COLUMBIA, Missouri (WVLT) – The Domestic Names Committee of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to change the name of a popular place in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

It was the latest development in a years-long effort to rename Clingmans Dome Kuwohi (koo-WHOA-hee), the traditional Cherokee name for the mountain on which the structure stands, meaning “mulberry place.”

Clingmans Dome was named after Thomas Clingman, a U.S. Senator who represented North Carolina and had no connection to the Cherokee people.

The first name change occurred in 1859, when Arnold Guyot, a geographer and professor, named the area after Clingman. Since then, Guyot has been accused of advocating “scientific racism,” a view that was not uncommon at the time.

The project is being pushed forward in part by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who say that naming the mountain “Clingmans Dome” is disrespectful, especially given the racist history associated with the Guyot system.

“The Great Smoky National Park team was proud to support this effort to officially restore the mountain and recognize its significance to the Cherokee people,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “The Cherokee people have had a strong connection to Kuwohi and the surrounding area long before the national park was established. The National Park Service looks forward to continuing to work with the Cherokee people to share their history and preserve this landscape together.”

The proposal was submitted in January of this year by EBCI chief Michell Hicks, following an attempt by Lavita Hill and Mary Crowe, both registered EBCI members, to restore the summit’s traditional name in 2022.

Kuwohi is one of the most popular sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with more than 650,000 visitors a year. It is the highest point in Tennessee and the third-highest peak east of the Mississippi, national park officials said.

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