5th Grade Opera- 2015-16
The Trail of Tears
Class Reading of “The Never Ending Trail”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Act 1
*Song 1: The Tearful Trail
(3 kids walking down a road; 3 Cherokee talking around a campfire, the kids join them
at the fire)
Kid 1: Hey, look at those people.
Kid 2: Yeah, they look like the Cherokee Indians. My parents were telling me about
them last week.
Kid 3: Didn't they live here many years ago?
(the kids walk up to the Cherokee)
Kid 2: Hi, our names are Lizzy, Maddie, and Jilly. Who are you?
Kid 1: Is it true that your ancestors were forced off their land?
Present Day Cherokee 1: Ok well let’s start with your first question, we are part of the
Cherokee Nation. Our people have been in America since ancient times....
(interrupts)
Kid 3: Did your ancestors walk the trail of tears?
Present Day Cherokee 2: Yes, it was a very sad trip. Let’s start at the beginning....
Present Day Cherokee 3: At one time the Cherokees lived peacefully in North
Carolina, we were at peace with almost every one.
Present Day Cherokee 2: A man named Sequoya created a written language for the
Cherokee people
Present Day Cherokee 3: It was the first written language of the Cherokee people.
Kid 1: Cool!
Kid 2: Keep going
(scene change)
(finishes writing and exclaims....)
Sequoya: I did it! I can't believe it! I did it!
Ahyokah: Daddy you did it!
Sequoya: Yes my sweet Ahyokah! But I did not do it, alone WE did it!
Ahyokah: Yay! Can you teach me? I want to share it with everyone.
Sequoya: Of course, we can share it with all of our people!
Narrator 1: Soon everyone knew how to read and write the Cherokee language.
(person comes out with a sign that says 6 years later)
(Ahyokah barges in)
Ahyokah: Daddy the newspaper came out!
Sequoya: Let me see! wow! A newspaper in English and Cherokee!
Narrator 2: Every one was at peace but it would not last long.
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Act 2
*Song 2: Indian Removal Act
Narrator 3: Thomas Jefferson believed that the West would not be settled for
thousands of years. He sent the Indians out West and said that they would be safe
from dishonest people who wanted to take their land.
Sequoyah: I have decided to take the people who wish to join me out west. We will
establish new towns in Arkansas. We will have schools and our own government!
Eastern Cherokee: Most of us want to stay in the East. This is our home, we will not
give up! We will fight for our rights!
John Ross: I, John Ross, the chosen principal chief vow to protect our people's’ right to
our land!
Narrator 4: In 1828 Andrew Jackson was elected the President of the United States.
In his first address to Congress, President Jackson said that all Indians must be
removed from the East.
Andrew Jackson: All Indians must go! I am sponsoring the Indian Removal Bill!
Eastern Cherokee: I have struck gold in my backyard. I can’t wait to go mine it and
become rich.
Narrator 1: Unfortunately, Anti-Indian laws were created. Indians were forbidden from
mining gold on their own land and their land was divided into lots and given to
Englishmen through a lottery system. These Native Americans were quickly losing
everything they owned.
Andrew Jackson: You will not be mining any gold here; get off this land; we are taking
over all the property in the East.
John Ross: As I stand here before the Supreme Court, I declare that there is a terrible
injustice! Our land is being stolen and our rights are being taken away! This is not legal.
Narrator 2: The Supreme Court agreed with John Ross and the Cherokee Nation.
However, President Jackson sided with the Southern states. Tragically, he allowed
those states to ignore the Supreme Court ruling. When John Ross got home from
Washington DC, his plantation had been taken over by the Englishmen and his wife and
children were gone. They had been forced out into the rain.
Andrew Jackson (Smiling): As I sign the Treaty of New Echota into law, I declare that
all of the Cherokee will be removed from the East.
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Act 3
*Song 3: 16,000
Narrator 3: Only 20 Cherokee’s signed the Treaty of Echota. John Ross went to
Washington with a petition signed by 16,000 opposing the treaty, but it fell on deaf
ears. The Cherokees would have to move west by May, 1838.
Narrator 4: The Cherokees who signed the treaty led small groups to what is presentday Oklahoma. They claimed the best sites for their homes.
Narrator 1: Almost all of the remaining Cherokees were taken captive and locked up in
stockade forts. Then they were forced to leave all their belongings behind, and travel
west.
Colonist/Soldier 1: Get inside! Leave all your belongings behind!
Cherokee 4: Why must I go? I worked hard for my home!
Colonist/Soldier 2: I don’t care! Get inside!
Cherokee 5: I can’t find my baby! Please, help me find my child!
Colonist/Soldier 1: That’s not my problem. I said move it, now!
Cherokees shouting out: What about food and water?! How are we supposed to
survive?! What if we get sick?! Why are you doing this to us?!
Cherokee 4: We must sleep on the ground. The summer sun burns our skin. We have
no shelter or supplies.
John Ross (to General Scott): General Scott, please let the Cherokees travel to the
Indian territory on their own.
General Scott (pondering the decision): Well, it’s a hard decision, but I guess that will
be okay.
John Ross: Has everyone gotten their things ready?
(no answer)
John Ross: OK. let us pray: Heavenly Father, please be with us on our journey today.
(bugle is blown by “Bugle Boy” who is a colonist)
(Thunder cloud rolls in)
Eastern Cherokee: That cloud is a sign of bad luck!
(nervous murmur from the Cherokee audience)
Narrator 2: The Cherokee were very worried about the bad omen and wondered what
would happen on their journey.
Cherokee 5: (get on wagon and tells John Ross privately) How are we going to
survive?
John Ross: We are going to have to be strong; it is going to be a long journey.
Narrator 3: Several routes were used, and the land routes were longer but safer.
General Scott: I will give each Cherokee $65.88 to cover their expenses, but that’s it!
No more!
Narrator 4: They planned to travel 15 miles each day so that the 1,200 mile trip would
take 80 days. The first group left on October 1, 1838, and the last left on November 7th.
(Scene 2-On the trail)
Cherokee 4: I’m so tired, I don’t know how I will ever make it.
Cherokee 5: My wagon is broken and my horse has died. How will I ever carry all of my
things?
Narrator 1: Winter came early, making the situation even worse. John Ross’s wife,
Quatie, was very ill, but never hesitated to help those in need. (Show Quatie helping
others)
Quatie: Don’t worry, it will all be ok. I have lived a wonderful life (gasping for air)….I
am counting on you John.
Narrator 2: On February 1, 1839, John Ross buried Quatie near Little Rock, Arkansas.
She was just one of many who died.
(Scene 3: Present Day--around the camp fire)
Present Day Cherokee 1: The legend of the Cherokee Rose grew from the Trail of
Tears. It is believed that each drop of blood turned into a stone rose.
Present Day Cherokee 2: Those crystals can still be found along the Arkansas River
and became the state stone of Oklahoma.
Kid 1: Wow! That’s so cool!
Kid 2: How many people died?
Kid 3: Yeah! Was it a lot?
Narrator 3: No one knows for sure how many people died, but they say that at least
4,000 Cherokee men, women, and children lost their lives.
Present Day Cherokee 1: The last Cherokee party arrived on Indian territory on March
25, 1839. The journey took 139 days, rather than 80.
Present Day Cherokee 2: We called this the Nuna Dat Shun’y, which means, “the
place where they cried.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Act 4
Narrator 4: When the eastern Cherokee Indians arrived in the West, they faced difficult
conflicts with the western Indians.
John Ross: We need to keep our government and not let the Western Cherokees take
over leadership.
Western Cherokee: We don’t want you to have power over us, we want to govern your
tribe!
John Ross: Instead of fighting over who has power over who, why don’t we join
together to make a unified Cherokee nation?
Narrator 1: The United States government established a small reservation in western
North Carolina. Today over 10,000 Cherokee remain in North Carolina.
Narrator 2: You can see Tsali’s story along with the story of the Trail of Tears
performed every year in Cherokee North Carolina called “Unto These Hills”.
Narrator 3: There are over 80,000 western Cherokees living in Oklahoma today.
*Song 4- with Native American Dance
Kid 1: There are some lessons that can be learned from the bitter journey called the
Trail of Tears.
Kid 2: One of the lessons is that when promises are broken many people suffer.
Kid 3: Another lesson is a lesson of hope. The Cherokee showed perseverance and
courage throughout the whole journey.
Kid 1: The survival of the Cherokee is the survival of all that is best in the human spirit.
Narrator 4: Today the Cherokee Nation is a federally recognized government. The
capital of the Cherokee Nation is in Oklahoma. There are over 317,00 Cherokee
citizens, it is the largest tribal nation in the United States. You can even check them out
on youtube, facebook and twitter!
Jade: Thank you for coming today to see our Opera!
Kid 3: I hope you enjoyed our production, we worked really hard!
Kid 1 and Kid 2: Please come back to our classroom for our Opera Reception!!
Characters
Narrator 1- Isaac
Narrator 2- Savannah
Narrator 3- Sara
Narrator 4 - Emily
Kid 1- Maddie
Kid 2- Jilly
Kid 3- Lizzy
John Ross- Daniel
Present Day Cherokee 1- Isaiah
Present Day Cherokee 2- Peyton
Present Day Cherokee 3- Casey
Cherokee 4- Micaiah
Cherokee 5- Britton
Eastern Cherokee- Rev
Western Cherokee- Bryson
Colonist/Soldier 1- Preston
Colonist/Soldier 2- Ben
Sequoia- Keller
Ahyokah (Sequoia’s daughter) - Jade
Andrew Jackson- Josh
Bugle Boy- Daimean
John Ross’ wife (Quatie)- Alonis
General Scott- Jayden
● Thomas Jefferson (picture only)
● Martin Van Buren (picture only)
● John Quincy Adams (picture only)