Echoes of Resistance (Part 2)
Osiyo nigada!
Recently, I shared the story of my third great-grandmother, Annie, who hailed from the old Cherokee Nation before our people were forced from the East. Her legacy lives on in Yona Ambles, a six-part series honoring my ancestors, and in my New Adult series, Echoes of Resistance.
In both Cherokee Afternoon and Cherokee Sunset, a woman named Mary plays a vital role in the lives of the protagonists, Molly and Emmy. The "real" Mary was Annie’s oldest sister. To the best of my knowledge, Mary, her husband, and her brother, Love Rogers, were the only members of my lineage to endure the forced removal known as the Trail of Tears.
Cherokee Afternoon imagines the reality of that journey for Mary’s family. Despite my age, I wasn’t there—I can only imagine, as authors often do. Mary "appears" again in Cherokee Sunset, her presence lingering as the McNair sisters face new challenges.
Today, those "echoes of resistance" still resonate across Indian Country. They represent the unique struggles of Indigenous people—from the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) to the fight against sexual assault. It is a 21st-century awakening to both ancient wounds and contemporary injustices.
When I was in school, the question of "whatever happened to the Indians?" was barely whispered. That erasure—the idea that Native Americans are relics of the past—still lingers. My relatives and I are living proof that we are still here, thriving and very much a part of your world. While progress is being made, we must keep moving forward.
Where are you hearing the echoes of resistance today, and do they spark a fire in you to help others?
Posted in Echoes of Resistance