I proudly dedicate this page to my heritage of Northern Cherokee Indian. I have always known about my heritage, and it may be cliche, but I was called a squaw in school. Did I live on a indian reservation? Did I go to school on a reservation? No. In fact, I have never lived on a reservation, but have visited some. It was the "white"kids at school who called me that, only because I had told them I was indian. Did it bother me? No. On the contrary, I was proud of it at the time because I thought a sqaw meant a indian maiden. I have never been ashamed of what I am. Growing up, I was always dark skinned and had black hair with the brown eyes. Sadly, I was not full blooded indian. I was registered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma as having 1/8 indian blood in me, but have since been upgraded to 1/4. Which has made my mom 1/2 and my grandma, if she was alive, 3/4. My dad has a little indian blood in him, but he has not done his family genealogy to register. Sadly, both his parents have died.
I have listened so tentatively to many stories my grandma told me about her growing up and being indian. And to the fact do I not only have indian blood in me, but outlaw blood too. Apparently, I am 4th cousin to Jesse James (which I know being 4th cousin is like being no relation at all) but no matter, I am still proud!For a long time I have really had no one to share my history with until the making of this website. I can now once again express how proud I am of the people I come from.
I hope you enjoy the indian path with me.
The Trail of Tears
Yes my ancestors were on the "Trail of Tears" In one of the saddest episodes of our brief history, men, women, and children were taken from their land, herded into makeshift forts with minimal facilities and food, then forced to march a thousand miles (Some made part of the trip by boat in equally horrible conditions). Under the generally indifferent army commanders, human losses for the first groups of Cherokee removed were extremely high. John Ross made an urgent appeal to Scott, requesting that the general let his people lead the tribe west. General Scott agreed. Ross organized the Cherokee into smaller groups and let them move serparately through the wilderness so they could forage for food. Although the parties under Ross left in early fall and arrived in Oklahoma during the brutal winter of 1838-39, he significantly reduced the loss of life among his people. About 4000 Cherokee died as a result of the removal. The route they traversed and the journey itself became known as "The Trail of Tears" or, as a direct translation from Cherokee, "TheTrail Where They Cried" ("Nunna daul Tsuny").
The Legend of the Cherokee Rose
No better symbol exists of the pain and
suffering of the "Trail of Tears" than the Cherokee Rose as pictured here. The mothers of the Cherokee grieved so much that the chiefs prayed for a sign to lift the mother's spirits and give them strength to care for their children. From that day forward, a beautiful flower, a rose, grew wherever a mother's tear fell to the ground. The rose is white, for the mother's tears. It has a gold center, for the gold taken from the Cherokee lands, and seven leaves on each stem that represent the seven Cherokee clans that made that journey. To this day, the Cherokee Rose prospers along the route of the "Trail of Tears". The Cherokee Rose is now the official flower of the state of Georgia.
If any of you out there would like to download the Cherokee font, just click on the link. It also show examples of how the Cherokee language looks, and sad to say, I myself cannot read it. I hope to one day learn the Cherokee language and give myself a Cherokee name.
If any of you see other symbols and pics of tribes other than "Cherokee", I am well aware of that.
I am by no means a racist when it comes other indian tribes other than Cherokee. I am proud and honored to just be classified as an indian. I feel this planet is large enough for us all to share each other's cultures with kindness. |
