Posted by
granny on Friday, March 07, 2008 4:30:45 PM
Could You Forget?
From her ancestors Little Bird drew her strength to face the life
forced on her people by those who came with Jesus' name on their
lips,The Trail of Tears she lived through,only she, grandmother and
little Kicking Rabbit.
There was no cabin warm and snug waiting there to house them they
lived in a ragged thrown out tent,but she could not bear either to
think of the one they left behind in what seemed another place and time.
Inside that cabin had been forced her grandfather and two uncles in
the middle of the night,her father was not home or that night he too
would have died he had gone to visit his own mother who was sick.
The white men came with blazing guns and drug them from their
beds,then forced the men back inside locked the doors and burned it
down drinking from a bottle passed from hand to hand.
Never would she forget the sight,sounds,and smells,forced to watch
as they beat and raped mother and grandmother,Little Bird just four
years old held close her two baby brothers.
Suddenly they grabbed her and laughing said do not let this one get
away,they threw her down and hurt her then left her lying there
bleeding and crying for her mother to help,this was something she did
not understand.
Just another Indian not a person just a thing for the white mans
pleasure to be used and thrown away,though the pain and terror held her
she knew she must care for her brothers.
Mother and grandmother could not rise to still the babies
crying,beaten unconsious they lay until her father got there,nearly
insane with raging anger yet there was nothing he could do if he
complained they would kill him too
How much can a human stand of pain,hurt,and abuse,ask those
Cherokee who lived before and through the removal of the People,ask
their decendants who still hear and feel the stories.
Why can they not just forget what was done to their ancestors,why
can they not just forgive and go on with life as though these things
never happened,perhaps if history told the real truth all would
understand.
And so,I ask you in all truth do you think this will fade away,not
one thing has been done to make things right,to give back the lands,to
stop the hurt,what is left but memories and those who tell us to get
over it there is nothing we can do about it!
granny!
As told by my grandmother,who heard the stories from her
grandmother,Little Bird!