IUP hosted an unveiling ceremony for the addition of a new historical marker on campus Saturday, September 6, 2014. The plaque marks the spot where the Catawba and Kittanning Native American Trails intersect.
The ceremony was held at the location of the marker - near the IUP Hadley Union Building (HUB) and Whitmyre Hall. The ceremony was sponsored by the IUP Native American Awareness Council and the Office of Social Equity.
Many IUP officials offered remarks during the ceremony on Saturday. Those included were, IUP President Michael Driscoll; Dr. Pablo Mendoza, assistant to the president for social equity; IUP professor of religious studies and member of the IUP Native American Awareness Council Dr. Theresa Smith. IUP student, Michaela Sullivan also provided remarks.
Native dance and drum artist Quentin Fuller and Matthew Whiteeagle from the Cherokee Tribe in Bensalem, performed during the ceremony.
Both the Catawba and Kittanning trails offered Native Americans, as well as early Europeans, a pathway to a national network of trails throughout the continent and region.
The Catawba served as a major north-south trail and the Kittanning as east-west. The trails functioned as pathways for trade, communication, and warfare. They later served as the foundation for our modern highway system.
