Southeastern Native Peoples & The Trail of Tears

Who were the first people to call the southeastern United States home? Long before Europeans came to the region, American Indian nations lived off the rich and varied land. These peoples had different languages, governments, and cultures. Their traditions and heritage were shaped by the climate and terrain of the American Southeast.

• The Caddo traveled in canoes made from the wood of cypress trees.
• The Seminole wove baskets from sweetgrass and dyed them with berries, nuts, and roots.
• The Cherokee danced with rattles made of turtle shell strapped to their legs in what is called a stomp dance.

Twenty-first century American Indians still call the Southeast home. Find out what these groups have in common and what makes each nation unique Softcover, 48 pages. Ages 8-11..

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 Cornerstones of Freedom series will introduce elementary-age students to the institutions and events that have shaped the United States, from the country's beginning to the current day.

The Trail of Tears covers the buildup to the forced relocation of Native Americans, the terrible conditions they were forced to suffer, the impact on U.S.-Native American relations, and more, through easy-to-understand chapters filled with photographs and interesting sidebars.

These non-fiction books will help students learn to draw information from informational texts; each book features a table of contents, chapters, sidebars, an original map showing people and events, a "setting the scene" spread, "the story continues" closing, "influential individuals" list, timeline, and list of primary sources.

64 pages with index and glossary, softcover. 6.2" x 9". Grades 4-6 / Ages 9-11.

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.

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.

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.

A narrative poem telling the love story of Atlassa, a Mickasukie chief, and Ewald, the young daughter of a Spanish nobleman, and the eventual capture and exile of the Mickasukie tribe from Tampa. Much more than a love story.

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.