Customer Reviews

The Story of the Cherokee People

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I happened to come across this book and seeing that it was relatively short in length decided to read it in a sitting. It's small but has some nice illustrations and is rendered in a manner that even young children could understand. It doesn't cover a vast array of topics concerning the Cherokee people obviously, but does cover some of the more important basics. Things such as the Trail of Tears, the early migration of asiatic peoples to the US from a land-bridge, and Sequoyah the famous Cherokee man who invented their alphabet are discussed. Also, there is a nice section from an 80 year old man who was an army private who knew the Cherokee people well and provides a touching account of their forced migration from eastern Indian territories to land in the West. Good quick read for younger peoples wanting to learn a little bit about Native American history and hopefully getting the urge to investigate more.

At first I thought that this was an overly simplified version of the history of the Cherokee people and I didn't like it. It is simple but it was also published in 1961. Looking back at the time(1961), this was probably a very good introduction particularly because it was so short. Today I would want to see a more expanded version particlarly if it was written by a Cherokee scholar. I am hopeful that the Cherokee people are revitalizing their heritage and will share their culture with a world desperately in need of courage, forgiving and guidance.