#6: Walking the Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is one of the darkest chapters in American history, and the story of the author’s great-great-grandmother is a poignant reminder of the pain and suffering that Native Americans endured during this time. As a child, she was forced to walk the Trail of Tears, a grueling journey that saw thousands of Cherokee people displaced from their ancestral lands. Her parents did not survive the journey, leaving her an orphan when she arrived in Oklahoma.
Thankfully, she was adopted by a white couple who provided her with a new home and family. Despite the trauma she had endured, she was able to build a new life for herself and leave a lasting legacy. The fact that she was listed as half Cherokee on the roll is a testament to her resilience and the strength of her Cherokee identity, despite the hardships she faced.