(Lancaster, SC) — The Native American Studies Center at the University of South Carolina Lancaster will host a Lunch and Learn lecture examining how Appalachian show caves have shaped—and distorted—public understandings of Indigenous history and culture.
The lecture, titled “The Invented Indigenous Histories of Appalachian Show Caves,” will be presented by Dr. Chelsea Fisher, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Carolina, on Friday, December 19, 2025, at noon. The event is part of the W. Brent Burgin Lunch and Learn Lecture Series.
Show caves—caves operated as commercial tourist attractions—have been a staple of Appalachian tourism since the nineteenth century. In her talk, Dr. Fisher will explore how these sites functioned as a technology of colonialism, extending the principle of terra nullius—the idea of land as “nobody’s land”—into subterranean spaces. By framing caves as empty or unclaimed, these attractions were later filled with settler-created narratives that misrepresented or invented Indigenous histories.
Drawing on Gilded Age and Victorian-era guidebooks, souvenirs, literature, and other memorabilia, Dr. Fisher will demonstrate how seemingly harmless tourist attractions have reinforced settler fantasies about Indigenous culture. The lecture will also address how dismantling these narratives can create space for restoring authentic anti-colonial and Indigenous histories beneath the surface—both literally and figuratively.
The program will be held in person and virtually. In-person attendance will take place at 119 South Main Street in downtown Lancaster. Those wishing to attend via Zoom may register via this link: https://bit.ly/4kTlxXF
