White oak is among the species that members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians use to make baskets. The trees that become baskets can vary in size, and silvicultural prescriptions could ensure that they are abundant. (USDA Forest Service photo by John Schelhas)

Date: October 21, 2023

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve

Speaker: Watson Harlan, historian and citizen of the Cherokee Nation

Native Agricultural History is a lecture and forum discussion regarding the practices of Cherokee Nation agriculture from pre-contact to Removal and a discussion on the relationship between history, ecology and contemporary issues, drawing a throughline from the agricultural history of the past to our issues of today. The lecture will be approximately one half hour (30 minutes), followed by an open discussion with guests about the issues and effect of invasives and climate change on local ecology and ways that traditional knowledge can be transmitted to improve the ecological health of farms and gardens throughout contemporary life.

Watson B. Harlan is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a resident of the Eastern Band of Cherokee. He has a bachelors in History with a minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He has worked as a cultural consultant for the EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) in multiple departments including The Tribal Food Distribution Program and the Office of the Attorney General. He also specializes in reconstructive historical fencing techniques and economic developmental history. A lifelong resident of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, he resides in the Painttown community and is a proud tribal citizen and resident.

The Walnut Creek Preserve Speaker Series programs are made possible thanks to our partnership with the Preserve.

*Walnut Creek Preserve is private property and guests are only allowed on the property by invitation (a planned event or scheduled group).  Thank you.

Contact Pam Torlina, [email protected], with questions or for more information.