
Noquisiyi (later interpreted as Nikwasi) means star place and was a Cherokee town
situated in present-day Franklin, North Carolina.
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Though its exact age remains unknown, Noquisiyi appears on maps as early as 1544, and British colonial records first mention it by name in 1718.
At the heart of Noquisyi on the banks of the Little Tennessee River, the town's meeting hall once towered over the landscape, built atop the mound which was formed by Cherokee women carrying baskets of soil to that location. Today, Noquisiyi Mound, the settlement's only surviving landmark, rises as the gateway to Franklin.

Cultural Corridor
Project Map



PC: Scott McKie B.P./One Feather Photo

Noquisiyi Cultural District Plan
Nikwasi Initiative has spent the last several months working with Equinox to develop the Noquisiyi Cultural District. Together we have held Community forums, conducted surveys, and talked with key stakeholders to come up with a comprehensive plan. Click here to view the full report.
Our Mission
Nikwasi Initiative preserves, protects, and promotes culture and heritage in the original homelands of the Cherokee people.
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Our Vision:
Intercultural understanding is universal!