The_Cherokee_Tribe_and_Their_Nation

The Cherokee Pride and Their Nation Kevin R. Williford Com150 08/19/2010 Kenneth Shelly This is an interpretation of the wrongs done to the Cherokee Nation. Even though this Indian Nation reluctantly welcomed the European intruders. They still overcame and adapted to what the Europeans thought of as, “Civilizing savages.” The Europeans coming from a culture, which they considered sound and civilized, came to a continent that they were inept, unprepared, and unequipped to deal with the elements. The following will cover information of Chief John Ross and his role with the Cherokee, how the Europeans came to take over their nation, and it will touch on the Trail of Tears. This shows how the Cherokee endured such devastating conditions on the trail and how they overcame and moved forward. What happened to the Cherokee’s was a result of how they were they treated in such a fashion and the motivation behind the perpetrators actions. The Europeans came to the East coast to what would become the United States. What they brought along with them during the early 1500s, after contemplating, their wrongs could contribute to the end of their society to cohabitate with the Cherokee, for their own gain and control. The Europeans were not prepared for the harshness of the climate and rugged terrain. Out of a few hundred settlers only a hand full survived the harsh winter and lack of food to return home to Europe. Chief John Ross and his role in the Cherokee Nation. His contribution to this nation was that he stood up for them and fought for their rights. He was a very good speaker in defending the Cherokee Nation. When Andrew Jackson passed a law for the removal of the Cherokee off their land, John Ross fought for them. He obtained permission for the government to back off this issue. The Government later decided to pass the Removal Act and this became the beginning of the Trail of Tears. These Europeans when first showing up in the 1500s, they stayed for a year, and then returned to Europe. In the 1800s, they returned to Georgia. In the 1830s, the settlers discovered gold in Georgia. They became arrogant, controlling, and deceitful to the Cherokee. This was becoming to the Europeans to take control of all Indian lands. This is why the Cherokee Nation then had to go on the Trail of Tears, after the Europeans took over their lands. In the interim with these immigrants arriving again on the East Coast 300 years later, the Cherokee were hoping that the Europeans would not bring preemptive motives with conditions attached. This would later lead to more bitterness between the Europeans and the native people of this land. When a trade agreement of goods for food had been broken between the Cherokee and the Europeans. It created a condition between the two cultures that would become very difficult and combative. Somewhere in the midst of this agreement, there had been a breakdown with the trade agreement that caused the Cherokee to retaliate. This led to feuding between the Indians and the colonists, which also meant that this might have led, and to the contribution, and the failure of the Europeans success to a relationship with the Cherokee in the 1800s. The return of the Europeans to the North America Continent that would soon become the United States in the 18th century and were again reunited with the natives. These two completely different cultures started to develop a relationship that soon would be doomed. Before the Europeans returned to North America, the Cherokee had expanded from what would become South Western Virginia down to Tennessee as well as Georgia and Alabama. The Removal Act of the Cherokee Nation ordered by Andrew Jackson in 1838 was followed through. The Europeans had for a second time, a hard time to adapt to their surroundings. What they failed to realize, was that the locals had lived here for an estimated 11,000 years. There could have been substantial proof that the Cherokee were very well adapted and not willing to share their knowledge with the immigrants. Part of the Cherokee knowledge was how to live off the land. For instance, when they killed an animal, not only did they use the meat for food. They used the bones to make tools and weapons; they also used the skin for their housing and their clothing. Most people think that the Trail of Tears was only one trail but there were five trails that totaled 2,200 miles. The Trail of Tears referred to as the trail of death. Many men, women, and children died on these trails because of disease, starvation, thirst, weather conditions, etc. They were forced to leave their homes with no belongings at gunpoint and put in stockades until the Europeans were ready to lead them on the Trail of Tears. They did not have the proper clothing, not enough blankets, food or water, and lack of medical to help them on this long dreadful trail that they had to take. They buried as many as 15 Indians at every stopping point. Out of about 20,000 Cherokee Indian, there was approximately one-third to one-half that died on the trail. Upon arrival into Oklahoma, the Cherokees that had walked on the Trail of Tears, they had to face the “Old Settlers.” These were the Cherokee that had left Georgia voluntarily back in 1817. The old settlers had already made their own government and were not willing to allow the immigrants to become part of this government. In 1941 with the help of Chief John Ross, the two groups were able to come to a resolution on their differences. This would lead them into a more peaceful and prosperous Nation. The Cherokee Nation was very innovative with their interior needs with what it took to survive. This would include building their own government, constitution, housing needs, the supply, and gathering of goods, along with educational needs. The very advanced as so-called “savage civilizations.” The education was more than their white counterparts were. The Cherokee developed their own democratic government and business ethics. This involved the Cherokee developing their own constitution and freedom of speech. This also included Park Hill – Center of Business and what was once broken as a lifestyle, was then rebuilt. The Park Hill Center of Business had been built back in that time. They called this the Cherokee Seminary building, which Chief John Ross was part of. The Cherokee Nation no longer had any rights. The Cherokee had schools built, which they taught their own to learn and prosper. They also gained by striving hard to survive in a society that had conflict. The Cherokee were advanced in their schooling as compared to other statehoods around them. This was until they were stripped of all their rights and segregated. They were held back and put in slow learning classes and were not allowed to go on the school trips or anything as such. After the Cherokee became established as a Nation and tribes were coming together. The white people were trying to tear them apart. They started having a division amongst themselves between the half-breeds and the full-blooded Cherokee. Then Chief John Ross reluctantly had signed the agreement for the Cherokee to join the Confederate Army. Once again, during the Civil War, the reestablished Nation that the Cherokee had worked so hard to rebuild once again was destroyed. They once again had to rebuild their Nation. It seemed that every time the United States made a Treaty agreement with the Cherokee, they never followed through with their part of the agreement. In the 1890s, they were still paying money to the Cherokee that they promised to them in the 1830s. After rebuilding their Nation again, the white people then took advantage of the Cherokee educational system. The Cherokee made the white people pay with money for their children to attend the Cherokee schools. The Cherokee built their Nation again, which included their own government again. They built sawmills, schools, farms, and a democratic society. After the Trail of Tears until about the 1890s, the Cherokee still dealt with the White man. They had wars amongst themselves, they had to fight wars with the white men, and they still had to fight for their Nation. Ever since the Cherokee met the Europeans the Cherokee were doomed. They had to go through the Trail of Tears, losing what was rightfully theirs. Then they were moved to Oklahoma, which at that time was called the Indian Territory. The Cherokee rebuilt their Nation just to have it taken away from them again. After the Civil War, they rebuilt their Nation once again. The Cherokee were innovative, strong, resilient with their beliefs, and this helped them to survive. The Cherokee were a peaceful people who did not want to have any trouble. They cooperated only until pushed into a corner at which time they retaliated. Today, there are monuments that were made for their endeavors along the Trail of Tears. To this day, the Cherokee rose represents the tears of the women along the trail and still grows to this day. References: Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center. (1998-2010). A Proud Heritage. Retrieved from http://www.cherokee.org/Culture/57/Page/default.aspx Thomas Legion. (). Cherokee Trail of Tears. Retrieved from http://thomaslegion.net/cherokee_trail_of_tears_map_history.html Thomas Legion. (). Cherokee Chief John Ross of the Cherokee Nation John Ross. Retrieved from http://thomaslegion.net/cherokeechiefjohnrossandthe1835treatyofnewechota.html