Walking the Trail of Tears (One Woman's Incredible Journey)

By Belinda Miller

My Lakota name is Sonseahray. I was born to a white mother (with Cherokee ancestry) and a Lakota father just outside the reservation in Browning, Montana. Even though I have not seen my father since I was very young, I have always felt a very strong connection to my Native ancestors and their way of life. I made this walk at the age of 56. My journey began in Fort Payne, Alabama. After three months, I arrived at my destination of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. I endured a tornado, storms, summer heat, cold nights, and the threat of wild animals. I met many kind people along my journey. I was given the opportunity to share the history of The Trail of Tears. My journey provided me with many fascinating stories, which I share in my book. I hope you enjoy the journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Belinda Miller
• Release date: Aug 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781370741328

Belinda Miller

Belinda (Sonseahray) Miller was born to a white mother (with Cherokee ancestry) and a Lakota father just outside the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana. Even though she has not seen her father since she was very young, she has always felt a very strong connection to her Native ancestors and their way of life. She is a devoted mother to three grown children (the youngest, and her only son, is now with Wakan Tanka, or The Great Spirit). She is also a grandmother of five. Sadly, her two pets mentioned in this book have now passed away. She feels this walk, which she made at age 56, was one of the most important things she has accomplished in her life, and she is very proud to be able to leave a record of her journey.

Book preview

Walking the Trail of Tears

(One Woman's Incredible Journey)

by

Belinda Miller

Copyright 2019

Belinda Miller

All Rights Reserved

In Loving Memory of My Son,

Lakota Miller

Introduction

While most of us have heard of The Trail of Tears through our study of American history in school, many of us have never thought about what that journey was like for thousands of Native Americans who were forced from their homeland. They were able to take only what they could carry with them. Many were elderly, many were small children, and there were even expectant mothers making this incredible walk in extremely adverse winter weather conditions. Sickness, death, and hunger were common.

I listened to what some would call a dream, while others would consider it a vision. After my dream, which you will read about in Chapter 1, I walked this long trail alone, with only my little dog and cat for companionship. I felt a conviction to make this walk like nothing I have ever experienced before. That feeling remained unwavering. I followed the trail as closely as was possible now, over 100 years after the original walk of my ancestors. What I received from this journey was an education in life. I had the opportunity to share with so many, and to teach those who were unaware of the history. I learned a lot about myself along the way. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I loved sharing my journey with you.

Chapter 1

I was told that I was of Lakota, Cherokee, and Blackfoot heritage. As a result, I have spent many years learning about Native American culture. I was going to pow wows, learning to dance and learn I was told that I was Lakota, Cherokee, and Blackfoot. As a result, I have spent many ing about the spirituality of my ancestors. I have learned how to create many original Native crafts. However, I already knew how to make many others without any idea where that knowledge came from. Last year, I planted gourds. This year, I made bird feeders, birdhouses, dippers, bowls, and cups. I designed and created dream catchers from memory, and I made jewelry. I even built my teepee, again from memory. I used bamboo for poles. I substituted painters' canvas for the teepee walls.

I inquired of an elder how I could possibly know how to do some of these things. I asked if my unexplained knowledge could actually be what is known as genetic memories. The elder agreed that they were, in fact, genetic memories. He informed me that our ancestors speak to us while we sleep. We may not remember, but they speak to us nonetheless. Before I ever thought about making my walk, a voice came to me in a dream state. It was a gentle, strong voice. It told me, Sonseahray, your spirit is troubled. You are at a crossroad between the Red Road and the white man's ways. You must walk the trail of our ancestors. On the Trail of Tears, you will decide what kind of woman you are."

When I awoke, I ran across the street to see my friend, known as Mama Jo. I met her when I moved my camper in order to live at the lake. She is a devout Christian, an old soul, and my sister in spirit. We became close friends very quickly. I told her about the message I had received. She didn't think I was crazy, or that I was lying. She believed me! She also agreed that I had experienced a spiritual awakening and that this was a message I could not ignore. Mama Jo and I went to work on her computer, perusing the internet for every bit of information we could find about the Trail of Tears. Actually, she did most of the work on the computer. She owned a computer and loved to search for information. We researched all seven of the different routes which were a part of the Trail of Tears.

I decided to take Bell's Route. His was the most humane of the seven. He took the most direct route because the journey took place in the winter. Other group leaders took their Indians north first before proceeding to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, or what was then known as Indian land. Hundreds of Natives died during this trek. That's why I chose to follow Bell's Route. It's the leader, John Bell, left with 3000 Natives in his care. He lost only three elders. There was also a baby born on the trail.

I decided to leave on Earth Day, April 23rd, 2011. I was 56 years old. I had plenty of bamboo with which to build my travois. I even had two small wheels to make it easier to pull. I had the teepee I took to pow wows, so all I needed was to decide what I was taking with me. This was a major undertaking for me. All of the things I wasn't taking with me I gave away. I was taking my little dog, Babygirl, and my cat, Precious. I borrowed a cat carrier from Mama Jo, and Babygirl had her bed. They both had harnesses, and Precious actually walked on a