Town offers apology for spraying herbicide on historic mound

Wednesday, May 9, 2012  

A leader in Franklin, North Carolina, says the town should apologize to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for spraying weed killer on the Nikwasi Indian Mound.

The herbicide killed the grass on the historic mound and turned it brown. The tribe wasn't consulted about the decision.

“I feel that we owe the tribe an apology,” alderman Bob Scott told The Cherokee One Feather. “In my opinion, what happened was a mistake.”

Scott said the town wanted to let the grass grow naturally except for the area at the base of the mound. Due to a miscommunicaton, Scott said the weed killer was used on the mound itself.

The mound is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Get the Story:
Herbicide put on Nikwasi Mound (The Cherokee One Feather 5/9)

Eastern Cherokees upset over use of weed killer on mound (5/2)