My name is Awanita, which means in my native language the fawn. I am part of the Cherokee tribe. It is believed that we originated by passing over the Bering Strait (Alaska) during the Ice age from Asia, while the Bering Strait was still frozen. Many spread out over parts of Canada, and North and South America (N.A. 2, 2011). Now people have invaded our land and have brought with them diseases that have struck our people. We have been at war with the settlers because they want to take our land. They are making us sign treaties, each time they take more and more of our land from us. Our people are being forced once again to move (N.A. 2007). We live in what the settlers call Georgia. Now they have discovered gold, and these people are trespassing on our land, once again in search of this gold. Tension is building again between my people and the settlers, of which was once our country (N.A. 1, 2011).
A man known as the President of the country, that they now call the United States of America, has now declared for the removal of our people; he goes by the name of Andrew Jackson. He has declared a new law, called the Indian Removal Act of 1830. He has decided that our people are in danger from the settlers and wants us to move from our land in the east to land in the west (N.A. 1, 2011). Our people have made a complaint to the Supreme Court and have won, but the president has ignored the court’s decision and has ordered our migration despite his ruling (N.A. 1, 2011). He was able to do this because he tricked our people into signing a treaty which is forcing us to move, but my people are refusing this order. This is the year of 1838 (N.A. 2007).
My people and I are being forced out of our homes which they have burned, and have destroyed our property. Our farms are being acquired by the settlers by what they call a
