Symbol of the
"Trail Where They Cried"
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Symbol of the "Trail Where They Cried" |
When the Trail of Tears started in 1838, the mothers of the Cherokee were grieving and crying so much, they were unable to help their children survive the journey. The elders prayed for a sign that would lift the mother’s spirits to give them strength. The next day, a beautiful rose began to grow where each of the mother’s tears fell. The rose is white for their tears; a gold center represents the gold taken from Cherokee lands, and seven leaves on each stem for the seven Cherokee clans. The wild Cherokee Rose grows along the route of the Trail of Tears into eastern Oklahoma today.
Each family has histories, oral and or written. Through the years and the retelling of those histories, facts gets distorted and twisted. This is true of my family. Since I became interested in genealogy and tracing the family, I have found many discrepancies. I have found half truths that were told to cover up what was not acceptable in the 1800s. The "whole" truths I am finding, are much more interesting than the half truths. Many of the stories I was told were true, it's just that the people involved were not the ones I thought. But still the stories were true and thus I continue my story.
The Cherokee in me began, I am sure, many eons ago. However recent family history began during the time of the "removal" later known as the "Trail of Tears" in the 1800s. Opinions and perceptions have changed so much - even in the past 50 years. When I was a little girl to be of native American ancestry was not a thing to be proud of and being the only member of the family to have inherited an
Irish grandmother’s blue eyes and fair skin, I was often cautioned not to mention that I had Cherokee ancestors. As I grew older I became fascinated with the stories told in the family and this is the reason that I am writing this today.
My maternal grandfather’s ancestor who was called Siri (light of the night star?)** was from one of the tall towns. Her grandfather and father had been warriors during
the time that the Cherokee seemed to be involved in nothing but war. History has cited the Cherokee as being one of the most imitative of the native American tribes. The Cherokee saw the settlers’ lifestyle, liked what they saw, and finally realizing that war would gain them nothing further, began to copy the "white" man’s life. Siri’s Grandfather was one of these to do this. He settled land and
began to accumulate livestock and servants. Life was good for the family. However, the "white" settlers grew jealous of the native Americans. They wanted the rich lands and they simply moved in. Government promises were nothing - merely stalls to let "whites" steal more land. Siri woke one morning to find that soldiers were ousting her family from their home.
During the next few days they were forced to a "camp" where the Cherokee were being gathered for a trip to Oklahoma - the place where the U.S. Government had decided that the Cherokee would live. Men, women, and children in wagons, in carriages, on foot, riding horses, or being dragged on makeshift carriers. Siri remembered that some people were dressed in satin and silk and some in rags. The soldiers
didn’t care about anything except that if you looked like a native American you were being forced to the "camp". The conditions were terrible and illness was everywhere. Many days after the march started Siri was awaked late one night by her mother. A storm was raging, lighting and wind driven rain was chilling everybody to the bone. Her mother motioned her to follow and quietly in groups of twos
and threes 30-40 family members and friends left the "march camp" and by the time the storm cleared the next morning Siri’s family was well on their way into the Great Blue Hills of God (Smokey Mountains).
Siri’s Grandfather settled in the mountains of the Carolinas with other Cherokee who had refused to go on the march and it was years before the family again approached the white man. This time, however, although they had already started to once again copy the white man’s ways, they also maintained their identity.
During this time Siri met the half Cherokee son of a Presbyterian minister (missionary) and they were married in what Siri called "The Old Church". Within a year or two Siri gave birth to her oldest son. She had several other children. The paths of these children are still being discovered. Some have been entered into genealogy sites, but in several cases the information is incorrect because the generations are incorrect. Apparently the Cherokee people were a handsome people, taking great pride in their looks and the women of the Cherokee were especially beautiful with their bronzed skin. It was not uncommon for the white settlers to take a Cherokee woman as wife. As a result her oldest son, who had inherited his father's blue eyes, was able to move in both cultures. I won’t go into his life now, but he was a "Ranger" across the land of the Cherokee and in later years was
also a Texas Ranger. He led, what to me, was a very exciting life - in fact there is a place in Tennessee named after his family. After much searching, I discovered that the area part of Lookout Mountain.) Siri’s family moved during the years before the turn of the century. Migration was generally south through Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama and then on to Oklahoma and Texas. My "current" generation began when Will married a Cherokee woman and raised a family in the Carolinas/Tennessee area. Although the date and time is not know, his wife died. Several years later, in Benton County Alabama, Will met the beautiful young blue-eyed, auburn haired daughter of a Methodist minister. They were married in June of 1899. Sometime around the turn of the century the decision was made to go to Oklahoma. Many of the relatives loaded up their wagons and accompanied Siri’s extended family to Oklahoma. Many settled around what is now the Vinson area of Oklahoma. However, later some decided that they did not like Oklahoma. Many, including Will, his wife, his father, mother, sister, and brother also did not like the area so they moved south into middle Texas in what is now called Madison and Bell counties. Others stopped along the way and settled down in Dallas and Fort Worth. Others continued southward toward the Mexico border settling in what is called "The Valley" region of Texas.After the turn of the century Will’s first daughter was born (my mother). A son was born about 9 years later (the only child to inherit the true Cherokee coloring). Their last child was another daughter born 14 years later (see "Auntie" on the picture page). Will died in 1940, at a very advanced age. His wife (my grandmother) died 5/15/1964, two months to the day before her 85th birthday. My mother lived for 93 years. She told me many stories about my grandfather and great grandmother - well at least I thought it was my great grandmother - now it appears a generation was left out. She grew up at Siri’s knee. Siri did not die until she was very old (almost 100) - sometime when my mother was in her teens.
The stories are numerous. Some are frightening, some make you angry and some are funny. Someday as time permits I will put them in a book for my children.
My paternal grandfather was the half-Cherokee son of a Methodist minister in middle Texas. He married a Cherokee woman and had 7 children. After he was widowed he married a widow named Martha from the Miller (Cherokee) family (who had 6 almost grown children). Martha died giving birth to twins - a girl (who died minutes after birth) and a boy (my father). My grandfather died shortly after my father’s birth and the family records were word of mouth and I have not been able to trace anything on that side of the family.
I am not exactly sure how much Cherokee blood all of this has left in my veins. Everytime I discover a new bit of information the Cherokee heritage becomes "stronger". It was not until recently that I discovered my paternal grandmother was supposedly a Miller of Cherokee ancestry who was married (widowed) to a Miller of Cherokee ancestry. However, further searching has found records indicating that my paternal grandmother was a full blood Chickasaw. If you look at the Pictures Page you will see pictures of Angelfire (my daughter) and Slick (my grandson). The Cherokee/Choctau heritage is very evident in both of them. I have been asked if I attend any of the "meetings" or "pow wows". The answer is no, I am interested in the heritage, and even though my grandfather's birth is officially recorded somewhere in the Carolinas, I have no desire, at least at present, to pursue being "recognized".
Please bear in mind that the above is the history as remembered and told by a young girl who lived through the time. Historians will probably find errors in the account. The above is not meant to be anything more than a family history as remembered by my great grandmother. I hope you will enjoy the story. Being of native American ancestry, I can truthfully say that I am not racially prejudiced, but it angers me when people talk about "inappropriate symbols" which remind people of certain ethnicity about their "history" and the "injustice" done to them. I quote from the article by John G. Burnett, a US soldier who participated in the "removal" of the Cherokee, "At this time, 1890, we are too near the removal of the Cherokees for our young people to fully understand the enormity of the crime that was committed against a helpless race. Truth is, the facts are being concealed from the young people of today. School children of today do not know that we are living on lands that were taken from a helpless race at the bayonet point to satisfy the white man's greed.." What symbol should I hate? The US flag? The American soldier? Or should I simply say, "That is the past, it is history, but let us leave the symbol so we will remember never to let it happen again." For the rest of Burnett's story, click on the link below.
There are many interesting books and research articles written about this particular time in the life of the Cherokee people. I have researched many of these. The Link below will take you to more Cherokee information. Also included is a selection of links to other websites containing information on the Cherokee Nation.
Click here if you would like to see some of the Genealogy and Pictures that I am still finding and loading onto the page.
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