Indian Removal- Eyewitness Accounts Even after the treaty ending Cherokee presence in Georgia was signed, many Indians waited, hoping that it would not happen. However, their removal did happen. Cherokee Indians were rounded up by U.S. soldiers under the command of Gen. Winfred Scott and herded into stockades until all were assembled. Mavis Doering recounts the words she heard from her grandmother who was on the Trail of Tears. Her grandmother said they were forced to leave without any personal belongings, and when they were some distance from their homes, they looked back from a hillside and saw their animals still grazing in the fields. With much emotion, Ramona Bear Taylor recalls similar stories from her ancestors. Beginning in October, it took four months to walk to Oklahoma. The cold, exposure to the elements, hunger, and disease suffered along the way claimed 4,000 Cherokee. A common sound at night was the noise of digging into the dirt to bury those who died that day. Creek Indian Jay McGirt states that one function of the medicine men was to keep peoples’ spirits up; there was little else they could do. These victims are remembered as their names are used by their descendants. Trail of Tears Cherokees called the forced move to Oklahoma “Nun-da-ut-sun’y” “The trail where they cried.”

 US govt says all Native Americans must leave Illinois  Chief Black Hawk of the Sauk refuses, saying no one can own land  US settlers moved into village when they were away hunting  After Sauk attacks, US troops drive out Indians

 President Jackson pushes Congress to force Indians to move west of the Mississippi  Congress established Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) as the new Indian homeland  US govt creates Bureau of Indian Affairs

“One of the greatest evils to which they (Indians) are subject is the incessant (constant) pressure of our population.” 1)According to John C. Calhoun, why is the US government forcing the Native Americans to move off of their homelands? 2)What is wrong with this statement?

 Lived peacefully in the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia and Tennessee  Adopted culture of whites - wrote and spoke English  Had own written language and newspaper  Based their government on the U.S. Constitution

 Cherokee sued the government of Georgia for taking their land  Worcester vs. Georgia - Supreme Court rules Georgia’s actions are illegal and that the Cherokee can stay

“Chief Justice John Marshall has made his decision. Now let him enforce it.” 1)What is the job of the Supreme Court? 2)What is the job of the President? 3)What should happen if a government official refuses to do his job?

 Georgia govt. smashes in Cherokee printing press  US troops move 18,000 Cherokee at gunpoint 800 miles from  25% of Cherokee died - most elderly and children XjZDf0gSTqg John Denver Trail of Tears Song words in packet, follow along.

John Denver Song "Trail Of Tears" No more beautiful moons may we spend on our land, in the north the scarlet council talks of war. And the long knives have massacred the tribes and burned corn, we're not welcome in our homeland anymore. There will be a trail of tears, there will be a trail of pain. Jackson will have the Mississippi and the twenty-dollar bill, but for us the trail is all that will remain. No more songs of the hunters on the buffalo plain, no more smoke from sacred fires touch these hills. And the numbers of the people grow fewer every mile and our children will not learn The Great Spirit's ways. There will be a trail of tears, there will be a trail of pain. Jackson will have the Mississippi and the twenty-dollar bill, but for us the trail is all that will remain. On the streets of Rapid City, on the road to Wounded Knee, there is whiskey for forgetting everything. But the old ones say there may be time learning from each other the way that it had once been meant to be. But there is still a trail of tears, there is still a trail of pain. Jackson has got the Mississippi and the twenty-dollar bill but for us the trail of tears is all that will remain. Jackson has got the Mississippi and the twenty-dollar bill, but how long will the trail of tears remain?

Trail of Tears Painting Questions

We will read Trail of Tears poems. Turn to “How to Interpret a Poem” #1 Poem in packet “The Neverending Trail” #2 Poem in Packet “The Trail of Tears” #3 (4) Poems in packet “Promises Never Kept” etc. #5 Poem on slide “Tear Drops” #6 Poem on slide “Tears of Pain” #7 Poem on slide “How Many Millions?” #8 Poem on slide “Can we Touch the Thread that Binds us all”

Tear Drops

Tears of Pain There is more than love, belief and hope – so many souls want to hide behind their masks of a happy life. But if you look closer, if you really want to know, if you watch out, you’ll find many hurt souls, people who are having or have had a hard time. I tried to shape my experiences into words. It is not that easy to convey my very personal pain to you. Maybe your pain is somewhere else. Maybe you never ever thought that a specific topic could bother someone so much. That’s okay. Tears are personal. Tears are specific. Tears may be deep and strangling.

Due______________________/24 total (3 pts. each) Requirements include the following: 1. Setting- Create a poem using your knowledge of “Indian Removal” and the “Trail of Tears.” Content to include minimum of 5 complete facts from reading and notes. 2. Central theme/message, the main idea/subject behind the poem, treatment by government/military, feelings of Natives being forcefully removed from their land. 3. Include Symbolism- The concrete representation of an abstract concept. Dove=Peace, Rose=love, Skull=death. 4. Rhythm of the words, the flow of the poem - It does not have to rhyme. 5. Figures of speech phrase/sentence- 1 simile and 1 metaphor & 1 personification (Giving a non- human thing, human characteristics) EX: The clock was teasing me, the summer sighed, the wind whispered, the flower sneezed. 6. Imagery, appeal to senses- The use of language to represent objects, actions, feelings, thoughts, states of mind, 5 sensory experiences: this language creates a picture in the mind Instead of saying: It was hot Say: The July sun beat down relentlessly while our sun-baked backs begged for mercy. Sights, sounds, taste, touch/feel, smell. 7. Format- (2) 6-10 line sentence/phrase stanzas or a total of 20 lines (approximate). Poetry paragraphs separated by a line or indented. Correct grammar (spelling & punctuation). 8. Creativity- Be creative with the shape of your poem. Design an illustration to connect with the meaning.