Cherokee Phoenix

The Cherokee Phoenix ( Ꮳ Ꮃ Ꭹ Ꮷ Ꮄ Ꭿ Ꮜ Ꮕ Ꭿ, Tsalagi Tsulehisanvhi, since 1829 the Cherokee Phoenix, and Indians ' Advocate) was the first newspaper that was published by Indians in the United States.

Formation

The first issue of the newspaper was published on February 21, 1828 in New Echota, the then capital of the Cherokee Nation in present-day Georgia. The Council of the Cherokee Nation a certain man from the leadership of the Cherokee to the editor of the Cherokee Phoenix, which should regularly appear weekly in English and Cherokee in the following period. In the language of the Cherokee this man gala Gina Oowatie said, his English name, however, was Elias Boudinot ( 1802-1839 ). He had taken over from Elias Boudinot Jr. (1740-1821) this name, who had financed his training as a missionary. After training as a missionary then he translated the New Testament into the Cherokee language.

The fact that the newspaper was printed in both languages ​​, was only possible because had recently been developed 1809-1821, of Sequoyah, the Cherokee syllabary. So the council of the Cherokee was the missionary Samuel Worcester commission to cast the necessary lead type for the Cherokee alphabet.

The newspaper is founded with the presidency of Andrew Jackson in context and especially with the Indian Removal Act of 1830. With this law a few years later, most were Indians who lived east of the Mississippi, westward distributed (see Trail of Tears ). The first issue was published on 21 February 1828th For the journal was founded in the years in which other important papers first appeared, as the Charleston Mercury (1822 ), the New York Evening Post (1829 ) and the New York Sun ( 1833).

In line with its objectives reported the leaf of political and legal decisions concerning the Cherokee, also from the Indian Removal Act, which provided for the expulsion of the Cherokee and other tribes to the west, and from religious groups. The pressure took over an Isaac H. Harris.

Editors change and adjustment

The tensions within the Cherokee on fate and departure increased, especially between John Ross, who was among the Cherokee Guwisguwi, and Elias Boudinot. Ross was chief of the Cherokee since 1828 and a fierce opponent to the departure from the traditional territories, whereas Boudinot increasingly advocated moving away because he realized that his assimilation efforts no success was brought.

On August 1, 1832 Boudinot was pressured by Ross as editor resign and was replaced by Elijah Hicks, the brother of Ross.

Under the new editor has now opposed the departure. By opposition to the federal government's policy, the sheet was soon in trouble, the funds went out, and on May 31, 1834 Finally, his appearance had to discontinue the sheet after the publication on the part of the State of Georgia had been forbidden. A total of 409 issues were published.

Elias Boudinot, who had hoped to avoid by cultural adaptation ( "civilization " ) that the Cherokee were forcibly relocated, yet signed a contract with the United States, the Treaty of New Echota as (Treaty of New together with about 500 other Cherokee Echota ) was known. However, the majority of the tribe wanted to add not and has never signed the contract. However, under military pressure they had to play the Trail of Tears, which killed about 4,000 of the 10,000 Cherokee.

Boudinot, as one of the driving forces of the so-called " Ridge Faction " who had voted for the contract signing, was drawn by the people of the " Ross- Faction " accountable, which saw the expulsion of the Cherokee from their ancestral territories as a capital crime. On June 22, 1839 Boudinot was stabbed to death in Oklahoma from one of the opponents of the Treaty and the unsuccessful adaptation policy. The same fate also befell Major Ridge and other representatives of the Ridge faction. Stand Watie, however, a younger brother of Elias Boudinot, who should also pay for the forced relocation, was the only escape, and later became a major opponent of John Ross and also from 1862 to 1866, his successor as Supreme Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Revival

In the 20th century the newspaper in Tahlequah, now the capital of the Cherokee Nation, was revived. Now published monthly in English.