Where are all the Indians gone?

By Taqseblue

 

     As I sit on ponder on the beauty of this great land we call Georgia, I think of the Almighty and the plan He must have had for placing in our place

     Where I sit no one else can sit.  It would be too crowded.  But one can sit next to me, and we can become friends.  By myself I can accomplish some, but with a friend we can accomplish much.  Who were we to think we could live without our brother by our side?  (Now Cain said to his brother Abel,, "Let's go out to the field,"  And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.  Genesis 4:8)

     We must ask ourselves;  are we any different then Cain?  To take our brother out to the field and kill him?

     When do you ask, did we do such a thing?  Ask yourself this question;  "Where are all the Indians gone?"

     I live in Kennesaw Georgia.  Supposedly Cherokee Country.  I cry when I hear this description of Georgia.  I look around and I can't find my red brothers and sisters anywhere.  I myself and full-blood Native American Indian.  I am a woman, a wife, a mother.  I too am my Father's child.  My Creator called me to be.  He sang me into existence.  To walk, to talk, to love and to share.  But where are my red brothers and sisters?  (Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"  Genesis 4:9)  Where are their children so I can play with them?  Where are their elders so I can behold their beauty and gleen from their wisdom?  Where is the hospitality  that once ushered in the great news of the Creator's Son?  I want to share!  I want to love my red brothers and sisters!

     What is the cry I hear coming through the trees?  Weeping from the soil?  ( The Lord said.  "What have you done?  Listen!  Your brothers blood cries out to me from the ground.  Genesis 4:10)

     I cry for understanding, for sound judgment.  To not make the same mistakes that were made in the past by our ancestors.  To hear sound counsel, and to hear the Spirit of our God.  (My son, if you accept my words and store up my commandments within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord.  And find the knowledge of God.  For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:1-6.    Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path.  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Discretion will protect you and understanding will guard you.  Proverbs 2:9-11)

     He cries out to us.  "Where are my children?  Where are my red children in Georgia?!  He knows, He just wants us to ask ourselves, ask our hearts if we know.

     Many afflictions fell upon the host people of this land, Cherokee was no exception.

     Pain cries out to me, but not to engulf me, but to open my ears, my eyes, my heart.  The laughter of children can no longer be heard, the cries of the newborn infant can no longer be heard.  The stories of life as told by the elders around the fire can no longer be heard.  WHY? 

     ( This is what the Lord Almight says:  "Consider now!  Call for the wailing women to come: send for the most skillful of them, let them come quickly and wail over us till our eye's fill with tears and water streams from our eyelids.  The sound of wailing is heard in Zion:  'How ruined we are!  How great is our shame!  We must leave our land because our houses are in ruins.  Now oh women, hear the word of the Lord;  open your ears to the words of His mouth.  Teach your daughters how to wail;  teach one another to lament.  Death has climbed in through our windows and entered our fortress;  it has cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the public square.  Jeremiah 9:17-21)

     In May of 1838 nearly 16,000 men, women and children were herded up like cattle, placed in temporary stockades and eventually forced to leave their homelands of North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia.  The trek was an 800 mile walk to Oklahoma.  Today that trek is known as "The Trail of Tears"  or as the Cherokee call it "The Trail Where They Cried"  Close to 4,000 perished on this trail.  From cold, disease, broken hearts......the list goes on.

     But what is equally as sad is the horrible events preceding this unsettling event.  The lives that were lost, the covenants that were broken between brothers.

     My hearts sinks within me when I think of the life that was lost, the sorrow that must have lingered here and still lingers today.  I know, because my heart aches within me.  A tear has been shed, but many more must be shed.  Not to bring the Indian back, but to restore the ultimate purpose that The Creator had for placing us in our place. 

     I live in a state where there are no reservations.  Maybe that is good, but then again maybe it is not.  How can this be?  In Cherokee Country?

     Who will take up the spirit of lamentation?  Who will hear the call?

     An ancient boundary stone has been removed, a people has nearly been lost.  Their land  has been encroached upon.  Many have been made fatherless.  Have mercy Oh God, hear our cry oh God.  (Do not remove an ancient boundary stone or encroach upon the fields of the fatherless, for their defender is strong, and will take up their case against you.  Proverbs 23:10-11) (Cursed is the man who removes his neighbor’s boundary stone."  Deut.  27:17)

     You say it happened long ago, what have we to do with this?  (.....for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generations.  Deut.  5:8) 

     Let not the descendants of the forefathers of this great land boast in their great nation.  ( But let him who boasts, boast in this;  That he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for in this I delight.  Declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 9:24)  If we boast on His kindness, we must also boast on His justice and righteousness as well.  Righteousness will answer the cry, justice will see it through.  Kindness stands with arms wide open. (...And they crucified Him.  Mark 15-24)

     Revival is breaking out all over the world.  We have even seen glimpses of it here in America.  With the Reconciliation move, walls are coming down.  This move must not stop, and is only getting started.  Here in Georgia there are still some issues that need to be confronted and dealt with in a Godly manner.  Being in the bible belt I never imagined that the people here would know so little about the natural inhabitants of this area.  The Trail of Tears is lightly discussed in schools.  But no one questions the true meaning of what has taken place here in the last few hundred years.  Much more happened before 1838, how comes these things are completely overlooked by even those who claim sympathy to the Cherokee.  There must be history to tell.  But who can tell it?  Does on have to go all the way to Oklahoma to find out?  I know a few who have.  Do you?  We need to heal these things.

     I believe that God is revealing roads to revival.  Ways to clear the obstacles out of the way.  The road to repentance is being opened up to us here in the Georgia area.  Who will stand in the gap for this area?  So much spiritual oppression hangs over this state.  Witchcraft, greed, prejudice is still heavy.  And of course.  "Where are all the Indians gone?"

     Let's pray for Georgia.  That God would reveal those areas of sin that need to be repented for.  Let's pray that the hearts of the pastors and the people would be open to this message of repentance and reconciliation.  Ask the Lord to bring in the intercessors.  To bring in the ones who will stand in the gap.  God has prepared an army for this state.  An army garbed in righteousness.  An army ready to stand up and take accountability.  As Nehemiah and Daniel stood in the gap.  (Nehemiah 9, Daniel 9)  Now this army must stand up.  We need our sack cloth and ashes, but even more we need the ones to where them.  The church needs to wake up here in Georgia!!!!!!  As brothers and sisters we must work together!

     I am not Cherokee.  I am not even from the south!  I am from the great waters of the northwest coast.  I am of the Salmon people.  "Why then"  I ask the Lord, "use me?"  And He says,  "Where are all the Indians Gone?"  We are our brothers keeper.  Unlike Cain.  (Genesis 4:9)  We must stand up for our brother.

     Words from a man named Red Jacket, 1805.  (Native American Indians)  have stirred my heart as well.  "Brothers  you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit.  If there is but on religion, why do you people differ so much about it?  Why not all agreed, as you can all read the same book.........Brothers we are told you have been preaching to the white people in this place.  These people are our neighbors.  We are acqainted with them.  We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them.  If we find does them good, makes them honest, less disposed to cheat Indians, we will consider again of what you have said.  Brothers, you have now heard our answer to your talk, and this is all we have to say at present.  As we are going to part, we will come and take you by the hand, and hope the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey and return you safe to your friends."

     Today, our history can tell us what the Indian saw.  And our hearts should all ache.  Not for punishment, or demanded justice.  But for mercy and grace from our God.  To heal our hearts, and our land.  To quiet the cries that come from the soil that our houses are built upon.

      Will you take up the call?  Will you pray for Georgia?  We are a new people here now, but we carry the weight of our past sins.  Let's break up this fallow ground!  We have prayed for revival.  God is bringing it.  We just need to clear some stumbling blocks out of the way.  Prayer is what we need.  God will reveal His plans as we go along.  Open your hearts to the cry coming from the soil...the blood that crys out needs to be put to rest.   The church can do it.  We are our brothers keeper.  What a melting pot Atlanta is, but where are all the Indians gone?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Jacqueline L Gordon-  Swinomish, Laconner Washington.  Enrolled member of Badriver Band of the Lake Supieor Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Odanoh Wisconsin.  Born and raised on the Puyallup Indian Reservation, Tacoma Washington.  Now living in Kennesaw Georgia, Cherokee Country!  

E-mail   Swinochip7@aol.com

3660 Memorial Pkwy  NW

Kennesaw, Ga.  30152

770-975-8619