The Noquisiyi Mound in Franklin, North Carolina, was part of a Cherokee mother town hundreds of years before the founding of the United States, and it is a place of deep spiritual significance to the Cherokee people. The name Noquisiyi means “the star place” in Cherokee. (photo credit Elaine Eisenbraun, Noquisiyi Initative)
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have been overseeing the site since 2019 through a non-profit called The Noquisiyi Initiative, and on Jan. 5 of this year, the Franklin City Council voted unanimously to return this sacred site to its rightful owners. Pictured here are Council members, Noquisiyi Initiative members, and citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who participated in the ceremony of transfer. (photo credit Mia Overton, Franklin NC Press)
Read more here:
https://apnews.com/article/noquisiyi-mound-eastern-band-of-cherokee-indians-61193017a9aaf281b3646c0cf3594407