Presented by Greg Smithers, “Where have the Nûñnë'hï Gone?” tells the story of the religious and cultural changes which shaped Cherokee identity throughout the early nineteenth century. During the opening years of the nineteenth century, Elders liked to tell stories about the Nûñnë'hï. In Cherokee folklore, the Nûñnë'hï are said to be a race of immortal spirits. Back in 1776, when American troops were destroying one Cherokee town after another, the Nûñnë'hï stirred. At Nikwasi, they rose from their slumber to save Cherokees from certain death, allegedly leading women and children to safety. Now, several generations later, the Nûñnë'hï seemed to have abandoned the Cherokee. Growing numbers turned to Christianity, but at what cost? Prominent Cherokees – people with names such as Vann, Ridge, Hicks, and Boudinot – turned to Christianity, prompting criticism from Cherokees who longed for the return of the race of immortal spirits. In this talk, Dr. Smithers will explore some of the key religious debates among Cherokees, as they grappled with questions of faith in the decades leading up to the Trail of Tears.

Dr. Greg Smithers is a Professor of History at Virginia Commonwealth University and the author of Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America (Beacon Press, 2022), Native Southerners: Indigenous History from Origins to Removal (University of Oklahoma Press, 2019), and The Cherokee Diaspora: An Indigenous History of Migration, Resettlement, and Identity." (Yale University Press, 2015). His research has focused on the rich and textured history of the Cherokee people, Indigenous history of the Mountain South and Sunbelt, environmental history, and the history of race, gender, and sexuality. In 2019, he was awarded the British Academy Global Professorship and Virginia Humanities Fellowship. His recent work has focused on the history of waterways in Cherokee history. This research is funded by the British Academy and includes an interactive website entitled “Cherokee Riverkeepers,” a collaborative project of the Digital Humanities Institute at the University of Sheffield.