Click Here to Apply for Teaching on Native Land: Exploring the Living Histories of Indigenous North Carolina (Applications due April 24th)

Saturday, May 9, 2026 | 10 am – 3:30 pm

• Morrow Mountain State Park (49104 Morrow Mountain Road
  Albemarle, NC 28001)
• Town Creek Indian Mound (509 Town Creek Mound Rd, Mount Gilead, NC 27306)

Teachers in grades 4th - 8th are invited to join the NC American Indian Heritage Commission, part of the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources (DNCR), for a place-based workshop exploring two of North Carolina’s most significant indigenous sites: DNCR’s Town Creek Indian Mound and DNCR’s Morrow Mountain State Park.

Through immersive site visits, conversations with Indigenous scholars and DNCR staff, and hands-on teaching activities, participating educators will deepen their understanding of more than 13,000 years of human history in the region. The workshop emphasizes culturally responsive and community‑grounded approaches to teaching about Indigenous peoples, both past and present, and highlights the ecological, historical, and cultural importance of these sites.

Teachers will also have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on Town Creek’s revised activities for the site and the classroom. Attendees will ultimately leave with practical strategies for presenting accurate and respectful Indigenous content, fostering student inquiry, and helping young people build meaningful connections to North Carolina’s landscape and the diverse tribes that continue to shape the state today.

APPLY HERE. Applications Due April 24^th.

Attending teachers will receive:

• $100 stipend (upon completion of post-event survey)
• .6 CEUs
• Private tour of Town Creek and a look at several significant sites in Morrow Mountain State Park, with indigenous scholars providing context
• Insight into DNCR’s vast FREE resources for K-12 education, including new activities for teaching about NC tribal life (past and present)
• Opportunities for future collaboration with DNCR, including field trip consultation, site partnerships, and joining a robust educator network of support and collaboration

Note: Our day will begin at Morrow Mountain State Park at 10 am. After lunch, participants will travel to Town Creek Indian Mound, an approximate 30-minute drive, ending the day there. 

AGENDA

9:30 – 10:00 AM Arrivals & Check‑In | Morrow Mountain State Park, Visitors Center

10:00 – 10:20 AM Welcome, Overview, and Introductions

• Christie Norris, Director of Education | NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
• Quinn Godwin, Director | NC American Indian Heritage Commission

10:20 – 11:20 AM Indigenous Stories Held in the Landscape: Hardaway and Town Creek

Nancy Fields Chavis, Director & Curator | Museum of the Southeast American Indian

In this opening session, we’ll explore more than 13,000 years of human history

embedded across the Uwharrie region. Together, we’ll consider the cultural significance of key places within Morrow Mountain State Park and the surrounding landscape, as well as the nearby Town Creek Indian Mound. The session will also highlight the enduring legacies, living cultures, and current roles of North Carolina’s tribes today.

1:20 AM – 12:00 PM Quick Exploration of Sites within Morrow Mountain

We’ll take a quick trip to a few of Morrow Mountain’s sites to view and consider the ecological features and archeological importance, while envisioning the human presence in this area across millennia.

12:00 – 12:40 PM Lunch + Best Practices Discussion

Over lunch, we’ll take some time to discuss:

• What makes teaching Indigenous histories challenging?
• What strategies promote respect, accuracy, and agency for Indigenous communities?
• In what ways can we avoid erasure, stereotyping, and oversimplification?

12:40 – 1:15 PM Travel to Town Creek Indian Mound

Participants will drive individually to the nearby Town Creek Indian Mound, part of DNCR’s division of State Historic Sites (approx. 30 minutes)

1:15 – 2:30 PM Private Guided Tour of Town Creek Indian Mound

Town Creek Indian Mound offers a fascinating glimpse into the life and culture of the indigenous people who lived in the region nearly a thousand years ago. In a private guided tour, we will explore the site’s reconstructed ceremonial center, including an earthen mound and Townhouse, while learning about the community’s traditions, craftsmanship, and spiritual practices. We will also consider archaeological methods and interpretation challenges, as well as evolving contemporary perspectives that shape our understanding today.

2:30 – 3:30 PM Activity Review & Educator Feedback Lab

We will conclude the day with an interactive pedagogical workshop in which participating educators weigh in on Town Creek’s on‑site and classroom activities, currently under revision. This session focuses on gathering meaningful, practice‑based feedback, including what works well across different grade levels, what areas may need clarification or refinement, and what additional resources would best support teachers in implementing these materials. Through open discussion and collaborative reflection, educators will help shape the next phase of Town Creek’s educational programming.