nd exhausted by the United States Military in 1832. We, the Cherokee Nation, cannot allow ourselves to follow their trail of tears. Again, I say, war is inevitably if we remain in these lands. Take head, we cannot compete with the weapons and the tactical skills the Americans maintain. Being a peaceful nation, we must unite in the conviction that it is more advantageous to our nation to relocate to the lands west of the Mississippi River and avert war than to delay and be annihilated. The fact that if we linger in these lands we will die, cannot be stressed enough. By evading an armed conflict with the United States and migrating west of the Mississippi River, we ensure that the majority of our people will survive to propagate and pass our culture on to our descendents. Not only the survival of our people is at stake, but the survival of our culture. A remarkable new life for us lies west of the Mississippi River. Lives were our heritage could carry on for many centuries to come. Destiny is our hands; I hope to see each and every one of you on the other side of the river....
