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Craft commemorates 1838-'39 forced removal of American Indians from their land, homes
By Kathy Antoniotti
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Saturday, Sep 06, 2008
Americans will remember a less than stellar time in our nation's history on Sept. 16. It's the day set aside to commemorate the Trail of Tears, the forced removal of American Indians from their homes in the southeastern United States.
White settlers discovered gold on land occupied by the Cherokee Nation in 1829. By this time, many Cherokees had assimilated into European ways by practicing their religions, wearing similar clothing and living in homes built with European designs. John Ross, a principal chief of the Cherokee nation, had a Scottish father and a mother who was Scottish and Cherokee.
Although Ross appealed to the courts, he was unable to stop the flow of illegal settlers who moved onto land owned by the Cherokee. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830 forcing the Cherokee to relocate west of the Mississippi River in what is now Oklahoma.
The removal began when the first group left June 6, 1838, and ended when the last party arrived in March of 1839. The forced exodus is called the Trail of Tears and comes from the Cherokee phrase nunna-da-ul-tsun-yi, which means the trail where they cried.
The Cherokee traveled almost 1,000 miles, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas before reaching their destination. Some rode on horseback, some went by boat, but most covered the land on foot, through rain and bad weather. Many Cherokee became ill and thousands died because of the harsh conditions.
Today, there are fewer than 300,000 people recognized as being true Cherokee Indians. About 12,500 people are members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.
I made an a hunting party necklace with a kit from
Realeather Crafts to commemorate the Trail of Tears. Use these instructions to make your own. The supplies can be purchased separately at a craft store.
Supplies you will need:
• 12 plastic pony beads.
• Six 1-inch imitation bone beads.
• Two imitation bear claws.
• One stone arrowhead.
• 30 inches of leather lacing.
• 12 inches of sinew.
Form a 1-inch loop above the base of the arrowhead, then wrap the sinew around to bind the loop in place. Tie off the end and trim. Center the arrowhead on the leather lacing by stringing it through the loop in the sinew.
Working out from both sides of the arrowhead, string a pony bead, bone bead and then another pony bead. String on the bear claws and continue to alternate pony beads and bone beads until done.
To make an adjustable closure, thread one end of the lacing through two pony beads and knot the end. Thread the other end of the lace through both of the beads in the opposite direction and tie a knot in that end. Pull the lace to adjust the size.
Kathy Antoniotti writes a craft column for the Beacon Journal. If you have a craft idea or question, contact Kathy Antoniotti, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron OH 44309-0640; 330-996-3565; or via e-mail at kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.
Americans will remember a less than stellar time in our nation's history on Sept. 16. It's the day set aside to commemorate the Trail of Tears, the forced removal of American Indians from their homes in the southeastern United States.
Get the full article here.
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