The highest point in Tennessee will once again be known as Kuwohi after the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians successfully lobbied the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
The federal board on Sept. 18 unanimously approved the renaming of Clingmans Dome, the observation tower-topped mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians first settled the mountain, which they believed to be sacred, thousands of years ago. The name translates to “the mulberry place.”
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The 6,643-foot Kuwohi is one of the most popular sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with more than 650,000 visitors a year, according the National Park Service. It is the tallest point in Tennessee and the third-highest summit east of the Mississippi River.
“This significant moment honors our ancestors and strengthens our connection to this sacred land,” said Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Chief Michell Hicks in a written statement.