Cherokee History

The Trail of Tears

    

     I began to research the "Trail of Tears" and found my own history.  I saw the word 'Cherokee' highlighted in most of the website summaries and felt an emotional attachment since I have Cherokee blood.  I knew the Trail of Tears had something to do with the Indian removal, but I did not know who was involved and why it had such a depressing title.

     I soon found out the Cherokees were among many other tribes forced to leave their land.  Basically, the whites forced them out of their homes because of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy.  The soldiers led the Indians on a trial into present-day Oklahoma.  Mothers were separated from their children.  All belongings were left behind.  Many Indians walked barefoot on ice.  They slept on the ground without fire, coats, or blankets.  Children, women, and men died from freezing, disease, and exhaustion.  One Indian woman had a stroke, died, and sank with a baby on her back and children grasping her hands.
     The women were the head of the household in Native American culture.  Indian men were deeply distressed because the women were depressed and in a constant state of grievance.  The chief men lifted up prayers in faith and asked for a sign that the women's spirits would be given hope and strength to care for the children.  From that day forward, new white flowers bloomed wherever a mother's tear landed.  These flowers are called Cherokee Roses.  These roses still line the path of the Trail of Tears.  The white symbolizes tears, the yellow center represents gold taken from their native land, and the seven leaves on each stem represent the seven Cherokee clans.

The Cherokee Rose



     The Cherokee Rose intrigued me, so I began to research the rose itself.  I wondered what the seven Cherokee clans were and found information and a symbol.

The Seven Clans

The seven clans are:
Wolf- The largest and most prominent clan.  They are known as the protectors and are mainly made up of chiefs.
Wild Potato- The keepers of the land.  They are known for gathering wild potato along streams.  They are also known as Bear, Raccoon, or Blind Savannah Clan.
Paint- The prominent healers or medicine people.  Red medicine is often painted on a patient after care.
Blue- Medicine makers of a blue colored plant for children.  They are also known as the Panther or Wild Cat Clan.
Long Hair- The peacemakers and Peace Chiefs.  They are also known as The Twister, Hair Hanging Down, or Wind Clan.
Bird- The Messengers.  They take care of the birds, which are believed messengers between the Creator and the people.
Deer- The hunters, fast runners, and earthly messengers.  They delivered messages from village to village and/or person to person.
     Isn't it amazing how technology can lead us on our own knowledge trail?  I started out curious about the Trail of Tears.  In researching the Trail of Tears, I found the Cherokee Rose.  The Cherokee Rose sparked my interest in the seven Cherokee clans.  Now, I know more about the Trail of Tears, Cherokee history, and last but not least, myself.  I guess you could say I went on a journey to find myself.



Works Cited:

"Cherokee Rose." Online image. Like the Dew. 11 December 2011. < http://likethedew.com/2010/08/13/the-cherokee-rose/>

"Seven Cherokee Clans." Online image. HubPages. 11 December 2011. <http://bonnieramsey.hubpages.com/hub/The-Seven-Clans-of-the-Cherokee>

"The Trail of Tears." Online image. Saddle Up 4 Good. 11 December 2011.    <http://saddleup4good.org/trail_of_tears>

Women of Texas



When I think of Texas women, I think of the "We Can Do It" poster.

Texas women are beautiful, strong-willed, soft-hearted, and tough.

For my English literature class, my professor asked us to read some Texas literature essays.  I stumbled upon the essay, "Texas Women: True Grit and All the Rest," by Molly Ivins.  I found myself agreeing with Ms. Ivins on her thoughts about Texas women.  After all, she and I both grew up as women in Texas.

Ms. Ivins wrote about childhood desires as a Texas girl that I remember desiring for myself.  For example, Ms. Ivins stated, "We'd all rather be blonde" (Ivins 699).   For whatever reason, men all over the world expect Texas women to be cute, tan, and blonde.  And somehow, blonde is supposed to be better than any other hair color.  I still do not know why blonde hair is more desirable in Texas women.  What I do know is blonde hair is more desired by men and I am not blonde.  My hair is as dark as midnight.  Therefore, I did grow up wanting silky yellow hair.  What is it about blonde hair?  Have our Texas men become so obsessed with the culture that they identify blonde hair with the yellow rose of Texas? (I laugh as I type because our cowboys are very proud of their roots).

Another expectation placed on Texas women is to be a cheerleader.  Every little girl in Texas dreams of two things: blonde hair and being a cheerleader.  Ms. Ivin agrees when she says, "...which most Texas girls still want to be cheerleader and can be observed at every high school, every September" (Ivins 700).  Again, I question if this desire comes from men.  Texas men love their football. They also love their Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.  So, little girls grow up watching the men in their lives "oooing" and "ahhing" over the blonde Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.  From that moment on, the little girls make up their mind they want to be desired like that too, so they decide they are going to be blonde, tan, and a cheerleader.

Here is a visual of a little Texas girl's dream:

Yep, there is the blonde smack-dab in the middle.

Now, how have Texas women become labeled as strong-willed, soft-hearted, and tough?  I will tell you.  The labels of being cute, tan, and blonde have made us fight for something better, something stronger.  We refuse to be just cute, just tan, and just blonde.  We want to be beautiful and strong, but sweet.  However, the labels aren't the only things that have made us strong.  It is the Texas men that have made us overcome their dusty labels of us.  Let me describe a Texas man to you.  He drives a truck, owns several guns, keeps a beer in his console, and has a free-spirit.  Ms. Ivin agrees.  She describes Texas men as, "...Redneckus texensis, that remarkable tribe that has made the pickup truck with the gun rack across the back window and the beer cans flying out the window..." (Ivins 699).  Imagine a strong, tall, and drunk man with a gun in his hand.  That is what we, Texas women, see a man as growing up.  We have had to fight with fists against some drunkards, use our soft hearts to convince them to put the gun down, and tie in our strong-wills to let them know we won't go down without a fight.  Ms. Ivins relates, "We can cope with put-downs and come-ons, with preachers and hustlers, with drunks and cowboys" (Ivins 703).

 We, Texas women, are beautiful, strong-willed, soft-hearted, and tough.  Or as Ms. Ivins says, "Mostly Texas women are tough in some very fundamental ways.  Not unfeminine, nor necessarily unladylike, just tough" (Ivins 703).

So bring it on with the labels, fists, and hustling.  We Texas women have something to show you.

We are Texas Women.

Works Cited:

Ivins, Molly. "Texas Women: True Grit and All the Rest." Lone Star Literature: From the Red River to the Rio Grande: A Texas Anthology. Ed. Don Graham. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. 699-703. Print.

“Don’t Mess With Texas Women.” Online image. Texas Trading Post. 22 November 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=852&tbm=isch&tbnid=9mPFw8RTeyON0M:&imgrefurl=http://www.txtraders.com/shop/item.aspx%3Fitemid 3D1468&docid=t1nRiwOEqXnNLM&imgurl=http://www.txtraders.com/images/signdmwtxwomen.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=jeLLTs7JPI_qtgewqchy&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=187&sig=110961653421321735919&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=189&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=87&ty=97>.

“Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders” Online image. Football Fashion. 22 November 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=852&tbm=isch&tbnid=-P7BPCgGe1prnM:&imgrefurl=http://footballfashion.org/wordpress/tag/dallas-cowboys-cheerleaders/&docid=zgO_f4rZmG5iyM&imgurl=http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt232/footballer2010/dallas_cowboys_cheerleaders.jpg&w=600&h=413&ei=nevLTv_gIcfMtgfZpqxn&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=384&vpy=469&dur=4594&hovh=186&hovw=271&tx=156&ty=133&sig=110961653421321735919&page=2&tbnh=128&tbnw=193&start=26&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:26>.

“We Can Do It Poster.” Online image. Wikipedia. 22 November 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=852&tbm=isch&tbnid=PzW0R57WAHcU0M:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter&docid=fTthP7Gg13d70M&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/We_Can_Do_It!.jpg/220px-We_Can_Do_It!.jpg&w=220&h=285&ei=GezLTs7wMomWtwe7sPCdAQ&zoom=1>.





#2 Native American Women's Roles

  

        Mothers, Wives, Providers, Protectors, Warriors, Women.

     The Native American women from the past can be easily compared to the women of the U.S. today.  Native women had many roles within their society, but first and foremost they were seen as child-bearers.  Even their duties outside of child-bearing and raising did not affect their role as a mother.  Native women's roles varied from motherhood to being a warrior.  They even had jobs we, as Americans, would view as professions.

     Women were highly respected for being able to carry on the circle of life we know as child-bearing.  Since men are unable to bear children, women are seen as gifted for being able to give life to a child.  Women were given such power because of child-bearing that men were not allowed to wrap or unwrap bundled babies.  Popick stated, "She was so powerful that it was she who unwrapped and rewrapped holy bundles because a man would not be able to handle this power directly without her intersession" (Popick).

                                                              Mother

     Native American Women's roles as the wife could be described as a teammate.  The husband and wife were a team and worked together to survive the natural struggles of life.  For example, the husband was the hunter and the wife was the gatherer.  She would gather herbs, berries, and even firewood.  The wife even fulfilled the duty of skinning, cleaning, and cooking the hunted animals.

     In America today, women have moved from the home-maker to an equal provider with their husbands.  The Native women were also providers.  They provided food, clothing, utensils, and homes for their families.  Amazingly, the women were the ones who built the Tepees.  Once the Tepee was made, it was considered the woman's home.  Everything in the Tepee was hers.  I find it interesting how the Native American's marriage was one of teamwork, but the women owned everything.  Even the animals, hunted by the men and brought home to the women, were considered the women's property.

     The Native American women were warriors.  At home, they were spiritual warriors.  Outside, they were either companions to their husband warriors or fighters themselves.  The women were considered more spiritual than the men.  Therefore, they took on the duty of praying for their families and praying for their husbands when they went to war.  Sometimes, the women would join their husbands on the journey to war as a good luck charm.  The women would carry their husband's shields as a sign of protection.  The women were protectors through their spirituality.  Some of the stronger, stouter women actually fought in the war.

                                                                  Warrior

     Today, in America, many women work outside of the home.  Native American women also worked outside of the home.  The careers Native women could have were highly esteemed careers.  I would compare these careers to doctors of today.  Some Native women were medicine women or even higher up the chain, Shamans.  Medicine women were like doctors of the day.  They would go around healing the sick in the community by giving sick members herbs and other natural remedies.  Becoming a Shaman was probably the most powerful role a woman could have.  Shamans were able to influence good and bad spirits.  They were like the spiritual doctors.  Shamans could cure disease, predict the future, and control the weather.

      Native American women were much like the women in America today.  However, it has taken the European culture centuries to give women some respect.  In the Native American culture, women have always been given respect and a high standing among society.  I see the Native American women as having more respect than women in America today.  In some ways, the Native women were seen as higher than men.  Americans have a long way to go before women can ever be viewed as better than men.  We, as American women, still aren't even viewed as equals to men.

                She is a Mother, Wife, Provider, Protector, Warrior.

                                  She is a WOMAN.

Works Cited:

Popick, Jaqui. "Native American Women, Past, Present, and Future." Lethbridge Undergraduate Research Journal. 2006. Web. 6 November 2011. <http://www.lurj.org/article.php/vol1n1/running.xml>.

"Spiritual Native American Woman." Online image. Wiyama Woman's Medicine. 6 November 2011. <http://wiyama.com/default.aspx>.

Abbrescia, Joe. "Native American Woman Giclee." Online image. Abbrescia Fine Art. 6 November 2011. <http://www.abbresciafineart.com/lostinthought.htm>.

"Woman Warrior." Online image. The Native American Taoist. 6 November 2011. <http://www.thenativeamericantaoist.com/2009/05/lozen-woman-apache-warrior-shaman-sage.html>.

"Native American Woman and Man." Online image. Vector Clip Art. 6 November 2011. <http://www.vector-clip-art.com/2011/02/indian-native-americans-021411.html>.

#1 Native American Butterfly Myths

Butterflies represent many significant things in life.  For me, butterflies represent freedom and new beginnings.  Butterflies have been a special part of my life ever since my mother called me her “butterfly.”  She told me that I reminded her of a butterfly coming out of a cocoon when she left an abusive partner.  She said that I was always quiet, timid, and afraid until she left him.  She said, “It was as if you were kept in a cocoon until freedom released you.  You then became this beautiful, social, and confident butterfly.”  To this day, I appreciate the symbolism of a butterfly.  Many paths have led me back to this metamorphosis.  I may find myself in a cocoon at times, but I will always find a way out. I will wiggle my way out to freedom and new beginnings.

My love for butterflies and my Native American roots sent me on a journey to find Native American myths about butterflies.  I came across a tale that reminded me of why butterflies are significant to me.  The Cherokee and the Shoshone share a similar story about the legend of the Butterfly Dance.  Women in these tribes perform a ritual dance called, “Ladies Fancy Shawl Dance.”  The ritual is sometimes referred to as, “The Butterfly Dance.”  The women wear a shawl that represents butterfly wings.  Their dance movements reflect the way a butterfly flutters.

The dance is a representation of a Native American butterfly legend.  The story is about a beautiful butterfly that loses her mate in a battle.  She becomes so distraught over the loss of her mate that she wraps herself back into a cocoon.  She decides to take a long journey because her family is troubled with her emotional state.  In her sadness, she keeps her head down and focuses on every little place that she steps.  Eventually, she steps on a pebble that is so immaculate that it healed her depression.  In her happiness, she shook of the cocoon and danced with thanksgiving.  The butterfly was thankful to start a life anew.

        According to AAA Native Arts retelling of the story, “To this day, the People dance this dance as an expression of renewal, and to give thanks for new seasons, new life, and new beginnings” (Cherokee Legend of the Butterfly Dance).  The Cherokee and Shoshone People symbolize the butterfly much like I do.  To them, butterflies are symbols of new life, new beginnings, and new seasons. 

Have you ever felt like a chapter in your life closed only to find a new chapter beginning?  This is the beauty of the butterfly!  When one door closes, another door will open.  Or in the words of a butterfly, “When you are locked in a cocoon, don’t fret.  Look forward to the new beginning you are about to face.”  Every new beginning is beautiful, bright, and exciting, much like the brilliant beauty of a butterfly.

And remember, a caterpillar can only crawl.  It isn’t until the caterpillar has experienced the darkness of the cocoon that he can soar to the heavens.

Work Cited:

AAA Native Arts. 2011. Web. 4 October 2011.<http://www.aaanativearts.com/article126.html>.

Eveningthunder, L. David. AAA Native Arts. 2000.        <http://www.aaanativearts.com/article126.html.>

The Monarchy. 2000. <http://www.themonarchy.com/butterfly_farms.html>

Chesher. 2010. <http://www.this-magic-sea.com/GENES.HTM>