Trail of Tears In “Race, Religion, and the Trail of Tears,” Patrick Minges addresses the experience Native Americans, especially the Cherokee tribe, experienced before, during, and after the Trail of Tears. Minge points out that although the Native Americans appeared different from the whole population, they were actually similar in many ways and did not deserve the harshness they received. He views the topics of religion, slavery, and the trail of tears through the eyes of different races. Minge first discusses the relationship of African Americans and Native Americans in slavery. He goes on to state how the Native Americans were similar to African Americans when it came to how they are seen by the whites, as laborers. In fact, Minges declared