MY MOTHERS FATHER WAS A CHEROKEE TRIBAL MEMBER AND HER GRANDFATHER WAS A CHIEF ON THE CHEROKEE RESERVATION IN OKLAHOMA. SHE TOOK ME AND MY SIBLINGS TO POW WOWS ON THE RESERVATION WHEN WE WERE LITTLE AND TAUGHT US EVERYTHING ABOUT THE EARTH AND ANIMALS WHO WERE OUR FRIENDS. SHE WAS NOT TOO FOND OF WHITE MAN SHE REFERRED TO AS PALE FACE WHEN SHE WAS UPSET BECAUSE OF THE HORRIBLE CRIMES THEY COMMITTED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS WHO WERE FORCED TO WALK THE TRAIL OF TEARS TO OKLAHOMA FROM THE CAROLINAS IN THE COLD OF WINTER WITH NO PROPER CLOTHES NOR SHOES AND MANY DIED FROM THE COLD. SHE TOOK US TO THE CHEROKEE RESERVATION IN OKLAHOMA TO THE CEREMONIAL POW WOWS WHERE CHEROKEE TRADITIONAL DANCE AND DRUMMING MUSIC AND FOODS AND CRAFTS WERE SHARED AND CELEBRATED. MY MOTHER ALWAYS DONATED TO THE INDIAN CHILDREN ON THE SIOUX RESERVATION. SHE STUDIED ART AND PAINTED SINCE I WAS A CHILD AND SPENT THE LAST YEARS OF HER LIFE PAINTING PORTRAITS AND SCENES OF THE DAILY LIFE OF NATIVE AMERICANS DAY AND NIGHT. HER FAVORITE SONG AND HER GETMAN MOTHERS TOO WAS AMAZING GRACE. THIS IS THE SONG WITH LYRICS OF A CHEROKEE PRAYER THAT WENT WITH THE MUSIC.
