Nanih Waiya Mound And Village | |
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| Location | Winston County, Mississippi |
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| Nearest city | Noxapater, Mississippi |
| Coordinates | 32°55′17″N 88°56′55″W / 32.92139°N 88.94861°W |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001032 |
| Added to NRHP | March 28, 1973[1] |
Nanih Waiya (alternately spelled Nunih Waya;[2] Choctaw for 'slanting mound')[3] is an ancient platform mound in southern Winston County, Mississippi, constructed by indigenous people during the Middle Woodland period, about 300 to 600 CE. Since the 17th century, the Choctaw and Chickasaw have venerated Nanih Waiya mound and a nearby cave as their sacred origin location.
The earthwork mound of Nanih Waiya is about 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, 140 feet (43 m) wide, and 220 feet (67 m) long. Evidence suggests it was originally a larger platform mound, which has eroded into the present shape. At one time, it was bounded on three sides by a circular earthwork enclosure about ten feet tall, which encompassed one square mile. The Choctaw lost control of this property during the 1830s and period of their removal to Indian Territory.
After being privately owned, the state acquired it to preserve the ancient site and operated it as a park. In 2006, the Mississippi Legislature's State Bill 2803 officially returned control of the site to the Luke Family, and T. W. Luke deeded it to the State on the condition that it be maintained as a park.
In 2008, the Luke family deeded control of the site to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, a federally recognized tribe.[4] Nanih Waiya has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973 for its significance.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Swanton 2001, pg. 25.
- ^ Spratt, Robert D. (c. 1900). "Notes on Choctaw Indians, their language, etc". The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections. p. 50. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Cummings, Jodie (2017). "Nanih Waiya". Mississippi Encyclopedia.