  

Indian Lands The Trail The Cherokee Seal Indian Removal Act Lasting Effects

 ” Great Seal of the Cherokee –S–Seven pointed star: seven age old clans of the Cherokee; seven characters of Sequoya’s syllabary meaning “Cherokee Nation” –W–Wreath of Oak Leaves: sacred fire; oak wood burned –m–margin wording proclaims the authority of the seal in both the English and the Cherokee languages, and records the date (1839) of the adoption of the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation West The Cherokee Nation

  Cherokee original inhabitants of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and most of South East Lived mainly in Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee

  Left little more than 10% of original lands

 May 28, 1830 Law passed by 21 st U.S. Congress and signed by 17 th President Andrew Jackson Forced removal of the Cherokee and a few other tribes to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) President Andrew Jackson

 Purpose: to “exchange” lands with Native Americans; Native American land exchanged for Indian Territory in Oklahoma Indian nation “standing in the way of progress” Settlers wanted land for COTTON

Indians allowed to live in U.S., but not hold titles; their “right of occupancy” was inferior to the United States’ “right of discovery” Lands eventually seceded to the government, and Indians were ordered to be relocated

 May 1838 Cherokee “rounded up” and put into stockades Military separated families and took valuable belongings

 All tribes forced to move from Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, etc. Moved to Oklahoma and Arkansas in an area known as the Indian Territory Three groups left in summer of 1838 by rail, boat, and wagon One group traveled over land in Arkansas Suffered 3-5 deaths a day due to disease and drought

 Left from the port on the Tennessee River Groups of Cherokee would leave by steamship to the Mississippi River Went south on the Mississippi to the Arkansas River Followed this river to Fort Smith, on the border between Arkansas and Indian Territory From here headed northwest to the area reserved for the Cherokee

 Roughly ten individual routes Actual “Trail of Tears” went from Rattlesnake Springs to Nashville, Tennessee, then all the way to the Ozark Plateau to Oklahoma Territory 1,000 mile trek Roughest route to take; most deaths occur

 Estimated that almost 4,000 of the original 15,000 Cherokee died Main causes of death: hunger, dysentery, exposure Members of Cherokee tribe call forced evacuation of their homelands and the horrendous journey, "Trail Where They Cried” The infamous removal concept was later refined into the reservation idea.

 Establishment of Indian rights and government recognition 1980: establishment of Trail of Tears National Park 1987: establishment of Trail of Tears Historic Trail

A thriving Cherokee culture, mostly in Oklahoma 7.9% of Oklahomans are Cherokee or other Native American descendants 26+ different Indian Reservations just in Oklahoma alone

 Cherokee Tribal CelebrationCherokee Reservation in OK

 Tribal Celebration and DanceMiss Indian Oklahoma

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 Cherokee Nation." Cherokee Nation Cherokee Nation of Talequah, OK. 04/21/2006. "Historical Maps." Cherokee History Cherokee Nation. 04/21/2006. "Judgement Day, The Trail of Tears." PBS.org. 03/31/2006. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 04/21/2006. Mulligan, Elizabeth. "Grandpa Was an Indian Chief." St. Louis Post- Dispatch 01/18/ /21/06. "The Cherokee "Trail of Tears"." Cherokee Pride Rose Net. 04/21/2006.