LETTERS: THE CHEROKEE DRAMA

To the editor:

I have been reading a book that I had checked out at the local library. It's called "The Cherokees" by Grace Steele Woodard. This book goes into great detail about the Cherokee people and their customs and way of life, then and now. The book also explains the events that had taken place and that had led up to their journey from the homeland they were driven off of to new territory westward known as the Trail of Tears.

It was an extremely terrible and long journey that these people were forced into and had little time to prepare for. This is an event that should be recognized and told about.

Hollywood has made movies about events surrounding different Native American tribes that have taken place in history. A lot more movies in the past six years have been made on historical events involving Native Americans.

Why couldn't Hollywood make a movie on the events that took place with the Cherokee people? Not a documentary, but an actual movie. It could be a very emotional and touching movie if one could be made. A lot more people would have a better understanding of all that happened and how unnecessary this movement of the Cherokees was. Especially with a people that were practically living in the white-man ways. A civilized, educated nation that was driven off its homeland because of greed and prejudice. And a nation's president who agreed upon and made the decision on the removal of the Cherokee nation and other civilized tribes of that region.

Along that cold, hard journey, many died. Many families suffered. There was a lot of sadness, of course, Sadness and suffering that were unnecessary, as with other major events that have taken place in our nation's history involving Native Americans.

EDNA JACO

Scott City