Gregory D. Smithers
![](https://shopeasttnhistory.com/sites/default/files/styles/people_company_main/public/default_images/eths_default_staff_1.gif?itok=yIMRLUIS)
2016 Award of Distinction
Gregory D. Smithers received the Award of Distinction for his book The Cherokee Diaspora: An Indigenous History of Migration, Resettlement, and Identity. Tracing the Cherokee people’s story from the 18th century to the present, The Cherokee Diaspora: An Indigenous History of Migration, Resettlement, and Identity explores East Tennessee’s connection with the forces of settler colonialism, economics, and trade, while also explaining how Tennessee Cherokees shaped these changes by defending landholdings, migrating west of the Mississippi, and cultivating connections with their homeland and kin.