Touch My Tears: Tales from the Trail of Tears

In 1830 a treaty was signed. In 1830 hearts broke. Tears fell on the long journey for twenty thousand. The Choctaw Nation was forced to leave their homelands to preserve their people. But they could not save them all.For this collection of short stories Choctaw authors from five U.S. states come together to present a part of their ancestors journey a way to honor those who walked the trail for their future. These stories not only capture a history and a culture but the spirit faith and resilience of the Choctaw people.From a little girl who begins her journey in a wood box to a man willing to die for the sake of honor these extraordinary tales of the Choctaw Removal from their homelands delve into raw emotions and come out with the glimmer of hope necessary for the human soul. Tears of sadness. Tears of joy. Touch and experience each one.Touch My Tears is a significant and moving addition to the record of Choctaw heritage; accessible and entertaining. This fine collection of tales is invaluable for the insights it provides into the heart of a unique Native American culture. -Brock Thoene co-author of The Jerusalem Chronicles This book reflects the joining of courage and endurance that defines a great nation. I cried in many places sometimes it seemed more than they cried for themselves. -Lisa Reed editor of the Biskinik the Official Publication of the Choctaw NationAs well as the Plains and Prairie Tribes are known for their mastery of painting and dance the Choctaws may well go down in history for their remarkable ability to blend their rich oral and written traditions. In the tradition of Choctaw writers such as J.L. McDonald and Peter Pitchlynn in the nineteenth century Muriel Wright and Louis Owens in the twentieth and D.L. Birchfield and LeAnne Howe in the twenty-first the writers in this anthology demonstrate their versatility in the language arts. No tribe has more seamlessly assimilated the English language than the Choctaws. Read these stories and marvel at their quality. They have the multiple capabilities to inspire you to entertain you and to educate you. Ilvppa holisso nan anoli achukma! These stories are good! -Phillip Carroll Morgan author of The Fork-in-the-Road Indian Poetry Store and Who Shall Gainsay Our Decision? Choctaw Literary Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century.Touch My Tears is a milestone of fictional and historical Choctaw storytelling that exemplifies the value of Native knowledge through literary arts. This deeply moving and significant collection will hopefully generate a paradigm shift in written expression of the Native American experience. -Keevin Lewis Museum Programs Outreach Coordinator National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian