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News
Updates SUMMER(July)
News
State
Flag Issue
Elementary School Construction causes controversy
UPDATE
Historic
preservation finds common ground
Historic cemetery unifies preservation
groups
GSMNP
reports
first elk calf born in Park’s herd
$5
million in funding approved for
GSMNP upgrades
Governor
defunds Tennessee Indian Commission
Gov. Don Sundquist used his line-item veto power recently to kill
a $50,000 budget request for the Tennessee Indian Commission.
The request was made in the budget by Sen. Thelma Harper (D-Nashville)
and the funding is largely for the salary of the Commission’s
Executive Director Troy Heap.
Critics of the governor have said he is purposely trying o kill
the Tennessee Indian Commission and has been slow in naming members
to the Commission board. Gov. Sundquist has said in the past that
he believes the board has been largely ineffective and is favor
of abolishing it.
The Tennessee Indian Commission is the state’s only representative
body for Native Americans and has been politically toothless since
1998 when there was a massive exodus of its board members in protest
of the Governor’s handling of the commission and the appointment
of non-Native Americans to it.
"The Governor has never been friendly to the Tennessee Indian
Commission," said one former commissioner, "and it does
not surprise me that he would defund it in order to stop its existence.
The problem is that Tennessee is probably one of the richest Native
American sites in America and there needs to be some representative
power in place to address those interests. I personally believe
the construction stoppage on 321N near his new Blount County home
in Townsend and the fact that we have found a powerful voice in
spite of his efforts is the reason for his obvious attempts to
take away our only voice in Tennessee state government. All we
can do is hope that a new administration will see the value of
having such a commission in Tennessee, especially with a Native
American heritage that goes back more than 10,00 years."
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NASHVILLE – With the legislature considering a number
of important issues such as TennCare, the state budget, and
tax reform, a bill entering the House to add the words "In
God We Trust" to the state flag is causing more frustration
than conversation.
The bill was first introduced in the House by Rep. John Windle
(D-Livingston) and was co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen.
Tim Burchett (R- Knoxville). The legislation drew immediate
fire from organized atheism groups in Tennessee and the American
Civil Liberties Union. Representatives from both groups say
that adding the phrase "In God We Trust" would be
unconstitutional "because the bill supports monotheism
and doesn’t take into account the fact that some religions
worship more than one God."
Others say the slogan would be a welcomed addition to the
state flag as the motto is found on other state flags, official
seals and the national currency.
The official Tennessee State Flag was adopted in 1905 by the
Tennessee General Assembly and has remained unchanged since
its design. The three stars each representing the "three
grand divisions of Tennessee."
Last year, members of the legislature called for a state issued
pamphlet that shows in which direction the state flag is supposed
to be flown as many citizens of the state are apparently presenting
the flag upside down.
Because of the expected controversy over the bill and the
fact that the General Assembly is getting ready to start looking
at controversial "tax-reform measures and state revenue
generating" the bill was tabled in the senate, meaning
that it probably won’t be considered this session.
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Elementary
School Construction causes controversy
FRANKLIN — A battle is brewing in Franklin
again over the fate of a historic structure in Franklin. Preservationists
across the South are trying to stop the construction of a new
elementary school across the street from the Harrison House,
where Gen. John Bell Hood prepared his troops on the eve of
the Battle of Franklin. A battle noted in world military history
as being one where the largest number of generals were ever
killed in a single battle and involving a charge that eclipsed
Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg by more than four miles.
While heavy equipment is moving on the site, preservationists
from across the South are waging an e-mail campaign against
what they see as the continued degradation of historic Franklin
site.
''Franklin's a tough nut to crack,'' said Joe Avalon, who runs
the Internet site www.civilwarinteractive.com. It means a lot
to the Civil War community simply because of the devastation
that occurred there. The city’s record for preserving things
is not good.
We've gotten, well, probably a couple hundred e-mails from out
of state expressing dismay over Franklin in general, this issue
in particular. We have to imagine that the people who live in
Franklin are as sick of the sprawl and build-up as we are, but
our guess is that they don't want to be lectured by us out-of-towners.''
School board members say they have received numerous e-mails
and some of the officials have said the school will be built
at the site, but protestors say they will keep up the protest
until they get some answer to their questions.
"Franklin is one of the most historic sites in Tennessee,
said one protestor, "and city officials could care less
about seeing that these places are preserved and trying to paint
those who want to preserve them as a bunch of crazy protestors.
It is as if the school board officials have no thought for the
past and I feel trying to explain to them the historic value
of the property is like throwing pearls before swine for what
it’s worth. You can not teach school students about history
if you keep throwing concrete and buildings over the sites where
it happened."
Historic Preservationists say they are watching the City to
see if Franklin will work with preservationists or try to find
a compromise to the problem.
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GSMNP
reports first elk calf born in Park’s herd
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GATLINBURG – Officials with the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park reported the birth of the first elk
in the Park in more than 150 years last week.
According to reports, the 40-pound male calf was born on Friday
June 22, but was not located until Sunday evening hidden in
a blackberry thicket close to the meadows in Cataloochee Valley.
The University of Tennessee graduate student who is conducting
on-site monitoring of the experimental elk release project began
searching for the newborn after being alerted on Friday by ejection
of a transmitter implant from the elk cow. All pregnant elk
cows were implanted with a transmitter in their birth canals
to help biologists know when the calves were born. Biologists
believed earlier that nine of the 12 cows in the herd were pregnant,
but learned later that there are only eight pregnant cows in
the herd.
Researchers used telemetry devices the following Saturday morning
to locate the apparent site of delivery, but worked another
day and a half before locating the male calf around one third
of a mile from the site of delivery.
Park Wildlife Biologists Kim Delozier says elk will normally
move their newborn calves some distance away from the site of
delivery as a survival mechanism.
"Elk calves are most vulnerable to predators in the first
few days after birth," says Delozier, "and the mothers
will distance them from the birthing site, which could attract
predators."
Biologists placed an expandable radio collar on the new calf
to help them learn about the survival rate in the wild –
an important part of the five-year experimental project. The
animals in the Smokies experiment all came from a wild herd
at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky where they have not been
exposed to bears or other potential predators.
The recent birth has Park officials excited and hopeful that
the experiment will prove successful in the Park.
"We are pleased with the announcement and the success of
the elk experiment to date," said GSMNP Park Superintendent
Michael J. Tollefson. "We ask that the public be good stewards
and not to approach to elk, particularly female elk with calves,
which are known to charge people in defense of their offspring
and will probably rejoin the herd in a couple of weeks."
Officials also said for those who come across a herd in the
Park to take photographs from a distance and do not under any
circumstances approach the herd of try to get close for a better
photograph. Elk, like all wildlife in their natural habitat,
can be aggressive animals and will attack if they feel threatened.
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$5
million in funding approved for
GSMNP upgrades
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GATLINBURG – Rep. John J. Duncan (R-Tennessee)
and Rep. William L. Jenkins (R-Tennessee) announced last week
that the Interior Appropriations Bill, which passed the House,
increased funding for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
by $5 million.
The Congressmen were able to secure $300,000 for repairs to historic
structures located in the Park and $4.7 million for the restoration
of the Research and Science Center operated by the Park Service.
"I am pleased that we were able to obtain this additional
funding for the Smokies," said Rep. Duncan, "which will
help address some of the maintenance and construction backlog
in the Park. Members of the Tennessee Delegation have always worked
together well in Congress to the benefit of our state. I am pleased
that Congressman Jenkins and myself were able to secure this funding
for the Great Smokies."
According to officials, the $300,000 will be used to hire staff
and purchase materials to help restore and perform maintenance
on the 77 cabins and another 100 historic structures located throughout
the Park.
Rep. Duncan also said the $4.7 million will be used to restore
what has been called an inadequate science lab used by the Park
Service. The research carried out at the Science Center is crucial
to the long-term health of the Park – now involved in the
All-taxa biodiversity study, which is working to identify all
life forms within the boundary of the Smoky Mountain National
Park. The study is attracting students and professors from around
the world to the park to participate and assist in the studies.
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UPDATE....
Historic cemetery unifies
preservation groups
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SEVIERVILLE – Representatives from
the Sons of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the American
Revolution, the Daughters of the War of 1812, Native American
Indian Movement, and other historical groups in Sevier County
and East Tennessee gathered Saturday in the First Baptist Cemetery
in Sevierville to protest a proposed road that will run through
the historic site endangering graves of the region’s earliest
settlers.
Archaeological surveys in preparation for the road have also
uncovered evidence of a Native American presence that could
also be damaged by excavation of the site.
According to reports, the road project was originally conceived
during the Gov. Ned McWherter Administration, but shelved because
of various historic concerns. It was later revived under Gov.
Don Sundquist as part of his road and highway construction projects
in East Tennessee, but has run into massive protests from numerous
local historical preservation groups and descendants of those
buried there.
The Sevier County Native American Indian Movement first brought
attention to the road controversy this past Memorial Day and
has worked closely building ties with local historical groups
to protest the road project and stop the construction.
"I was pleased with the turnout," said N.A.I.M. spokesman
Carl Whittaker, "every time we have held one, we have seen
the numbers get larger and larger as people become aware of
what is at stake here. This is a sacred ground to all our people
in Sevier County regardless of their race or creed and those
who took time to turn out and voice their opinion is very encouraging."
The groups gathered again at the cemetery on Wednesday July
4 to see that the graves of the citizens who served in the American
Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 are properly decorated
with American flags and will again protest the actions of the
Tennessee Department of Transportation as well as Sevier County
for allowing the project to move forward.
Representatives from all groups represented said they will continue
to do whatever it takes to stop construction on the project
and preserve the historic site for future generations.
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Historic preservation
finds common ground
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SEVIERVILLE – While ceremonies were held throughout Sevier
County on Memorial Day honoring the servicemen and women who
served this nation, a small cemetery off of Emert Street with
the remains of veterans who helped found this nation lay empty,
no American flags on their headstones, no ceremonious recognition
of their service, just the threat of a bulldozer’s plow
that could see a roadway built through it.
It is a road construction controversy that could bring representatives
from Native American organizations and local historical societies
together in an effort to stop the proposed construction.
The City of Sevierville and the Tennessee Department of Transportation
is in the planning process of building a bridge over the Little
Pigeon River and putting a road known as the Love Addition that
would reportedly cut into the edge of the cemetery to connect
the road with Dolly Parton Parkway. Some officials say, however,
the right of way and possibly part of the road itself will run
through one of the oldest cemeteries in East Tennessee. Other
sources say archaeological surveys on an adjacent part of the
grounds has also produced Native American artifacts.
The old First Baptist Cemetery in downtown Sevierville has been
long recognized as a historic site and currently a small park
sits on the site with benches. The church to which it used to
belong was the first denomination to establish itself in Sevier
County. Its first clerk, who is buried there, was a member of
the Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.
Most of the headstones have become unreadable over the years
and the rest have just disappeared from weathering and age.
A stone marker dedicated on July 4, 1976 during America’s
Bicentennial celebration stands in the center of the park.
Representatives from the Native American Indian Movement and
other organizations held a memorial service on the site last
Sunday and say they will do what they what they can to protect
the site from construction.
"We wanted to hold a ceremony here to honor our ancestors’
memories," said N.A.I.M. spokesman Carl "Two Feathers"
Whitaker. "This and the McMahan Indian Mound are two sites
we know of where there was a Native American presence in Sevierville
and this one is as endangered as the other sites in Townsend
and Gatlinburg. We have to protect these if we are going to
preserve our heritage and culture. The proximity of this site
near a historic cemetery is a unique opportunity for us and
citizens of Sevierville to work together to prevent the destruction
of both of these historic sites."
Local historians are also upset at the idea of a road running
through the historic cemetery and say they will make every effort
to stop any construction plans that will affect it.
"We are still studying it and seeing what can be done,
" said one historian. If nothing can be accomplished then
we look forward to working with the Native Americans on a common
goal of saving this historic site. Unfortunately, there is no
Repatriation Act for early settlers’ graves and, if this
road goes through like it seems to be laid out, it will destroy
the cemetery. I just hope that our only saving grace isn’t
the discovery of a few Indian artifacts – that would be
a sad fact. At some point, we have to say enough. Find a way
around it, don’t build it, or move the road somewhere else,
but don’t disrupt a cemetery that contains the remains
of some of our founding citizens. It seems sometimes our drive
to attract tourism dollars here over-rules our desire to retain
the very things that made this region so interesting in the
first place."
Other citizens were upset that the state or Sevierville would
even consider putting a road through the cemetery.
"This is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever
heard of," said one Sevier County resident. "It is
a recognized historical site and a place of interest for many
Sevier County natives who have relatives or descendents buried
there. Surely the state is going to find a way around it or
something."
For Native Americans and local historical groups, this is one
of those rare occasions when they will find themselves working
to preserve land that both sides feels deserves historic preservation.
Only one other such incident has occurred in Tennessee in recent
years that brought both Native Americans and historic preservationists
together and that issue was the preservation of Shiloh National
Park, where both an ancient Mississippian Village and a battlefield
causeway of the Military Park were threatened by erosion from
the Tennessee River.
Representatives from the Five Civilized Tribes and historical
preservation groups throughout West Tennessee joined forces
to get the National Park to repair the problems.
Unlike Shiloh, however, there is no federal rule, other than
the Indian Repatriation Act, that can be enforced to stop the
construction and only if archaeologists doing required surveys
can unearth artifacts that would point to a prominent Native
American presence.
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