Clingmans Dome name change proposal to be reviewed by US Board on Geographic Names

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — The name change proposal for Clingmans Dome to become Kuwohi, the Cherokee word for “mulberry place,” on a federal level is slated to be reviewed by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) in September.

The BGN, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is lawfully responsible for standardizing geographic names throughout the federal government. The proposal to change Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , to Kuwohi has been an ongoing effort by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) since July 2022.

A USGS Office of Communications and Publishing spokesperson said Thursday in an email inquiry response to 6 News that the Clingmans Dome name change proposal is expected to be on the next BGN meeting docket, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 18.

The EBCI Tribal Council voted unanimously on a resolution to approve its submission of the application to change the name of Clingmans Dome to “Kuwohi” during a January meeting . The change would apply only to the mountain, not the observation tower constructed in the 1950s.

Names of places, especially in the Smokies, hold importance to visitors, park officials, and residents alike. Some places are sometimes called by their ancient monikers by people who have been here since time immemorial.

Kuwohi, as Clingmans Dome is known by the Cherokee, holds a significant meaning to the EBCI, whose leaders today say the place of mulberries is a sacred summit that also served as a refuge for past Cherokee people avoiding forced relocation to Oklahoma, or the Trail of Tears.

The importance of the summit to the Cherokee people is described in their initial July 2022 resolution as holding “a special significance to us as Cherokees, as it was visited by medicine people who prayed and sought guidance from the Creator regarding important matters facing our people, and then returned to our towns to give guidance and advice.”

In the EBCI Tribal Council’s original ordinance in July 2022, the spelling had been “ Kuwahi ” but a later update from the EBCI Cherokee Speakers Council clarified that the English spelling should be Kuwohi. The Cherokee Speakers Council is comprised of fluent Cherokee language speakers who meet to discuss language and culture.

County commissions in East Tennessee and western North Carolina have affirmed their support for changing the mountain’s name to Kuwohi, including Knox and Campbell counties in Tennessee and Buncombe County , NC.

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