The American Indian Cultural Society in Texas is preserving the site of an 1839 massacre of a peaceful band of Cherokees.

On July 16, 1839, Cherokee Chief Duwa'li Bowles, who was 83 at the time, and 800 members of his band were killed in order to drive them off their land. Mirabeau Lamar, then the president of the Republic of Texas, had advocated a policy of genocide against all Indian people.

The Cherokee Nation supports preservation of site where the "battle" of the Naches took place. Plans call for a wellness center and a modest tourist operation. A memorial is held every year at the site [More Info].

Get the Story:
Cultural society works to preserve sacred Cherokee land (Knight Ridder Newspapers 11/23)
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Relevant Links:
Battle of the Neches, Texas Handbook - http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/
online/articles/NN/qen2.html
The Cherokee War - http://www.forttours.com/pages/toccherokeewar.asp