September 8, 2005

When Sequoyah was developing the Cherokee Alphabet into an easy to read syllabary his popularity had diminished to about as low as it could be. His presence was being threatened by other Cherokee leaders in the newly established Nation of the Cherokees in the northeastern part of what is now Oklahoma.

In the 1820's and 1830's, this area had the support of the United States government and the new President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. Jackson was especially happy to support the latest act of Indian removal to the western side of the Mississippi River.

Sequoyah and his family built a comfortable log house in 1822 and while working on the new alphabet in 1828, he began plans to move to Mexico where several thousand Cherokees left and dangerously crossed Texas and with the help of the Kickapoo to help them fight off the Apache and Comanches as well as the Kiowas.

Chief Dutch had encouraged many Cherokees to settle around Tawaconi, Tioga, Onega, Mingo, Roanoke, Watauga, and Saginaw while the remaining several thousand went on to Mexico.

Sequoyah was a very intelligent Cherokee. Most of all Cherokees were beginning to accept and appreciate the new alphabet because of its simplicity as well as the word when spoken turned out to be a beautiful spoken language.

When Sequoyah went through Tioga and Onega, many of the Cherokee stopped and found the area to be a beautiful country of attractive oak trees and good clean fresh spring water.

As the group stopped for their overnight rest, it seems that several would stay and build homes. The remaining group of Cherokees made it into Mexico and on down to Guadalajara on the western slope of Mexico.

The Byroms, Rogers, Carrolls, Daniels, Hollars and others had already started out by legally obtaining titles to the land. Many others, that were a part of the large group did not realize that a title to the land was necessary until about 20 to 30 years later. Most of them thought that just getting west of the Mississippi would produce the land easement. Many of these Cherokees had lost many of their loved ones while they were traveling by foot, horse, wagons, or any way to get west.

They had all been told that the United States government and army would kill everyone, including women and children. The description of the way they were ordered to leave was heartbreaking and difficult to read. Beginning in the latter part of 1700's these Indians would go into a treaty that within a short time was broken.

The newly formed Cherokee Nation consisted of 66 million acres in the treaty and was accepted as official at the time of the treaty. But soon, (only after a few years), the United States forced them into a new treaty. The United States would offer them $12,000 to accept and if they didn’t accept the offer was lowered until they had to move just to stay alive. Since the late 1700's, the Cherokee and other Indians were forced to leave or face death.

At one time, the Cherokee Nation discovered gold in Dahl-Onega, Georgia. Shortly after, the Cherokee Nation was forced out of the gold mine and again they were ordered to leave or die. This order was directed by President Andrew Jackson in 1832.

My Grandfather’s Grandmother was a teacher in the Cherokee prison system in Georgia near the area where the gold mine was located, when the order for her to get west of the Mississippi was issued. I knew my Grandfather very well. I was a teen when he died. He was living in the house in which I currently live.

Great-great-grandmother Eilza Wood Williams, changed her identity while living in Onega, Texas

Rev. John B. Denton, a Methodist Preacher and Indian killer was in the area when my Great-great-grandmother was living out on Black Jack Road. I have many letters that were written by her husband, son and two son-in-laws. She taught photography in the Cherokee prison system. Her knowledge of photography has left me to possess a family fortune.

When Sequoyah left the Cherokee Nation after it was relocated in the northeast section of Oklahoma, he was 65 years old. He wanted to bring all of the Cherokees out of Mexico and bring them back to Oklahoma.

Sequoyah was becoming sick and the day he died, he ate a lot of bread and honey in the cave in Coahuila. The cave was full of rattlesnakes. His son, Worm, took the news back to the newly formed Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma.

Our local Onega Cherokees are under the leadership of Doug and Kelly Karnes. Jim and Vera Parkhill are presenting a Cherokee Exhibit just north of the hardware store during the Peanut Festival. The front of the hardware store will include part of the display of Cherokee Indian jewelry, arts and crafts. I would suggest that everyone that can come by and see these events. They have asked me to include the Indian backpack and baby carrier that was carried on the back of my great-great-grandmother, Eliza Wood Williams during her exodus from Dahl-Onega, Georgia. Eliza Wood Williams was born in 1807 and died in 1911.

Come by and see the local Cherokees as they present a lively display of Indian artifacts.