Cherokee, Native American, & Indigenous Studies

It is believed that WCU was built on a former site of a Cherokee town called Tali Tsisgwayahi (“Two Sparrows Town”). The name Two Sparrows comes from oral tradition, written down in the early 19th century, and a place name written by James Mooney around 1900. The original town included an earthen mound with a council house. 

Learn more:

Land acknowledgements are often shared at the beginning of events, especially in higher education settings. They are meant to recognize and respect the existence of the ancestral people who are native to the land. However, land acknowledgements are sometimes criticized for being performative or settler-centered.  

Learn more: