Cherokee Trail of Tears
The Cherokee people are a subordinate group who experienced colonialism, meaning the European colonial settlers dominated over the Native Americans taking what resources they could from them. This ultimately resulted in expulsion where the colonist forced the Cherokee along with other Native Americans from their native lands and put them on reservations. The most famous account of this was the Cherokee's Trail of Tears that took place from 1838-1839 where according to the Cherokee Trail of Tears time line "July 1838 Over 13,000 Cherokees imprisoned in military stockades awaiting break in drought. Approximately 1500 die in confinement." began the march. The remaining Cherokee were then forced to march from their native lands in the South East to reservations in the West. Below is a journal entry from one of the survivors of the Cherokee tribe from North Carolina while on the march to the west. The quotation at the beginning is a quote from an actual survivor. The rest is fictional but based in fact source noted below.(Recollections of a survivor)"Long time we travel on way to new land. People feel bad when they leave Old Nation. Women cry and make sad wails, Children cry and many men cry...but they say nothing and just put heads down and keep on go towards West. Many days pass and people die very much." My father he get sick and die, then my mother she die and five brothers. All die, each day one die. There no game to hunt and feed people. Men, women go hungry. Give what food could find to children. Heavy rains and rivers full of ice make way hard to travel. Each morning we are told how far we must walk and which way to go. Each night we make camp and try to find what we can to eat. Hunters go out and bring back what they can. White man give us corn to make bread. Long last we arrive in new land my people once many now so few. Hard to go on when lost family. It will take long time to rebuild New Nation. New Chief of people made. Chief John Ross, he name land Oklahoma. This is where we will live now
References
The Cherokee Trail of Tears Time line 1838-1839, Rose Society Net Retrieved June, 7
2006 from www.rosecity.net/tears/trail/timeline.html
Recollections of a survivor, The Cherokee Trail of Tears, Rose Society Net Retrieved
June, 7 2006 from www.rosecity.net/tears/trail/timeline.html
Words by Spirit Cherokee
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Written on 2006-08-18 at 02:06
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