Joiurnal of an American Indian

{text:bookmark-start} Journal Entry of a {text:bookmark-end} n American Indian   The year is 1838, the setting is Western Georgia. As a young Cherokee growing up in this   land, we had migrated to the southeast from the Great Lakes Region. We settled into the great   land and easily assimilated the White culture. We had adopted the European style of dressing,   followed the white man’s way of farming, and home building methods. Our government was   patterned after that of the United States government. We were happy and settled, our culture had   begun to flourish with the Cherokee language. An Indian named Sequoyah had invented a   syllabry in 1821 in which each character represented a syllable, thus promoting literacy amongst   the Cherokee. We had begun to write our own constitution and published the only Native   American newspaper, called the Cherokee Phoenix (Song from the Past). It was not long after   that it was discovered that there was gold in Georgia, this began a series of events that lead to   what is known as the Trail of Tears. President Andrew Jackson put forth the Indian Remonal   Act of 1830 which empowered him to forceably evict all Native American Indians from areas of   the East of the Mississippi River. This included five Indian tribes that had made this land their   home. As a Cherokee, a proud people, we decided to try to fight for our land. We took Georgia   to court going all the way to US Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Marshall had ruled in favor   of the Cherokee saying we did not have to move (McGill, Indian Removal and The Trail of   Tears, 2009). Unfortunenately President Jasckson did not share his views.   I am playing with my friends when white men in uniforms ride up to our home. My mother   calls me. I can tell by her voice that something is wrong. My mother tells me to gather my   things, but the men don't allow us time to get anything. They enter our home and begin   knocking over pottery and looking into everything. My mother and I are taken by... [continues]

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