The Conversation: Why Returning the Name Kuwohi to the Great Smoky Mountains Matters

It's not every day that the name of a mountain is restored to the one used by Indigenous peoples for centuries.

But after nearly two years of trying, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians finally convinced the U.S. Board on Geographic Names on Sept. 18 to formally agree to rename the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Tennessee to Kuwohi (koo-whoa-hee).

The mountain, known as Clingmans Dome since 1859, has been a sacred place for the Cherokee people, serving as a place of prayer, reflection and gathering of mulberries for medicine. In fact, the name Kuwohi translates to "the mulberry place" in Tsalagi, the Cherokee language.

Derek Alderman, Chancellor's Professor of Geography, and Seth Kannarr, a graduate student in geography, explain the origins of the names of various places and share the importance of renaming them. Read more about their research at The Conversation.

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