Nikwasi
Initiative
Our Projects
Cultural Corridor
A collaborative effort by Nikwasi Initiative, Mainspring Conservation Trust and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that aims to preserve, protect and promote important Cherokee cultural landmarks and historic sites along the Little Tennessee River.
Noquisiyi Mound
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.
Cowee Mound
Upriver from Noquisiyi along the banks of the Little Tennessee River in Macon County, the town of Cowee was once a thriving Cherokee community, spanning more than a mile on both sides of the river. At its center was Cowee Mound, atop which Cowee's council house once sat.