Profile Speech about Trail of Tears- Removal of the Cherokee - Essay Example

 The Trail of Tear- Removal of the Cherokee Name: Institution’s name Informative Speech Preparation Outline Trail of Tears- Removal of the Cherokee General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose Statement: To inform the audience about the Removal of the Cherokees through the tale of Trail of Tears Central Idea: The Native Americans, considered uncivilized and unfit for a “white” America were forced to leave their homeland and settle in Oklahoma. Method of Organization: Chronological Introduction I. (Gain attention and interest) “My mother begged the soldiers at the stockade To go back for some blankets and food she had made Some widows came with us as we rode along One of them sang me a lullaby song The people grew weary of salt pork every day My father he hunted for food along the way Much is forgotten over the years The road was so muddy, muddy with tears There was a lot of sickness, so many children died That's all I can remember on the trail on which we cried” These lines have been taken from a song that reminds one of the Trail of Tears ( The trail on which we cried, 1932). II. (Reveal topic) The Trail of tears is an important event in the history of America where in 1838, almost 16,000 Cherokee people were driven away from their native land and made to trek for four months amidst miserable conditions and settle in parts of Oklahoma. About 4,000 of them died on the way. III. (Establish credibility) I am sure that this chapter of American history has been so long unknown to many of us including me. It was only recently that I heard about the term “Trail of tears” and could not help but find out more about the “trail.” To my utter dismay I discovered what is also known as Native American Genocide- the history of struggle of the native tribes of America and I believe that a glimpse of an important event will help us understand how the America that we see today, was shaped. IV. (Preview body of speech) Today, I shall tell you what prompted the U.S. government to decide the fate of thousands of Native Americans. Next I will tell you how tribes such as Cherokees were affected following which I shall take you back to the fateful “Trail of Tears.” Finally, being an optimist, I will share with you the present conditions of the relocated people and the role of the U.S. government in their lives today. Body I. Native Americans had been a part of American history even before Europeans arrived at the American coasts. 1. The Native Americans occupied large lands. They were a hunter-gatherer community. 2. During the American Revolution, the Cherokees were on the side of the British. Post revolution Americans looked down on the Cherokees and considered them uncivilized. 3. Americans and Cherokees signed a treaty. This treaty was supposed to bring in some form of civilization among the tribal men i.e. they were expected to give up hunting and adopt farming. The Cherokees accepted the terms since it not only meant progress but it also meant that the Americans would further on mind their own business and leave them alone. II. The Government soon started thinking about relocation of the tribes from east to West. 1. Andrew Jackson, was one of key negotiators between the American Government and the Native Indians. 2. Post the American Revolution he was primarily responsible for threatening the Native people and acquiring almost fifty million acres of native land. a. Such acquisition was forceful. b. Jackson, resorted to military methods and bribes to skillfully take away the ancestral lands of the Natives. III. In 1830 spring the Indian Removal Act was passed soon after Jackson was elected President. 1. Even though the Government offered to pay compensation for the voluntary relocation, Jackson adopted extreme measures. a. Jackson, refused to pay the Cherokees till they moved. b. In Georgia, white “civilized” people drove away the natives and looted them. c. Cherokee leader, John Ross failed to reach a negotiation with the government. d. The Treaty of Echota was ratified and Chrokees were given two years to leave their land and settle in the West. e. Many Cherokees refused to leave their homeland, the land they grew up in and gave their life to. (Transition) So, now that we are well informed about he history, let us have a look into what exactly is this” Trail of Tears”. IV. Two years had passed after the deadline for emigration was stated. It was 1838 and most Cherokees refused to give up their land. They tried petitioning: 1. The petition asked: “What is our crime? Are we to be hunted through the mountains, like wild beasts, and our women, our children, our aged, our sick, to be dragged from their homes?” (Fradin, 2008,p27) 2. Forceful emigration was brought into action. a. Soldiers entered homes of the Cherokees, arrested them and forced them to march to Oklahoma. b. The trek began in October and took almost four months. c. Everyone from children to the aged was forced to walk, even the sick. No mercy was shown. This deadly trek, during the course of which thousands of Cherokees perished, loved ones died in front of the eyes while others stood helpless. The Cherokees only stopped sometime to bury their dead and continued marching west wards. The Cherokees called this journey – “ Nunna dual isunyi” meaning the trail where we cried. In English this earned popularity as the “Trail of tears” (Fradlin,2008). (Transition) It is true, that today as I stand here talking about our American Native brothers and sisters, their plight is still the same. Almost a million of them are still remain in abject poverty and lead a life of prejudice. V. A. The UN Declaration for Human Right states in Article 1: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” B. Initiatives such as the National Relief Charity programs have been implemented to offer a sense of belonging to these American Natives- allowing them to lead a life like other American citizens. The American Indian Relief Council, works towards helping the Native Americans build a stronger community and bring in positive changes in their lives by offering services from literacy to nutrition (American Indian Relief Council). Conclusion I. (Signal ending) The Trail of Tears has truly been a saddening part of the American history. This Great Native American genocide has had an impact not only on the lives of the relocated people but also on America as a country itself. I would like to share an interesting fact that I discovered- A recent scientific study revealed that the head length i.e. the length of the skull of Cherokee tribe had decreased owing to environmental stressors, one of them being the Trail of Tears, highlighting the relation between human physiology and environmental factors. (Sutphin et al, 2014). II. The removal of the so called uncivilized Cherokees, the story of the “trail of Tears” still remains vivid in the memories of these Natives and it is up to us to help them revive their sense of belonging to this Nation that we are so proud of. REFERENCES American Indian Relief Council: About Us. Retrieved from http://www.nrcprograms.org/site/PageServer?pagename=airc_about on 1 st October, 2014. Fradlin, D.B. (2008). “The Trail of Tears.”), Michelle Bisson:Malaysia.Print. Sutphin, R et al. (2014).” Secular trends in Cherokee cranial morphology: Eastern vs Western bands.” Annals of Human Biology, p.1-7. doi: 10.3109/03014460.2014.902991) “The trail on which we cried.”Journal of Cherokee Studies (1932), 3(3). Retrieved from http://www.candacecorrigan.com/wvoice/neugin.html on 28th September, 2014. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ on 1 october, 2014. Read More