The highest peak at Great Smoky Mountains National Park is officially reverting to its Cherokee name more than 150 years after a surveyor named it for a Confederate general.
The U.S. Board of Geographic Names voted on Wednesday in favor of a request from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to officially change the name Clingmans Dome to Kuwohi, according to a news release from the park. The Cherokee name for the mountain translates to “mulberry place.”
This and Denali finally being de-named “Mt. McKinley” in 2015 are just so nice.
I would have been happy either embracing a native name or removing the Confederate’s name. That this is an opportunity to do both at once is extra sweet.
YES.
Thank you.
US: We renamed it, isn’t this great!
Cherokee people: Yeah, so when do we get the land back?
US: 😂
Good. This should be a priority nationwide to restore the native names that were replaced by anglicized versions as the land was stolen. Ideally the land would be restored as well, but we know that’s not gonna happen. Restoring the name requires minimum effort.
While we’re at it, let’s remove references to Confederate names, they were traitors to the nation and they lost. Most of us have underwear that has lasted longer than the Confederacy. They don’t deserve to be honored and remembered with monuments and locations named for them.
Similar to Harney Peak being renamed Black Elk Peak. Though Harney wasn’t a Confederate, he did massacre Native American men, women, and children. Tribal/indigenous naming is so much better.
