How The Cherokee Nation Can Overcome Generational Ptsd

Kristin Quick Term Project 3-7-2016 How the Cherokee Nation Can Overcome Generational PTSD. The Removal Act of 1830, that forced the Cherokee Indians from their homelands with just the clothes on their backs have created tragic effects which have continued to be passed down from generation to generation, causing a near loss of the Cherokee culture. In 1838, the United States Military utilizing surprise attacks, snatched Cherokee families from their homes, work, and play at bayonet point to face a journey of over a thousand treacherous miles known as the â€Å"Trail of Tears† to unprepared land. The Cherokee faced great personal loss that caused a lasting impact on their lives as they were forced to live on new Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma (Wallace 1993). As a result of the brutal forced removal of the Cherokee Indians they now face tragic psychological and emotional problems. Cherokee families today face self-destructive behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, physical and sexual abuse, and the inability to express feelings and maintain healthy relation ships due to the unresolved anger they have towards the loss of their land and culture (Wallace 1993).The Cherokee people fought against the Army of the United States and lost, but their loss is now our collective loss as the numbers of Cherokee people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are rising throughout the Cherokee culture. The Cherokee culture was forever changed when white settlers found gold on Cherokee