Native American Land and Sovereignty

The Franklin, North Carolina, city council voted unanimously Monday to transfer ownership of the Noquisiyi Mound — a major unexcavated Cherokee mound and former 'mother town' site — back to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, pending approval by the tribe’s council and completion of legal title work. Tribal leaders and local officials describe the move, years in the making after a 2012 herbicide incident and a 2019 joint nonprofit agreement, as a significant Land Back step that will keep the sacred site publicly accessible while placing it under Cherokee stewardship as part of a broader cultural corridor from Georgia to the Qualla Boundary.