Finn Malishenko | 2025 I.S. Symposium

Name: Finn Malishenko
Title: Addressing Key Opportunities for Future Development and Education Relating to Limited Regional Awareness of the Newark Earthworks
Major: Anthropology
Minor: East Asian Studies
Advisor: Olivia Navarro-Farr

Following the declaration of Ohio’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Newark Earthworks, in particular, the Great Circle and Octagon Earthworks, have garnered a lot of news attention from the Licking County Community and its local newspaper, The Newark Advocate. This attention frequently highlights the historical significance of the site, and litigation between the Ohio History Connection and Moundbuilders Country Club over access to the ancient Octagon Earthworks. In 2024, a settlement was reached with Moundbuilders Country Club to buy out its lease on the property. Although the Ohio History Connection owns the land, a number of Licking County residents have expressed displeasure over the verdict, namely because the Earthworks has for many decades, served as the Country Club’s private golf course. I would like to understand the opinions of both groups on the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in greater detail so that I may grasp how the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation has affected both local and state-wide populations. My research considers the process through which a UNESCO status is declared as well as the impacts of settler colonialism on Licking County to eventually inform my survey of the community which reveals a lack of overall knowledge and visitation of the Newark Earthworks outside of Licking County. I address these findings as they relate to racist nativism in the United States and propose potential solutions to bring more visitors to the Earthworks. Being able to focus my research on my local community was exciting and I’m interested in conducting further research on the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a whole.

Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.