Like Connie I was born and raised in Tennessee....south east Tennessee where the Cherokee always resided. Unlike her, I still live here. I can't not remember hearing and knowing about the Trail of Tears. I live just a few miles from Nancy Ward's grave site. Our driveway is about 150 yards in length. Just beside it is an 'un-natural' dip in the ground. I have since learned via a University of Tennessee professor that it was an old wagon path used before and during the Removal. Walk on these hallowed grounds and see what you feel. I have walked, many times, in the sacred grounds of Chota, Chilhowee, Hiwassee and all the other villages. If you open your heart and mind you can listen to your ancestors, feel their happiness & sadness. It's like a feeling of being away from home a long time and then returning...you just feel 'at home'. Joyce Gaston Reece Rootsweb mail list minder: Gilbreath, Galbreath, Raper, Knuckles, TN-Meigs, Southeast, TN., Northeast, TN., Shields, Hembree, Hemby. Ancestry Message Board Admin for: Daugherty, Galbreath, Gaston, Gilbreath, Hembree, Hemby, Knuckles, Raper, Reece, Shield, Shields & Polk Co., TN.

Joyce, according to the video when the GA people were first moved they were forced in a fortress like structure. Many of them died from malnutrition, lack of sanitation, etc. Some were "herded" into groups. Absolute squalor. Mans inhumanity to man. Just the images and the dialogue was terrible. Reminded of what I heard as a child, "A good Indian is a dead Indian." Many of the whites simply want to eradicate them. Acc to this, their communal ownership of their land even in Oklahoma was horrenous to the white man. Carole Beth ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joyce G. Reece" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 5:03 PM Subject: [OKGEN ] Trail of Tears > Like Connie I was born and raised in Tennessee....south east Tennessee where the Cherokee always resided. Unlike her, I still live > here. I can't not remember hearing and knowing about the Trail of Tears. I live just a few miles from Nancy Ward's grave site. > Our driveway is about 150 yards in length. Just beside it is an 'un-natural' dip in the ground. I have since learned via a > University of Tennessee professor that it was an old wagon path used before and during the Removal. Walk on these hallowed grounds > and see what you feel. I have walked, many times, in the sacred grounds of Chota, Chilhowee, Hiwassee and all the other villages. > If you open your heart and mind you can listen to your ancestors, feel their happiness & sadness. It's like a feeling of being away > from home a long time and then returning...you just feel 'at home'. > > Joyce Gaston Reece > Rootsweb mail list minder: Gilbreath, Galbreath, Raper, > Knuckles, TN-Meigs, Southeast, TN., Northeast, TN., Shields, > Hembree, Hemby. > Ancestry Message Board Admin for: Daugherty, Galbreath, Gaston, > Gilbreath, Hembree, Hemby, Knuckles, Raper, Reece, > Shield, Shields & Polk Co., TN. > > > ==== OKGEN Mailing List ==== > Saturday at 9pm-10pm CST > >>>>>>>> OKGenWeb Chat <<<<<<<< > http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgenweb/helplinks/chat/chat.htm > >