Southeastern Indigenous Peoples & The Trail of Tears

When Soft Rain’s teacher reads a letter stating that as of May 23, 1838, all Cherokee people are to leave their land and move to what many Cherokees called “the land of darkness,” Soft Rain is not concerned. She is confident that her family will not have to move, because they have just planted corn for the next harvest. But when soldiers arrive to take nine-year-old Soft Rain and her mother to walk the Trail of Tears, she must leave the rest of her family behind, journeying across rivers, valleys, and mountains; eating the white man’s food; and watching many of her people die. A story of adversity and resilience during a painful period of American history. 128 pages, softcover.

An exciting, easy-to-read telling of the story of John Ross, the chief of the great Cherokee Nation. John Ross is looking at his home for the last time. All around him, people are loading wagons for the long journey west. The Cherokee people do not want to leave their land, but they have no choice. Today is their first day on the Trail of Tears. Step 5.

Explore the buildup to the relocation, the terrible conditions the natives were forced to suffer, and the event's impact on U.S.-Indian relations in the following years.

Even before the first glorious ring of the Liberty Bell, America was a land of freedom and promise. The Cornerstones of Freedom series explores what inspires people from all over the world to start life anew here, endure the economic and social upheavals, and defend the land and rights that are unique to the United States of America. As the United States continued to grow in the early nineteenth century, its people began to covet the land of their native neighbors. This greed led to a horrific forced relocation that we now call the Trail of Tears.

An exciting, easy-to-read telling of the story of John Ross, the chief of the great Cherokee Nation. John Ross is looking at his home for the last time. All around him, people are loading wagons for the long journey west. The Cherokee people do not want to leave their land, but they have no choice. Today is their first day on the Trail of Tears. Step 5.

The fascinating story of a lost city and an unprecedented American civilization located in modern day Illinois near St. Louis

While Mayan and Aztec civilizations are widely known and documented, relatively few people are familiar with the largest prehistoric Native American city north of Mexico-a site that expert Timothy Pauketat brings vividly to life in this groundbreaking book. Almost a thousand years ago, a city flourished along the Mississippi River near what is now St. Louis. Built around a sprawling central plaza and known as Cahokia, the site has drawn the attention of generations of archaeologists, whose work produced evidence of complex celestial timepieces, feasts big enough to feed thousands, and disturbing signs of human sacrifice. Drawing on these fascinating finds, Cahokia presents a lively and astonishing narrative of prehistoric America.

This beautifully illustrated book is a "Robert F. Sibert Honor Book", and is filled with stark, colorful drawings of Sequoyah, the Cherokee people and land. The story of an illiterate man who invented the Cherokee written language, the text is fittingly written in both English and Cherokee. Sequoyah celebrates literacy, and the struggle of a people to stand tall and proud. 29 pages, hardcover with dust jacket.

In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. An epic story of friendship, war, hope, and betrayal.

Step 5 Readers are stories told in chapters using longer paragraphs, for children who want to take the plunge into chapter books but still like colorful illustrations and photography.

Almost a thousand years ago, a Native American city flourished along the Mississippi River near what is now St. Louis. A thriving metropolis at its height with a population of twenty thousand, a sprawling central plaza, and scores of spectacular earthen mounds, Cahokia gave rise to a new culture that spread across the plains; yet by 1400 it had been abandoned.

In Cahokia, anthropologist Timothy R. Pauketat reveals the story of the city and its people as uncovered by the excavations of American corn-belt archaeologists. These digs have revealed evidence of a powerful society, including complex celestial timepieces, the remains of feasts big enough to feed thousands, and disturbing signs of large-scale human sacrifice.

Drawing on these pioneering digs and a wealth of analysis by historians and archaeologists, Pauketat provides a comprehensive picture of what's been discovered about Cahokia and how these findings have challenged our perceptions of Native Americans. A lively read and a compelling narrative of prehistoric America.