O' siyo, means hello in Cherokee. Welcome to Indian Territory which later became the state of Oklahoma. Indian Territory, also known as "No Man's Land" in those days, was the place where the Cherokee and other Native American Indians were relocated by the white man. This is not a pretty history of the American history but it is a story that should never be forgotten for a very important lesson was learned from the relocation of the proud Cherokee people. The Cherokee people had embraced the white man, had inter-married and even had stood with the white man against other indian nations only to be betrayed by the white man. The term "Indian Giver" is well known among indians as it was very common for white man to give or make treaties with Native Americans only to break those very treaties time and again. But the Cherokee people were a forgiving nation. They were a peaceful tribe and they only wanted to be free to live peacefully along with the white man.

One of the worst examples of "Indian Giving" became known as the Trail of Tears, the forced relocation of the Cherokee Indians from their ancestral home in the southeast to Oklahoma. The Cherokee people were an urban, Christian, agricultural, intermarried society who had supported the United States against other tribes. In the end this was all for nothing. Though prominent Americans like Davy Crockett and Daniel Webster spoke against Removal, and though the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional, President Andrew Jackson sent in the army. Fifteen to twenty thousand Cherokee Indians (along with Choctaw, Creek, and other tribes) were rounded up and herded to Oklahoma in the winter of 1838-1839. Driven from their homes without being allowed to collect their possessions first, even their shoes, the Cherokees were no better equipped for an 800-mile forced march than people today would be. Between four and eight thousand Cherokee people died of exposure, starvation, disease, and exhaustion along the Trail of Tears. If you understand this, both the extent to which the Cherokees had adopted American standards of civilization before the Removal and the ultimate futility of it, you will go a long way towards understanding the Cherokee mentality and also the attitudes of other Indian peoples towards us.

The Trail Of Tears By: Aditi Rao

My heart breaks,
Every time I see.
Our tribal people,
Suffering dearly.
For their souls are blank,
Their hearts are torn.

Their minds are still,
And their fears shown.

The sun disappears,
The moons they pass.
I see the days,
Like shattered glass.
Yet silently I continue on,
No words escape my speechless lips.
I gently shush the children's words,
With softly curled fingertips.

How long, how far?
These questions come.
They wait to be answered,
By the Chosen One.
Yet some of me,
Can't wait and cry.
So I let go of life,
With a mourning sigh.

Although the white man expected the surviving indians to perish in "No Man's Land", the proud survivors proved that this fabled land was rich in soil and they planted their corn and wheat and flourished. Later, when oil was discovered under the rich soil, white man once again showed their fine example of "Indian Giving" and decided to line up on the Kansas border for what was called the big "Land Rush" or "Land Boom" of 1889. In April of 1889 the governor of Kansas shot a gun up in the air and white settlers drove their covered wagons across the state line and planted stakes in parcels of ground and claimed it as their own, taking the land away from the indians who had lovingly planted and tilled the soil. There were some who cheated and sneaked across the border early. These were known as the "Sooners".

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This is where this room comes in. It is 1889 and white settlers have settled in Oklahoma and have built their cabins across the river from the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee, still wanting to live in peace, have accepted the white man and have even befriended their new neighbors. In turn, the settlers have begun trading with the Indians and the peaceful state of Oklahoma in which all cultures live together in harmony has just begun.

I hope you enjoy this room as it is very close to my heart. I am an Oklahoma native, part Cherokee and white settler, a product of the peace which my proud Cherokee heritage enabled. I am proud to be of Cherokee descent and can even forgive my white heritage lol. I have learned from my heritage that forgiveness is not for the ones who need to be forgiven, but for the one who needs to forgive in order to live a happy life, free from anger, which does no good anyway. I am also a proud Okie. Everyone who visits my state always says the same thing. They have met the friendliest people they ever met. I will be adding Cherokee blankets and indian artifacts as well as other trades to make this room very special so you can experience a part of history.

There are 3 teepees and animated canoes you can take back and forth across the animated river to visit the white settlers in their cabins. The sky is gently animated with a light breeze of clouds. You can sit cross legged in the teepees and you can add furniture on both sides and even add more boats in the river. There are also spots in the river for your avis to bathe. The ground is full of the state wildflower called, Indian Blanket, a beautiful red and gold wildflower. The area is around Turner Falls, near Davis, Oklahoma; my favorite place in Oklahoma, a piece of Heaven on Earth. There is a 70 foot waterfall with natural spring water so clean you can still drink from the river. Some day if you ever visit Oklahoma you should go visit Turner Falls, located in the Arbuckle Mountains. It is so beautiful and so peaceful. There are lots of caves where famous outlaws like Jesse James hid from the . There is so much history there to explore and the caves are fun to explore too. Enjoy!


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