Trey Adcock Presents Stories of the Snowbird Day School

Trey Adcock, Associate Professor and Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies at UNC Asheville, will present a webinar, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Monday, May 18, based on the oral histories and photos he and his students have gathered to document the history and impact of the Snowbird Day School in the Qualla Boundary.

You must register in advance using this link for this History Cafe Webinar from the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center. Admission is $5; $2.50 for museum members.

The Snowbird Day School evolved from Quaker-led initiatives in the late 19th century to educate young Cherokee Indians living in Tuti yi, a Native community in Graham County, Western North Carolina. By the early 20th century, the school was administered by the federal government via the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and as with most federally-run schools for Native students, it sought to assimilate Indian youth into white, Anglophone culture. Over the course of nearly seven decades, an estimated 550 students attended the school before it was closed in 1963 due to federal desegregation efforts.

Trey Adcock, Associate Professor and Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies at UNC Asheville, will be presenting a publicly engaged project he has been working on entitled  ᏚᏗᏱᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗᎢ ᎤᏂᏃᎮᎸᏅᎢ (“Tuti Tsunadelogwasdi Uninohelv”) or Stories of the Snowbird Day School. This project seeks to preserve the historical artifacts, language and stories of the students who attended the school. Tuti yi, “Snowbird,” is one of the communities that make up the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Trey will provide an overview of the project, the materials collected and a historical overview of the school through photographs and oral histories.

About the Webinar: This webinar will take place via Zoom conference. Registrants will receive a link to the event several days beforehand. Use of Zoom is free and does not require an account for participation.