evicted by the sheriff of Haywood County. The state did not honor Yonaguska’s federal deed and the property was sold at a state auction in Waynesville.

The EBCI reclaimed Kituwah in 1996 at a cost of more than $3 million. At the time, then Principal Chief Joyce Dugan told the Knoxville News-Sentinel, “I think the one thing I was criticized for and the one thing I’m most proud of was the purchase of the Kituwah property ... To me, it’s priceless. It’s such an important part of our history.”

With the purchase of the property came a storm of controversy concerning the best use of the area. Everything from a golf course to a re-created village to a depot for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad have been discussed.

Tribal archaeologist Brett Riggs hopes the detailed research being done will help the Tribe decide on a management plan for Kituwah. He said the study will provide, “sufficient information to impress upon the Council what any construction undertaking would involve.

“There are some areas that could be developed without serious impact. But there are other areas where development would be devastating,” he said.

Riggs said researchers have been able to document 9,000 years of continuous human occupation at Kituwah. He said that wasn’t surprising because the topography, geography and geology of the area made it “some of the most desirable surfaces in the Tuckasegee River Valley.”

According to Riggs, the central focus of Kituwah would have been around the mound on the western side of the property. What is left of the mound can be seen as a raised area in a hay field near the old airstrip on the property. He said the mound was at least two to three times its present height at one time.

Using remote sensing devices known as gradiometers, Riggs said scientist were able to ascertain a series of successive council houses buried in the mound. Walls, central hearths and entry ways can all be documented. The presence of the council houses and other structures beneath prove the mound was the center of Kituwah during the 15th and 16th centuries, Riggs said. The 17th and 18th century horizons of the mound have been lost due to a variety of factors including warfare and invasive land uses. Riggs said the village was burned in 1761 by Colonel James Grant as part of a British punitive expedition.

The archaeological exploration of Kituwah began in 1997 with a Phase I archaeological survey to document the presence of any historical or prehistorical sites. An arbitrary grid was mapped and shovel samples were taken every 25 meters. Next, according to Riggs, backhoes were used to further survey areas where shovel tests had proven positive and a Phase II intensive archaeological survey was initiated. The Phase II study determines the eligibility of a site for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). According to Riggs, the mound and main site are already listed on the NRHP, and he says there is enough data to demonstrate eligibility for the rest of the site.

There is still the question of what to do with the property. It appears there may be a referendum on the ballot during the September general election which would allow tribal members to have a say regarding the future of Kituwah. Riggs said there was an effort to get a referendum on the June primary ballot, but it failed because the wording could not be agreed upon.

As for the prospect of a September referendum, Big Cove council representative Teresa McCoy said, “If I have my way, there will be.”

Brian Burgess of Cherokee Cultural Resources said he hopes the findings at Kituwah could be, “a catalyst for unifying the Cherokee Nation.”

 

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The Smoky Mountain News