Standing Indian Mountain
Encyclopedia
Standing Indian Mountain, elevation
5,499 feet, is part of the North Carolina
portion of the Southern Nantahala Wilderness
within the boundaries of the Nantahala National Forest
. The mountain lies along the Appalachian Trail
and is the highest point along the Nantahala River
.
According to Cherokee mythology
, Standing Indian Mountain is the remains of a warrior
who turned to stone because he failed to remain at his post. This Indian
warrior had been sent to the mountaintop to keep a lookout for the winged monster which came from the sky and stole children. The winged monster was captured and then the Great Spirit
destroyed the monster with thunder and lightning. However, because the Indian warrior became afraid and ran away from his post, he was turned to stone for his cowardice. The Cherokee called Standing Indian Mountain Yunwitsule-nunyi, which means "where the man stood."
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
5,499 feet, is part of the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
portion of the Southern Nantahala Wilderness
Southern Nantahala Wilderness
The Southern Nantahala Wilderness was designated in 1984 and currently consists of . Approximately are located in Georgia in the Chattahoochee National Forest and approximately are located in North Carolina in the Nantahala National Forest. The Wilderness is managed by the United States Forest...
within the boundaries of the Nantahala National Forest
Nantahala National Forest
The Nantahala National Forest, established in 1920, is a national forest located in the American state of North Carolina. The word "Nantahala" is a Cherokee word meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun." The name is appropriate as, in some spots, the sun only reaches the floors of the deep gorges of the...
. The mountain lies along the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
and is the highest point along the Nantahala River
Nantahala River
The Nantahala River is a river in western North Carolina in the United States, within the Nantahala National Forest, and near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Two-lane U.S...
.
According to Cherokee mythology
Cherokee mythology
thumb|The [[water spider]] is said to have first brought fire to the inhabitants of the earth in the basket on her back.This article concerns itself with the mythology of the Cherokee, Native Americans indigenous to the Appalachias, and today are enrolled in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,...
, Standing Indian Mountain is the remains of a warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
who turned to stone because he failed to remain at his post. This Indian
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
warrior had been sent to the mountaintop to keep a lookout for the winged monster which came from the sky and stole children. The winged monster was captured and then the Great Spirit
Great Spirit
The Great Spirit, also called Wakan Tanka among the Sioux, the Creator or the Great Maker in English, and Gitchi Manitou in Algonquian, is a conception of a supreme being prevalent among some Native American and First Nations cultures...
destroyed the monster with thunder and lightning. However, because the Indian warrior became afraid and ran away from his post, he was turned to stone for his cowardice. The Cherokee called Standing Indian Mountain Yunwitsule-nunyi, which means "where the man stood."