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The Cherokee Nation Language Department works to record member’s stories. They want to preserve the language for future generations.
The Cherokee people were forcibly moved from their homeland in the Southeastern United States because white settlers wanted to use their land to grow cotton. The government began the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Originally, the US government said it would fairly move American Indians to new land. However, the government did not follow through and forced people from their homelands. More than 100,000 American Indians walked west of the Mississippi to “Indian Territory” in what is now called the Trail of Tears. Fifteen thousand people died during this time.
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Making Connections
Text-to-Self
Cherokee children learned skills from their parents and family members. Have you learned any skills that way?
Text-to-Text
Have you read about another American Indian nation? How is their culture similar to or different from the Cherokee people?
Text-to-World
Cherokee people were forced from their homeland after the Indian Removal Act. Can you think of any other groups of people who were forced from their homes? How was their experience similar to or different from the Cherokee?