Mound and village sites like Kituwah, Nikwasi, and Cowee are prominent places in the Cherokee heartland of western North Carolina. Despite a history of encroaching development and site destruction, these resilient places serve as sacred and enduring monuments to Cherokee communities. Drawing on recent scholarship from archaeology, indigenous studies, and Cherokee cultural experts, Dr. Ben Steere argues that Cherokee mounds and towns are not only sites of historical importance, but are also integral, living parts of the cultural landscape of the Southern Appalachian mountains.
About the Presenter: Dr. Ben Steere is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Western Carolina University, where he teaches courses in anthropology and archaeology and directs the Cherokee Studies program. He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Georgia in 2011. His primary areas of interest for research and teaching include Cherokee archaeology, household archaeology, indigenous archaeology, and regional settlement pattern studies. He has worked on collaborative archaeological research and preservation projects with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians since 2011. In 2016 he received the Principal Chief Leon D. Jones Award for Archaeological Excellence, presented by the Eastern Bands of Cherokee Indians Tribal Historic Preservation Office.