The first Asian residents of North Carolina were a world-famous pair of conjoined twin brothers. And they later became quite possibly the country’s first Asian American citizens. This week, we tell the almost unbelievable story of Chang and Eng Bunker and explore the complicated legacy they left behind in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Featuring:

• Joe Orser, author of The Lives of Chang and Eng: Siam's Twins in Nineteenth-Century America
• Eli Chen, digital news producer at WUNC News

Links:

• From Now On from the musical Chang and Eng
• The Siamese Twins Museum in Mount Airy, NC

Cover photo: From the National Portrait Gallery and The Frederick Hill Meserve Collection, Chang and Eng Bunker and children circa 1860.

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Forever chemicals like PFAS have permeated much of the country’s water supply for decades. These containments are linked to severe health problems, yet critics say federal and state government efforts to clean up waterways in places like North Carolina's Cape Fear River aren't doing nearly enough.

Featuring:

• Celeste Guajardo, environment reporter at WUNC News
• Will Stone, editor and reporter for NPR's Science Desk

Links:

• NPR: The MAHA movement is mad about the weedkiller glyphosate and Trump's EPA

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There are tens of thousands of Indigenous mounds located throughout the United States. For Native Americans, these earthen structures are revered as sacred places. Despite their importance to Native cultures, many of these sites have been damaged or destroyed in the past, and very few are actually owned by tribes today. But the fascinating story of one mound in Franklin, North Carolina is highlighting recent efforts to preserve these important sites and put them back in tribal hands.

Featuring:

• Angelina Jumper, cultural resources supervisor for Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
• Lilly Knoepp, NC Local’s regional reporter for Western North Carolina
• Ben Steere, archaeologist and professor at Western Carolina University
• Johi Griffin, tribal historic sites keeper for Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Links:

• NC Local: There are dozens of Indigenous mounds in North Carolina. Why do tribes only own a few?
• The Trailhead newsletter from Lilly Knoepp and NC Local

Cover image: Noquisiyi Mound in Franklin, North Carolina. Photo by Harrison Keely/Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

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