Negotiating For The Cherokee
In 1835 as some Cherokee were negotiating the Treaty of New Echota with the federal government to arrange for exchange of lands in Indian Removal, the Eastern Band asked Thomas to represent them. His adopted father and other Cherokee had received land reservations of 640 acres (2.6 km2) by an earlier treaty and no longer resided in what was considered the Cherokee Nation. Although technically the New Echota treaty should not apply to them, the Qualla Cherokee were apprehensive. Seeking assurances, the “reservation” Cherokee and some others asked Thomas to represent them in Washington, D.C.
Thomas negotiated for numerous Cherokee to remain in North Carolina, including his adopted father Yonaguska. They became the core ancestors of the present-day Eastern Band, a federally recognized tribe. In 1839, just before he died, Yonaguska persuaded the Cherokee to accept his adopted son as their chief. During the 1840s and 1850s, Thomas worked to gain recognition of the Cherokee as citizens of North Carolina. He used Cherokee money, as well as his own, to purchase land for them in his name. At the time, Cherokee were prohibited from owning land outside the Indian Territory. His purchases became the basis of much of the Qualla Boundary, and he named the various sections: Paint Town, Bird Town, Yellow Hill, Big Cove and Wolf Town.
In 1848, Thomas was elected as a state senator; he was re-elected every two years through 1860.
Read more about this topic: William Holland Thomas
Famous quotes containing the words negotiating and/or cherokee:
“For those parents from lower-class and minority communities ... [who] have had minimal experience in negotiating dominant, external institutions or have had negative and hostile contact with social service agencies, their initial approaches to the school are often overwhelming and difficult. Not only does the school feel like an alien environment with incomprehensible norms and structures, but the families often do not feel entitled to make demands or force disagreements.”
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